Bumbling Bengals could boost Bills this week
by MATT KRUEGER Reporter

Could it be? Might the Buffalo Bills actually win (dare I say) three games in a row?

Ladies and gentlemen, that's called a winning streak. And, believe it or not, Buffalo has done that before. True, it's been three years since the Bills won more than two consecutive games, but with the struggling Cincinnati Bengals coming to Buffalo this Sunday, the Bills have an opportunity.

"We need to stack wins," head coach Dick Jauron said after Sunday's 13-3 win over the New York Jets, which followed up a 19-14 victory over the Baltimore Ravens. "If you're going to be a team that has any chance, you've got to stack wins."

You have to go back to 2004 to find a Bills winning streak. Buffalo triumphed in six straight games (imagine that!) from Week 11 to Week 16. That, of course, preceded a heart-wrenching, 29-24 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the final game of the season to prevent the Bills from qualifying for the playoffs.

Buffalo won back-to-back games once in 2005 and twice in 2006.

But now, the Bills have a chance to put together a streak not seen since the days of Mike Mularkey and Drew Bledsoe. Cincinnati (2-5) is 0-3 on the road this season and has allowed 211 points.

But the Bengals, led by quarterback Carson Palmer and receiver Chad Johnson, have an offense that can find the end zone at any time. Cincinnati has scored 80 more points than Buffalo this year, including 45 against the Cleveland Browns in Week Two.

"We see every game as winnable, but we have not shown we are an overpowering team," Jauron said. "We have to play at the top of our game every week in all three areas to stay in these games. Cincinnati is a potent team. They can score, and score in bunches. They're coming on. They're a good football team. There's nobody we play we feel we can't defeat. But there's nobody we play that we feel is a cakewalk. That's for certain."

To counter, Buffalo will have to rely on a defense that has allowed just 17 points in the past two weeks. Linebacker Angelo Crowell (50 tackles), safety Donte Whitner (47 tackles) and defensive end Aaron Schobel (21 tackles, two sacks) have stood out on a defense that has been ravaged by injuries.

If it comes down to an offensive shootout, the Bills are in trouble. Whether it's been J.P. Losman or Trent Edwards lining up at quarterback, the offense has been anemic. Buffalo has scored just two offensive touchdowns in the past three games and has scored fewer points than every team but Atlanta and San Francisco this year.

In Sunday's win over the Jets, the offense got a boost when Losman entered the game for an injured Edwards to score on consecutive drives. He got the Bills close enough for a 40-yard Rian Lindell field goal on his second drive and hooked up with favorite target Lee Evans on an 85-yard touchdown pass on his third possession. That was the first offensive touchdown since Marshawn Lynch's third-quarter score against the Ravens.

"It was certainly a great win for us," Jauron said. "It wasn't pretty at times, but to win any game in this league is really difficult. We needed it. And we knew they would fight. And they did. They're a team that's been unlucky in their games. They came out, they had a good plan and they attacked us. Luckily, we came out on top."

Following the Cincinnati game, the Bills go on the road to face Miami (0-8), so we could see a four-game winning streak as the Bills head into the Week 11 showdown with the New England Patriots (8-0).

e-mail: mkrueger@beenews.com