The Cincinnati Bengals defense is arguably the lone bright spot in a disappointing season for the 0-8 club. The unit's performance has gone virtually unnoticed, overshadowed by a nonexistent offense that is ranked at or near the bottom in just about every statistical category. The one stat that jumps out is being ranked last in points scored, averaging a measly 13.0 points per game. That kind of production is not going to win too many high school football games.

Much to the team's chagrin on offense, the defense has held its own against some pretty stiff competition this season. That was until it met the Houston Texans who laid a 35-6 whippin' on the team in Week 8.

Despite the team's winless season, players aren't ready to pack it up, particularly starting linebacker Rashad Jeanty. He still believes that the team can turn things around.

During a telephone interview with the linebacker Wednesday night, Oct. 29, he was outspoken about the mind-set and focus of the team.

"The main focus this week is to get a W," Jeanty said. "It's kind of frustrating when you're working as hard as we have been and not coming up with numbers in the win column. We had a chance to win a couple of games, but couldn't close it out for whatever reason.

"The focus is to keep playing hard and finish games. We have to be able to make plays on defense and give the offense more opportunities to score points. We have to be able to get off the field on third down. That's been our Achilles heel this season, and we're definitely working on trying to improve as a defense."

Jeanty is one of the main contributors on defense. He's second on the team in tackles with 52 stops and has high expectations.

"The bar was set real high for the defense with Coach (Mike) Zimmer coming in," he said. "Coach has a reputation around the league as being one of the elite defensive coordinators and instilled in us to play hard. The expectations haven't quite been met, but we have definitely made strides from last year."

Zimmer teaches an aggressive attacking style defense perfectly suited for Jeanty, who plays the game like it should be played at the linebacker position. He plays with lots of range and emotion.

Jeanty said that he is steadily growing and learning the ins and outs of the defense and doing his part to the best of his ability.

Jeanty knows what it means to win after winning two Grey Cup Championships with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League before signing with the Bengals in 2006.

The linebacker wasn't accustomed to losing and when the team started the 2007 season 1-5, he looked to his mother for consolation. This season must be déjà vu. Jeanty said he is tuning out all the negative talk and is focused on getting things turned around.

When asked about the character of guys on the team and in the locker room Jeanty was direct.

"I know what type of players we have in the locker room, and for the most part we're all good guys," he said. "In the past, guys have got themselves caught up in certain situations that lead to a bad image towards the team and the Bengals organization. Those guys know that they made a mistake. Guys like Chris Henry, who is one of the coolest guys I know, had, in the past, put himself in a position were he got caught up in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"So far he has been doing a good job. Chris has definitely been one of the teammates that you can talk to and depend on. And I've been noticing it. It's a work in progress, but we're definitely headed in the right direction."

Jeanty also dispelled the notion that the players have quit on head coach Marvin Lewis.

"If the players have quit on coach, I don't see it," Jeanty said. "We're trying our hardest but without the wins it seems like we quit. There have been times where we weren't finishing to the ball and it seems like you're not giving effort. It's not that we are quitting on Coach Lewis. It's like we keep trying and trying but sometimes we get a little lackadaisical on things and it cost us. But I don't see guys quitting."

Carlos "Big C" Holmes covers the NFL for the Dayton Daily News.