"T.J. Houshmandzadeh doesn't think Bengals fans were booing him in his return to Paul Brown Stadium on Sunday. Instead, the Baltimore Ravens wide receiver thought they were chanting "Hoooouuusssshhhh" late in the first half.

That's debatable, but one thing was loud and clear after the game: Houshmandzadeh was booing himself.

"Of everyone who played today, I was the only one who didn't make a play," said Houshmandzadeh, who did not record a catch in his first game against the Bengals since his free-agent departure after the 2008 season. "I didn't do anything. It's my fault."

That self-accountability is among the reasons why Houshmandzadeh was a fan-favorite during his eight seasons in Cincinnati.

It didn't seem like the fans weren't showing Houshmandzadeh any love after Joe Flacco threw his way with a minute left in the first half. Safety Chinedum Ndukwe sprinted to swat away Flacco's pass just before the ball reached Houshmandzadeh.

After the stadium public-address announcer called out whom the pass was intended for, the fans booed.

"They were saying my name - at least that's what I am telling myself," said Houshmandzadeh, adding that the fan reception was much better than he had anticipated.

The Bengals secondary wasn't as nice to Houshmandzadeh. He failed to catch a pass Sunday and has one catch for 27 yards through two games this season.

"We had a good feel for him as far as what type of receiver he is," said cornerback Leon Hall. "He's a shifty, clever receiver who knows how to get open so we stayed on his hip and went where he went.""