Two Bills Drive

'On their last three possessions the Bills gained just seven yards on 13 plays, while Cincinnati went for 135 on 21 plays with a touchdown and field goal to show for it before their late interception sealed the game and the Bengals ran out the clock.'

'“You want to take advantage of those opportunities,” said head coach Sean McDermott. “That’s what taking the ball away is for. Usually when you take the ball away where it’s 3-0 (at the time) you feel like you’re in pretty good shape. We have to go back and look at the film and evaluate what we did well and what we didn’t do well.”'

'“I think it’s true of any offense — if you become one dimensional, that’s not good. We’ve got to make sure we can run the football, and run our style of offense. There have been times that we’ve done it, and there have been times we haven’t. We’ve got to continue to grow and get better there."'

'Meanwhile, cornerback E.J. Gaines is inactive due to the groin injury he suffered last week in Atlanta. He was unable to practice on Friday and was questionable coming into the game. Fellow CB Shareece Wright is active despite being listed as questionable with a back injury. He’s expected to start opposite Tre’Davious White.'

'“(Touchdowns) come in bunches. The way it plays out you get lucky and get three in a game or two in a game. It starts with that first one, that first game, the first touchdown and yards, they all kind of roll together,” McCoy said. “Just got to get over that hump and get going. That’s kind of been our issue. I haven’t gotten in the end zone either. It’s about finishing some drives and putting some points up.”'

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'“Every part of your life has to be in line to play well. To have balance in your life and to be able to be comfortable where you are and have a good relationship with all of your teammates and have a good culture, all of that goes hand and hand.”'

'They were unbeaten at 3-0, flying high to Ohio. It was the height of Ryan Fitzpatrick's time in Buffalo. He was lighting up the league and was featured in a Sports Illustrated story about the NFL's "Fitzmagic" craze.'

'Bills 24, Bengals 23.'

'I'm impressed by how the Bills look so far. Nobody expected them to be 3-1 at this point. They are one Tyrod Taylor-to-Zay Jones missed connection away from being 4-0. Regardless of what happens against the Bengals, the Bills come out of next week's bye with three of their next four games at home, and the road game in that mix is against the New York Jets, whom the Bills defeated on opening day. The Oakland Raiders look far more manageable Oct. 29 if EJ Manuel is at quarterback.'

'This will be another significant test for the Bills' first-round rookie cornerback, even though he will be matched on the Bengals' top threat only some of the time. The Bills' cornerbacks play sides rather than match up on specific receivers. The Bengals' star moves around, so he will see E.J. Gaines and Leonard Johnson, as well. The Bengals figure to feed Green. He caught 10 of 13 passes thrown in his direction against Green Bay two weeks ago. He was targeted only seven times last week against Cleveland, but it was a blowout and the Bengals didn't need him.'

'Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton has taken a couple deep shots per game on first-down plays per game this season. His pass protection has been inconsistent, and the first-down, play-action fake gives him a bit more time. This one went for 50 yards to star A.J Green against Houston in Week Two, despite the fact the Texans essentially had Green triple-covered in a three-deep zone.'

'Tre’Davious White, CB, Buffalo. In the last two weeks, he was clearly targeted from the very start by Denver’s Trevor Siemian and Atlanta’s Matt Ryan. Each time, White not only held his own, but he wound up holding the thing the quarterbacks previously had in their hand: The ball. White, the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Month for September, intercepted Siemian and knocked down four other passes. Against the Falcons, he picked up a Ryan fumble and returned it 52 yards for a touchdown. White plays with the poise and savvy of a long-time veteran. He carries himself with a great deal of confidence, but maintains the team-first philosophy that Sean McDermott wants his players to have.'

'Tolbert's stats this year – 34 carries for 119 yards, two catches for 14 yards – project out to a season in which he would have 136 carries for 476 yards, eight catches for 56 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions. Last year, Mike Gillislee had 101 carries for 577 yards and nine catches for 50 yards, with nine total touchdowns. Everyone knew the Bills were going to take a step back when it came to production from the backup running back when Gillislee left.'

'"I'm enjoying it," Alexander said. "I knew it was going to be a change for me. I knew I wasn’t going to have as many opportunities to rush. But if we continue to progress like we’re going defensively, I don’t care if I have 50 more tackles than I did last year and maybe four or five less sacks. That doesn’t matter to me. It’s all about winning games and getting to the playoffs."'