Bills vs. Bengals: 5 Adjustments Buffalo Must Make to Beat Cincinnati

The game remained close for most of the first half until a couple of Andy Dalton interceptions rolled into a ball of momentum for the Bills.  

Can Buffalo protect its 17-3 halftime lead?  Here are 5 things they must do to ensure victory:

1. The Ryan Fitzpatrick Factor

The newly christened AFC Player of the Month is playing with a lot of confidence right now, but perhaps Fitzpatrick's burgeoning stardom is causing him to over-think his throws.  The man's mind-boggling intellect is certainly no secret—his Harvard degree and a hot new twitter account are trustworthy testimonies to his acumen. 

Is the fact that he's playing against his former team getting into his head? Whatever it is, Fitzpatrick definitely was pressing early, trying to thread the needle too many times and leading his receivers too far.  Against the Bengals, the Bills' QB doesn't need to be taking all of these risks.

If he takes some time to establish the run and allow the passing game to open up in front of him, Fitzpatrick should be fine.

2. Third-Down Conversions

The Bills didn't convert their first third down until the second quarter.  The points have been there for the taking, but Ryan Fitzpatrick has shown a tendency to try to catch the defense off-guard by going for the big play on third and manageable.  

But there's really no need to force the issue.  Towards the end of the half, Buffalo tried a series of screen passes that went for positive yardage.  These types of plays may be the key to putting the game away in the second half.

3. Make Andy Dalton Beat You with His Arm

Memo to Chan Gailey and staff: Don't take Andy Dalton for granted—he can run a little bit.

Dalton is mobile enough to create opportunities for the offense.  The rookies he has as weapons are untried, but deadly.  Early in the half, Buffalo got caught feeling out things too much, and used too many predictable packages.  Cincinnati really only had success when it mixed up its run combinations, catching the Bills off-guard long enough to briefly open up the pass.

But a couple of late interceptions will only make Dalton more timid.  The Bills have his number; if they ensure that Dalton needs to pass in order to come back, the game should be theirs.

4. Control the Field

As a result of Fitzpatrick's early risks, Cincinnati controlled the ball and the field for the majority of the first quarter.  As the game wore on, however, the tide started to turn in favor of Buffalo, as devastating mistakes committed by Andy Dalton led to quick scoring chances.

Getting out of the locker room and continuing to pound the ball against a demoralized defense will go a long way towards putting this contest on ice.  

5. Make Your Own Breaks 

It became clear right away that Buffalo couldn't rely on the officials for its breaks.  A couple of questionable penalties, as well as a defensive score overruled by the tuck rule kept the game closer than it by all rights should have been.  

The Bills must be the aggressor in the second half.  Nobody is going to help them but themselves.