GAME THREAD: GAME THREAD: NFL: CINCINNATI (2-5) at BUFFALO (3-4)

NFL: CINCINNATI (2-5) at BUFFALO (3-4)

<h3>Bengals need to rev up offense against Bills</h3>



Cincinnati (2-5) at Buffalo (3-4) Sunday 1:00 pm EDT

ORCHARD PARK, New York (Ticker) -- The defense cannot stop anyoneand the offense cannot score. No wonder the Cincinnati Bengalsare almost out of playoff contention before the season's midwaypoint.


Desperate for a win, the Bengals hit the road Sunday to take onthe surprising Buffalo Bills, a team that has beaten them eightin a row.


Losers of five of its last six games, including last weekend's24-13 home defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cincinnati cannotafford to fall much farther back in the top-heavy AFC.

The Bengals still have one of the more favorable late-seasonschedules in the league, but if they can't revive a potentoffense to take the pressure off their withering defense, itwon't matter.


Cincinnati's defense has been shredded for 211 points in sevengames; only the league's two winless teams, the St. Louis Ramsand Miami Dolphins, have yielded more.


But the more puzzling question has been the consistent lack ofscoring punch from an offense that features the wide receivertandem T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who had a league-high 58 receptions,and Chad Johnson, who leads the league with an average of 104yards receiving per game.


Coach Marvin Lewis drew criticism - as well as the ire of someof his players - when he opted to kick a field goal against theSteelers with the Bengals trailing, 14-3, and 2:16 left in thefirst half.


Pittsburgh then drove down the field and pushed in a touchdownwith four seconds left in the half for a 21-6 lead. Game over.

"In hindsight, we should have gone for it," Lewis said.

The Bengals' task may be more arduous as running back RudiJohnson (hamstring) has sat out three of the past four games andreplacement Kenny Watson suffered a concussion against theSteelers. Watson's status remains iffy for Sunday.

The resurgent Bills have won two straight games and three offour to overcome an 0-3 start despite numerous injuries on bothsides of the ball.


Rookie quarterback Trent Edwards sprained his wrist in lastweek's 13-3 win over the New York Jets and was replaced by J.P.Losman, who led the Bills to two scoring drives to seal thevictory.


Losman, who missed three games with an ankle injury that openedthe door for Edwards, will reclaim his starting role forSunday's game.


Rookie Marshawn Lynch has provided a steady complement in thebackfield, rushing for at least 60 yards in every game,including 80 on 21 carries vs. the Jets.


Buffalo's emerging defense had allowed 14 points or fewer inthree of the past four games, and if not for allowing ninepoints to the Dallas Cowboys in the final 20 seconds, the Billswould be riding a four-game winning streak.

 

NFL: CINCINNATI at BUFFALO

<div class="pre">NFL
CINCINNATI 0
BUFFALO 0 14:54 LEFT, 1ST QTR

BUF BALL ON BUF 25 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: CINCINNATI at BUFFALO

<div class="pre">NFL TD BUF
LEE EVANS 8 YD PASS FROM J.P. LOSMAN
(RIAN LINDELL KICK)

CINCINNATI 0
BUFFALO 7 11:44 LEFT, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NFL: CINCINNATI at BUFFALO

<div class="pre">NFL
CINCINNATI 0
BUFFALO 7 11:40 LEFT, 1ST QTR

CIN BALL ON CIN 21 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: CINCINNATI at BUFFALO

<div class="pre">NFL TD CIN
T.J. HOUSHMANDZADEH 15 YD PASS FROM CARSON PALMER
(SHAYNE GRAHAM KICK)

CINCINNATI 7
BUFFALO 7 8:35 LEFT, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NFL: CINCINNATI at BUFFALO

<div class="pre">NFL
CINCINNATI 7
BUFFALO 7 8:29 LEFT, 1ST QTR

BUF BALL ON BUF 31 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: CINCINNATI at BUFFALO

<div class="pre">NFL
CINCINNATI 7
BUFFALO 7 7:21 LEFT, 1ST QTR

CIN BALL ON CIN 34 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: CINCINNATI at BUFFALO

<div class="pre">NFL
CINCINNATI 7
BUFFALO 7 5:41 LEFT, 1ST QTR

BUF BALL ON BUF 15 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: CINCINNATI at BUFFALO

<div class="pre">NFL
CINCINNATI 7
BUFFALO 7 2:12 LEFT, 1ST QTR

CIN BALL ON CIN 5 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: CINCINNATI at BUFFALO

<div class="pre">NFL END, 1ST QTR 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
CINCINNATI 7 7
BUFFALO 7 7 END, 1ST QTR

