Cincinnati Bengals: 7 Keys to Victory Against Buffalo Bills in Week 4

We're just a few days away from a game that is sure to draw the media's attention. Unfortunately for us, it has nothing to do with the Cincinnati Bengals. 

With the undefeated Buffalo Bills rolling into town hoping to continue their winnings ways and looking to notch an 11th straight victory over the Bengals, this week will provide a much bigger test than originally thought.

Despite the departures of T.O. and Chad Ochocinco, the Bengals have still managed to drum up some off-the-field drama in the form of Jerome Simpson and Cedric Benson. And the ramifications of those distractions could still be a factor on Sunday.

So can the Bengals put the breaks on the feel-good express that is the 2011 Buffalo Bills?

Here are seven keys to an orange and black victory.

A Focused Cedric Benson

Despite the ongoing process' around regarding Cedric Benson's three-game ban taking a significant amount of time to be resolved, the running back will play on Sunday, as he confirmed in the locker room on Wednesday, following his full participation in practice.

“For the most part I want to get out there and kick some butt just in case, for whatever reason, I’m not out there after this weekend,” Benson said. “I want to end it on a big note.”

The Bengals will be hoping that Benson can carry this aggression onto the field on Sunday against a defense that was ranked dead last against the run in 2010. While there have been improvements in the early going, the Bengals will be relying on Benson as much as ever to take the pressure off of quarterback Andy Dalton.

With Ryan Fitzpatrick putting up big points through the air, the Bengals will need to convert in the red zone if they want to keep this close, and it will largely come down to whether Benson can pound the ball consistently throughout the day.

Avoid Silly Penalties

The Bengals went a long way toward beating themselves in their home opener by giving up six penalties for 40 yards.

With the defense being forced out on the field for a long time last weekend, you can see why penalties occur, as guys get tired and struggle to focus. But in all, it is something they can't afford to do. They have a rookie quarterback, and he is going to put them in a bad situation often; so they need to be able to stay disciplined in the face of that.

Likewise with the offense, penalties came off of silly things like false starts, which is just down discipline. The likes of A.J. Green, who is young and hungry, just wants the ball, and can give up silly penalties in pursuit of it, due to lack of focus. 

The offense is all about tempo, and with the playbook's relative simplicity, that tempo is integral to its success. Once you start getting penalties and face third-and-long, there's not much Dalton can do at that point.

Big Performances out of Leon Hall and Nate Clements

The Bengals secondary has yet to notch an interception in the 2011 season, and with Ryan Fitzpatrick headed to Paul Brown Stadium, Leon Hall and Nate Clements will be on high alert for deep balls to the talented Stevie Johnson.

Fitzpatrick threw two interceptions in the Bills win over the Patriots at the weekend, and threw three in his first nine passes when the Bills came to Cincy in 2010. It is Fitzpatrick's gunslinger attitude that gives rise to tipped balls and interceptions, and the Bengals will need to capitalize on that if they want to compete in with a high-scoring Bills team.

With the Bills being no stranger to employing the spread offense, both Morgan Trent and Kelly Jennings will see their first game action of the 2011 season on Sunday, and they will need to be firing on all cylinders if they want to avoid being targeted as the weak spot in the defense, as Fitzpatrick is intelligent enough to exploit a weak back over and over again.

Andy Dalton Must Bounce Back

Andy Dalton was lauded for his poise in the pocket and for keeping cool under pressure in his first two appearances for the Bengals. These are traits that he failed to show in the final stretches of their Week 3 matchup against Cleveland.

It's a learning process for Dalton, and unfortunately he has been put in a situation where his rookie season will be very much trial by fire.

He has shown real leadership attributes and good accuracy for the most part thus far, and it is still far too early to start making any sort of conclusions about his future. However, if Dalton wants to get things back on track this week, there are two things he will need to get it done.

First is a big game out of Cedric Benson. It's hardly something Dalton can control, but Benson will be needed to avoid having too much pressure put on Dalton's passing game. 

Second, he needs to stay calm and not get frustrated. In the dying moments of the loss to the 49ers, Dalton was visibly frustrated and started throwing college passes. He needs to avoid this, particularly with the chance that Cincy could face a score deficit all day long.

Convert on Third Down

If you had to pinpoint one aspect of the Bengals' performance on Sunday to show why they lost the game, failure to convert third downs would probably be at the top of your list.

If you look at the numbers, through the first three games of the season, Andy Dalton has completed 10 of 24 passes for 46 yards on third down. That is not a pretty figure.

The issue with third down stems from the Bengals facing third-and-long more times than you can count. Their failures on third down are a reflection of just how poorly the Bengals are doing on first and second down as well.

Cedric Benson will need to provide the offense with a shorter field on second and third downs, and Dalton and his receivers need to pick up their accuracy in terms of throws and hands.

This is not a game where you can afford to waste the amount of drives the Bengals did against the 49ers.

A Top-Tier Performance from the Defense

The Bengals head into Week 4 with the NFL's No. 3-ranked defensive unit. It's a testament to how hard the defense has worked on and off the field in the run up to the 2011 season, and it's great to see new recruits finding form in their new uniform. 

The Bengals defense have played with a chip on their shoulders this season, and their ups have outweighed their downs thus far. With a real sense of competitiveness and aggression on that side of the ball, you have to hope the defense can get to Ryan Fitzpatrick on Sunday.

When questioned on Wednesday about their defensive success, defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer clearly showed that he is by no means happy. “Who was No. 1 in the league last week?" he asked. “Look it up. See where he is now.”

He was of course referring to Wade Phillips' Houston Texans defense, who were lit up by Drew Brees and the Saints on Sunday to the tune of 370 yards, sending them down the table to No. 14.

The Bengals are a team that can be inconsistent from week to week, often struggling to maintain a high standard of play following a big performance. The defense will need to be stout to prevent a big running performance from Fred Jackson this weekend, and the secondary will need to be on guard against the big play.

As will likely be the story for this year, the defense will carry the weight of the team, as they mop up Andy Dalton's mistakes and try to limit the damage.

If they can do that, the Bengals have a real shot.

Brandon Tate Must Step Up

I have to admit I have been a bit harsh on Tate considering only three games have been played this year. But right now I'm only seeing why the New England Patriots let him go, and not why he is the playmaker some are calling him.

He has done very little in the Bengals first three games, and has left me disappointed that a solid guy like Quan Cosby lost his spot to make way for him. Tate made some bone-headed moves against San Francisco and showed little in terms of reading the field.

I know that there is only so much a return guy can do, but Tate is showing to be nothing special right now. His contribution can be incredibly valuable to a team that needs every yard it can get on offense, and his flashy play is seeing him go sideways rather than up the field.

Am I being too harsh? Let me know what you think.