Bills 2010 Film Review: Week 11 At Cincinnati (First Half)

Knowing that the Buffalo Bills defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 49-31 in Week 11 of the 2010 NFL regular season, it's tough to believe - unless, of course, you simply remember - that the Bengals once led that game 28-7.

The Bills were mistake-prone offensively and awful defensively in that half, and the Bengals quickly built an early lead. However, Cincinnati also lost both of its starting safeties to injury in the first half, and the Bills began an unbelievable 42-3 scoring run late in the second quarter.

Week 11, first half: Bengals jump out to 31-14 lead on Bills - NOTES

• Cedric Benson picks up big yardage on a toss sweep left when Reggie Corner inexplicably missteps inside, losing contain.
• Dwan Edwards beats the left guard cleanly, pressuring Carson Palmer into an incompletion.

Week 11, first half: Bengals jump out to 31-14 lead on Bills - NOTES (cont.)

• Bills run a six-man pressure. Chris Kelsay stunts runs into the back of Kyle Williams, who falls forward and takes out Paul Posluszny. Suddenly it's a three-man rush, and Chad Ochocinco makes getting open on Drayton Florence look easy.
• Bills run a dog (five-man pressure package). Once again, no pressure. Jairus Byrd gets away with a little tug on a complaining Terrell Owens, and Palmer's pass falls to the turf.
• Corner can't bring down Benson playing backside contain. Benson picks up six yards.
• Bills run another dog, play man behind it. Palmer steps up through the trash and calmly runs for a first down.
• Kelsay blasts Palmer after beating Dennis Roland cleanly. Palmer still gets a completion on a short slant to Jermaine Gresham.
• George Wilson makes two straight run stops on a goal-to-go situation inside the five-yard line. Buried guard Nate Livings to make the stop on the second play.
• Ochocinco beats Byrd badly on an inside move for a touchdown. Another Bills blitz doesn't get home. 7-0 Bengals.
• Jon Corto flagged for a very blatant block in the back on a nice Leodis McKelvin kick return.
• Geoff Hangartner can't sustain his block at the second level. Fred Jackson limited to four yards on a well-conceived run.
• Michael Johnson tosses Demetrius Bell aside like a rag doll. Pressure causes Ryan Fitzpatrick to force a pass to Stevie Johnson, and Dhani Jones picks it off. Bengals' Johnson hits Fitzpatrick in the helmet, and the penalty nullifies the pick.
• Pat Sims torches Eric Wood on a spin move to sack Fitzpatrick. QB had no chance.
• David Nelson finds a seam in the zone out of the slot. Fitzpatrick steps up into the pocket and hits Nelson in stride, who picks up enough yardage to convert a 3rd & 17.
• Bengals get a blitzer free against a Bills empty set. Fitzpatrick reads hot, throws Jackson open for a cutback run. Jackson drops the pass - could've been a long gainer.
• Bell, Andy Levitre and Hangartner slant right, throw key blocks on a Jackson run out of the shotgun. Levitre goes a little too far, holds Domata Peko, and the play is nullified.
• Fitzpatrick hits Donald Jones over the middle. A big Dhani tackle prevents another ten easy yards.
• On 3rd & 8, Stevie runs a six-yard hitch. As the ball approaches, he jab steps to defense's right, then cuts hard to his left after catching. Defender misses, Johnson jukes a linebacker, and he's off to the races for 36 yards.
• Corey McIntyre and Lee Evans throw big blocks on a 16-yard run by Jackson. Hangartner opened the running lane. Run came out of the shotgun again.
• In three-receiver sets, Bills are using Evans and Johnson on one side (Johnson in the slot), with Jones alone on the other side.
• Wood with a pretty pull on an outside run, but Jackson tripped up by an unblocked safety. Gain of three, could've been much more.
• Levitre pulls and seals on an eight-yard run by Jackson. Collision with Roy Williams concusses the safety and ends his participation in the game.
• David Martin makes a nice crack block to give Jackson the edge on a diving touchdown run. Game tied at seven.
• Antonio Coleman can't contain against the run, giving Benson the edge. Posluszny drills him at the end of the nice run.
• Williams doubled, misses Benson, and Reggie Torbor can't shed at the second level. Boom: 18 yards.
