Drew Bledsoe (11) is sacked on the first offensive play of the game by Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Justin Smith (90). (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — By taking the field Friday night for the preseason opener against the Bills, the Bengals defense took its first step toward its goal of becoming one of the NFL's top defenses.

        Besides wanting to finish in the top three in yards allowed — which determines the overall league ranking — the Bengals have set their sights high for other statistical measures.

        Last season, the Bengals allowed an average of 19.3 points a game. The goal for 2002 is 14. The defense allowed 302 yards of offense a game. The goal is 280.

        They set a franchise record with 48 sacks in 2001. They want to better it by four. The defense wants to have 37 takeaways (interceptions and fumble recoveries), compared to 25 last season.

        The Bengals finished 2001 as the league's ninth-ranked defense in their first full season under coordinator Mark Duffner.

        PLEASANT SURPRISE: One of the happiest stories coming out of camp is the development of Chris Edmonds as a tight end. He played linebacker last season on the team's practice squad and was on the active roster for three games.

        He played tight end and linebacker at Pittsburgh's Woodland Hills High School before concentrating on linebacker as a four-year regular at West Virginia.

        He was hesitant about the switch to tight end but has grown to like it.

        “After I kind of settled down, I'm having fun with it,” said Edmonds, who is 6 feet 3, 250 pounds. “The quarterbacks are throwing me the ball and giving me tips. The receivers are giving me tips. Yeah, it's a good move for my career.”

        Tight ends coach John Garrett said Edmonds is still a bit rough around the edges but has “developed quickly.”

        “I'm not holding him back. I'm putting him in there and expecting him to learn both positions, the regular tight end and the movement tight end,” Garrett said. “He's had his up and downs. He'll make a play where he looks really athletic, and then he'll miss an assignment. What he's got to do is reach the point where he's not playing tentatively. He's slowly getting there.

        “We like his speed, his athleticism. He's got natural ability to come back to the ball, and he's a hand catcher. One thing he also has that has surprised everybody is explosion when he blocks. Now the technique's not there, but he gets into a guy.”

        PUSH-UP MAN: Wide receiver Danny Farmer, who could return Sunday to practice, has one of the most interesting workouts at training camp.

        In addition to rehabilitating the hamstring that has kept him out for two weeks, the third-year wide receiver has devised a workout that strengthens his upper body and keeps him mentally connected to what's happening in practice.

        Farmer does push-ups for mistakes made in the pass offense.

        Here's how he describes it: “Per drop, a regular drop is 10. For a drop that would have been a touchdown, it's like 20. For an interception that would have been a touchdown that goes back for a (defensive) touchdown, it's 50. An interception is 20, but if it's off a drop it's 30. False starts are 10; fumbles are 20.”

        He did 410 push-ups during Wednesday night's practice. His one-day record is 470.

        “You can stand there and waste away if you don't do anything,” Farmer said.

        As far as his return to practice, “I've been running around, but I'm a little hesitant to open it up all the way,” he said. “I think I've had enough time now to trust it to go out and go full speed.”

        Farmer had 15 receptions in 2001 and a team-best 15.2-yard per catch average.

        LONE PUNTER: By having Travis Dorsch focus on place-kicking, the Bengals' punting job appears to have gone to incumbent Nick Harris.

        Harris, who averaged 40.1 yards a punt last season as a rookie, has punted well in training camp.

        He said he knows punting is hard enough on its own, let alone trying to kick and punt, which is something Dorsch has said he wanted to try.

        “It takes time to do both, with drills,” Harris said. “You want to get good at both things, but it's tough to do in the time we have. I think (Dorsch) is a good punter and I think he's a good field goal kicker, but they want him to obviously concentrate on that. I just try to kick well every time out, whatever.”

        Harris has been getting two or three out of every four punts in special teams practice. Kicker Neil Rackers has been working in for one punt to spell Harris while Dorsch watches.

        Harris' net average of 34.1 yards was the team's best since Lee Johnson's 35.6 in 1998. And Harris had 21 punts inside the 20-yard line, compared to just six touchbacks, the best Bengals' ratio since Johnson's 27-8 in 1997.

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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