SCORING SUMMARY

1ST QUARTER: BUF - TD, LEE EVANS 8 YD PASS FROM J.P.
LOSMAN (RIAN LINDELL KICK), 3:16.
Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards in 3:16.
Key plays: Losman 38-yard pass to
Evans to Cincinnati 37; Losman
19-yard pass to Evans to Cincinnati
18; Lynch 10-yard run to Cincinnati
7. BUFFALO 7-0
CIN - TD, T.J. HOUSHMANDZADEH 15 YD PASS FROM
CARSON PALMER (SHAYNE GRAHAM KICK),
6:25. Drive: 5 plays, 79 yards in
3:09. Key plays: Palmer 24-yard
pass to C Johnson to Cincinnati 45;
Palmer 43-yard pass to Watson to
Buffalo 16. CINCINNATI 7-7</div>

 

NFL: CINCINNATI at BUFFALO

<div class="pre">NFL CINCINNATI 7
BUFFALO 7 12:25 LEFT, 2ND QTR</div>

 

NFL: CINCINNATI at BUFFALO

<div class="pre">NFL
CINCINNATI 7
BUFFALO 7 10:42 LEFT, 2ND QTR

BUF BALL ON BUF 25 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: CINCINNATI at BUFFALO

<div class="pre">NFL CINCINNATI 7
BUFFALO 7 6:13 LEFT, 2ND QTR</div>

 

NFL: CINCINNATI at BUFFALO

<div class="pre">NFL TWO MINUTE WARNING, 1ST HALF

CINCINNATI 7
BUFFALO 7

BUF BALL ON CIN 5 YD LINE
4TH AND GOAL</div>

 

NFL: CINCINNATI at BUFFALO

<div class="pre">NFL FG BUF
RIAN LINDELL 23 YD

CINCINNATI 7
BUFFALO 10 1:56 LEFT, 2ND QTR</div>

 

NFL: CINCINNATI at BUFFALO

<div class="pre">NFL TD CIN
GLENN HOLT 100 YD KICKOFF RETURN
(SHAYNE GRAHAM KICK)

CINCINNATI 14
BUFFALO 10 1:44 LEFT, 2ND QTR</div>

 

NFL: CINCINNATI at BUFFALO

<div class="pre">NFL
CINCINNATI 14
BUFFALO 10 1:41 LEFT, 2ND QTR

BUF BALL ON BUF 39 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: CINCINNATI at BUFFALO

<div class="pre">NFL FG BUF
RIAN LINDELL 21 YD

CINCINNATI 14
BUFFALO 13 0:03 LEFT, 2ND QTR</div>

 

NFL: CINCINNATI at BUFFALO

<div class="pre">NFL
CINCINNATI 14
BUFFALO 13 0:01 LEFT, 2ND QTR

CIN BALL ON CIN 26 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: CINCINNATI at BUFFALO

<div class="pre">NFL HALFTIME 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
CINCINNATI 7 7 14
BUFFALO 7 6 13 HALFTIME

SCORING SUMMARY

1ST QUARTER: BUF - TD, LEE EVANS 8 YD PASS FROM J.P.
LOSMAN (RIAN LINDELL KICK), 3:16.
Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards in 3:16.
Key plays: Losman 38-yard pass to
Evans to Cincinnati 37; Losman
19-yard pass to Evans to Cincinnati
18; Lynch 10-yard run to Cincinnati
7. BUFFALO 7-0
CIN - TD, T.J. HOUSHMANDZADEH 15 YD PASS FROM
CARSON PALMER (SHAYNE GRAHAM KICK),
6:25. Drive: 5 plays, 79 yards in
3:09. Key plays: Palmer 24-yard
pass to C Johnson to Cincinnati 45;
Palmer 43-yard pass to Watson to
Buffalo 16. CINCINNATI 7-7
2ND QUARTER: BUF - FG, RIAN LINDELL 23 YD, 13:04. Drive:
15 plays, 70 yards in 8:47. Key
plays: Lynch 12-yard run to Buffalo
44; Losman 30-yard pass to Evans on
3rd-and-10 to Cincinnati 26; Losman
11-yard pass to Gaines to
Cincinnati 12; Lynch 4-yard run on
3rd-and-3 to Cincinnati 1. BUFFALO
10-7
CIN - TD, GLENN HOLT 100 YD KICKOFF RETURN
(SHAYNE GRAHAM KICK), 13:16.
CINCINNATI 14-10
BUF - FG, RIAN LINDELL 21 YD, 14:57.
CINCINNATI 14-13</div>