• McKelvin stumbles as Owens runs by him on a fly pattern. Byrd late to get over, as the ball left Palmer's hands very quickly. 48-yard gain down to the Bills' two-yard line.
• McKelvin and Byrd stationary as Bengals execute a play-fake. By the time they recognize and start moving, Owens is wide open for a touchdown. 14-7 Bengals.
• Wood pushed backwards, closing the designed running lane. Jackson bounces left, lucky to get back to line of scrimmage.
• Fitzpatrick picked off on a throw to the outside intended for Evans. Ball behind the receiver, play slow to develop - Johnathan Joseph all over it. Very poor throw and decision.
• Kelsay on all fours after a Benson cut block, maintains his balance and sacks Palmer. Play negated by an illegal contact penalty on McKelvin.
• Alex Carrington tosses Andrew Whitworth, but can't trip up Benson. Kelsay can't shed. Donte Whitner missteps to the inside, trips up Benson inside the five-yard line after another lengthy run.
• On 2nd & goal from inside the one-yard line, Benson walks in. 21-7 Bengals.
• Wood walked backward into the pocket, forcing Fitzpatrick left into Bell's man. Good coverage by Cincinnati. Incomplete pass.
• Bengals overload a blitz to Fitzpatrick's right. QB reads hot behind it to Johnson, Bengals gamble by leaving Jones uncovered deep, and two Bengals have a shot at a pick. Joseph gets it and returns it for a score. Great play call by Cincinnati. Fitzpatrick totally fooled.
• On a bad-looking Jackson toss sweep, Chris Crocker injures his knee bringing Jackson down. Both Bengals safeties now out of the game.
• Levitre pulls on a play fake. Evans open deep, Fitzpatrick hits him in stride for a 54-yard gain. Bengals immediately missing those safeties.
• Jonathan Stupar blown up pulling. Jackson stopped for a short loss.
• Fitzpatrick doesn't put quite enough air under a deep throw to Evans, who was open deep in bracket coverage and could've run under a slightly loftier throw.
• Nelson interfered with by Reggie Nelson on 4th & 2 for automatic first down. Kind of an iffy call. We'll take it.
• Fitzpatrick connects with Shawn Nelson on a naked bootleg for a nine-yard gain. This was Nelson's final reception of the season.
• Levitre can't erase Keith Rivers on a weak-side trap. Jackson stopped for no gain.
• Martin not even looking for the ball on a tight end slip screen. Diving Bengals defender nearly makes the pick. Fitzpatrick gets after Martin after the play.
• Fitzpatrick hits Johnson on a shallow drag to convert a 4th & 1. Threw back across his body.
• Mansfield Wrotto called for a false start. 1st & 10 becomes 1st & 15.
• Bell beat inside by Michael Johnson again. Fitzpatrick pass tipped, falls incomplete.
• Fitzpatrick misspots a ball to Nelson on 3rd & 15. Ball thrown behind him. Reggie Nelson tips it, forces fourth down.
• Rian Lindell pushes a 33-yard field goal wide right. Seriously - 33 yards. Come on.
• Posluszny blows up an otherwise well-blocked screen pass to stuff Bernard Scott.
• Kelsay torches Roland again and crushes Palmer, forcing an incompletion. Because Ed Hochuli and his ref crew are idiots, the whistle never blows the play dead, the teams scramble for the ball, a scrum ensues, and Gresham is called for unnecessary roughness. Again - we'll take it.
• Michael Johnson again burns Bell, this time to the outside. Fitzpatrick steps up and avoids the pressure, then hits Stevie for a first down.
• Jones makes three grabs in one drive, two of them on the same play - a quick slot screen with the left side of the line downfield blocking. On the second such play, Martin, Levitre and Hangartner throw nice blocks as Jones rumbles 28 yards for a touchdown. 28-14 Bengals.
• Lindell kicks the ball off out of bounds. Bengals start at their 40. Seriously - the ball landed out of bounds. Come on.
• Bryan Scott makes a touchdown-saving tackle on Jordan Shipley after the rookie slot receiver easily separated, then raced down the sidelines.
• Drayton Florence and Paul Posluszny called for back-to-back pass interference penalties inside the five-yard line. Florence call was questionable. Posluszny call looked like he did it on purpose to prevent a score. Heady play by 51.
• Buffalo makes a goal-line stand, stopping Bengals runs from the one-yard line twice to prevent a touchdown and force a field goal. Refs give the Bengals a second to get the FG off - clock may have expired. Bengals lead 31-14 at the break.