Eager to set a tone with new quarterback Drew Bledsoe, the Bills coaching staff drew up a pass-happy attack, and let him air the ball out in his three series of work in his Buffalo debut.

The result was touchdown drives of 75 and 43 yards capped by scoring passes of 31 yards to Eric Moulds and 12 yards to Peerless Price. Bledsoe was 9 of 11 for 136 yards, 2 TDs, 1 interception, 2 sacks and a splendid 119.9 passer rating.

Feeling pre-game jitters for the first time in years he said, Bledsoe showed complete command of the offense, even shaking off a dubious sack on the first play of the game to go 5-for-5 on the drive.

After an interception on an underthrown ball to Price, Bledsoe rebounded to hit Price in the left corner of the end zone on a third-and-11 play at the Cincinnati 12-yard line, dropping a perfect lob between three defenders.

"It felt good to go down and put points on the board," Bledsoe said. "That was our objective. We came out and attacked and I would expect that is the personality of this offense."

The flip side to the evening?

The Bills couldn't run the ball or stop the run.

The Bengals, who also took their opening drive 71 yards in 13 plays to a touchdown with quarterback Jon Kitna converting four third downs with passes, dominated time of possession 39 minutes to 21.

The Bills were outrushed 181 yards to 50.

The second half was especially gruesome for the Bills and their reserve players; Cincinnati rushed for 133 yards and held the ball nearly 23 minutes. Fourth-string running back Rudi Johnson gained 100 yards on 14 carries.

What makes the game impossible to dismiss is that the Bills will be counting on many of these young players to contribute heavily this fall.

The team lacks dominant players on the defensive line and plans to play waves of players to generate a pass rush and stop the run.

The Bills also had no sacks against the Bengals.

"We had a couple fits in the run game in the second half with some of our young guys," coach Gregg Williams said. "That was irritating and frustrating...and it caused a lack of rhythm offensively."

The Bills called just five running plays in the second half. Cincinnati ran off 30 more plays than Buffalo.

If there is no improvement in stopping the run this Friday when the Minnesota Vikings come to Ralph Wilson Stadium, alarm bells will be even louder. "The things we gave up were caused by our own mistakes, not by anything they were really doing," said free agent middle linebacker London Fletcher, who was brought in to help shore up Buffalo's run defense, which last year gave up 133 yards per game. "We had them in some third and long situations and we were unable to stop them. That was the only real disappointment for the first unit."

Despite the shortcomings on defense, Bledsoe was still the buzz.

"Well, we know we have the ability to score points and we know we have a great quarterback who's smart and proven," Moulds said. "When that happens, the confidence level goes up at every position."

Hey, if you can't stop 'em, just outscore 'em.

CAMP CALENDAR
The Bills, who host the Minnesota Vikings Friday in their second preseason game, are down to three double-session days. Camp breaks Aug. 21.

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