Bills quarterback Drew Bledsoe (11) looks downfield for his receiver as Bengals defensive end Vaughn Booker closes in. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — With Drew Bledsoe as his quarterback, Buffalo Bills coach Gregg Williams wasn't going to fool around with a good thing.

        “We wanted the ball in Drew's hand as much as possible,” Williams said. “We wanted Drew to get into a rhythm, and he did.”

        The Bills lost their preseason opener, 24-17 to the Cincinnati Bengals on Friday night. But the significance was Bledsoe's poised performance in his Buffalo debut.

        In a little more than one quarter, Bledsoe went 9-of-11 for 136 yards, threw two touchdowns and was intercepted. It not only provided the first glimpse of what Buffalo's revamped offense is capable of, but also marked a departure from last year's 3-13 finish and Rob Johnson's dreadful four-year tenure in Buffalo.

        “His presence was felt from the time he stepped into the stadium,” said Williams of Bledsoe, acquired last April after nine years in New England.

        Unlike the sometimes hesitant Johnson, now with Tampa Bay, Bledsoe was unfazed by the two sacks he endured, or the interception — a lazy pass picked off by Jeff Burris. Both times, Bledsoe bounced back to produce scoring drives.

        “It feels good to get a game under our belts and get out there and get going,” Bledsoe said. “I will be honest, I had a few pregame jitters going that I have not felt in a little while.

        “Being in a new situation like this, I was really excited to play.”

        Along with hitting Eric Moulds for a 31-yard touchdown pass, Bledsoe hit Peerless Price on a fade into the left corner with a perfect touch toss for a 12-yard touchdown.

        Cincinnati won in the second half behind third-string quarterback Akili Smith, who hit Sean Brewer with a strike in traffic for the go-ahead, 8-yard touchdown with 2:42 left in the third quarter.

        The Bengals, who haven't enjoyed a winning regular season in 11 years, were happy to pull out the victory.

        “It's important to win a game, but more important to win it like that,” Bengals coach Dick LeBeau said. “To exhibit some confidence and stick-to-it-iveness, we played very well at the end, and that makes me happy.”

        Incumbent Jon Kitna had the best showing in the Bengals' quarterback competition, marching the team on a 13-play, 71-yard scoring drive on his first possession.

        “It was very refreshing to go down to score and to get a win,” said Kitna, who went 7-of-10 for 51 yards. “If you keep things together, you have a chance to develop some continuity and consistency. Tonight we were very consistent.”

        With the addition of Gus Frerotte, Smith doesn't want to feel like the odd man out in the competition.

        “I'm not going away. I don't want them to think that,” said Smith, who went 10-of-17 for 72 yards. “I've got three years left on my contract. Eventually, I hope to get the starting job back.”

        There's no question about who the starter is in Buffalo.

        “He went out and showed tonight that he is a true professional and he can get it done,” fullback Larry Centers said of Bledsoe. “If you look really deeper into the situation, you don't have the circus atmosphere that you might have had last year — the wondering which team was going to show up.”

        Notes: Bledsoe's 136 yards passing surpassed Johnson's numbers in two of his eight starts last season. ... Bengals WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh (left ankle strain), linebacker Takeo Spikes (right pectoral strain), halfback Brandon Bennett (right ankle sprain) and tackle Jamain Stephens (left shoulder strain) all didn't return to the game. ... Bengals' RB Corey Dillon (foot) watched without pads on from the sideline.

Bengals 24, Bills 17 Bengals-Bills Stats Bledsoe impresses in Bills debut Defense has set lofty goals Cowboys 20, Raiders 6 Falcons 23, Jaguars 13 Ravens 12, Lions 6

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