Bengals find a way to win
By George Starks
Sports Editor  
October  3, 2011 

CINCINNATI - Late game heroics by Buffalo has become the norm for the Bills (3-1 overall) through the first three games of the season. 

Finding a way to lose has been the norm for the struggling Cincinnati Bengals through the first three games now 2-2 overall. 

Sunday, it was all reversed. 

As time expired, Mike Negent nailed a 43 yard field goal to lift the Bengals past the upstart Bills, 23-20 Sunday, in front of the smallest crowd in the history of Paul Brown Stadium. 

“It’s the worst way to lose a game,” said Bills running back Fred Johnson. 

With the Bills holding a 20-13 lead midway through the fourth quarter, Buffalo had its chance to put the game on ice. Staring a third and one in the face at their 47, quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick connected with Steve Johnson that appeared to be a first down, keeping the drive going. 

It was ruled an incomplete pass as the officials said he juggled the ball as he fell. The ruling forced the Bills to punt, giving the Bengals their chance. 

With 4:09 remaining in the game, Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton ran the ball in from three yards out. With the extra point knotting things up at 20-20, setting the Cats up with the game winning drive at the end. 

“It’s a very good feeling, and not just for the obvious,” said Nugent, who grew up in Centerville, Ohio, 45 miles north of Cincinnati, and played at Ohio State. “But to do it for your team - and when I say your team I mean I grew up a die-hard Bengals fan. I’ve been coming to games my whole life and I’ve watched guys like Jim Breech do it all of the time. It’s one of those things where we need to remember this feeling and bring it into next week.” 

Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis put it into perspective. 

“We’re early in the year,” said Lewis in his post game interview. “We’ve got a lot of season ahead of us and you know, at the end of the week, when we’re 2-2, we still have Jacksonville to play Sunday and the rest of the season ahead of us. We needed this win and Andy (Dalton) showed his poise out there when it got down to crunch time.” 

The Bengals will visit Jacksonville next.