Hoping to rebound from last week's loss to the Buccaneers, the Bengals  prepared for a showdown with the Panthers. This game saw the return of 3rd down running back Chris Perry and safety Dexter Jackson.  In the first quarter, Bengal defense allowed a 7-yard TD pass from quarterback Jake Delhomme to tight end Kris Mangum for the quarter's only score.  In the second quarter, the Bengals when quarterback Carson Palmer completed a 16-yard TD pass to tight end Reggie Kelly. Delhomme countered with a 20-yard TD pass to running back Nick Goings. After halftime, Cincinnati's offense found its stride. Kicker Shayne Graham nailed a 23-yard field goal in the third quarter, and Carson Palmer completed a 1-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver T. J. Houshmandzadeh. The drive was kept alive by a 4th and 1 play action pass, where Palmer tossed a high arcing pass down the sideline to a sprinting Chad Johnson, who caught it for a 32-yard gain. The Panthers' last scoring opportunity ended when Delhomme threw his first career interception to  Kevin Kaesviharn. The Bengals improved to 4-2, and tied the Ravens for the lead in the AFC North. After being relatively silent for most of the season, Chad Johnson spoke out boastfully before the Atlanta game predicting he would score multiple touchdowns and jeopardize the job security of rival defensive back, DeAngelo Hall, who entered the game with four interceptions. Chad stated he was using this opportunity for the offense to regain some of its confidence and swagger.. Who caught Jake Delhomme's first career interception?