The Associated Press

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. - Maybe Bengals fullback Lorenzo Neal had to laugh to keep from crying.

Jon Kitna walks off the field after throwing an interception in the fourth quarter. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

Neal was in the locker room after Sunday's season-ending 27-9 loss to the Buffalo Bills when running back Corey Dillon turned to him and, referring to Cincinnati's training camp site in Georgetown, Ky., said: "See you in Georgetown next year."

Neal, a Pro Bowler who is eligible to become a free agent in March and isn't expected to return to the Bengals, sarcastically said, "Yeah," before breaking into an uncontrollable laugh.

The Bengals' final game, like their season, was a laugher.

• It almost surely put the last nail in coach Dick LeBeau's coffin.

• Quarterback Jon Kitna came six snaps short of earning a $1.625 million contract bonus. Kitna needed to take part in 61 snaps so as to appear in 80 percent of the Bengals' offensive plays this season.

• The Bengals (2-14) set a franchise low for fewest wins and most losses in one season.

• They barely missed setting a franchise record for most points allowed in a season with 456 points, four short of the record of 460 allowed in 1999.

Dick LeBeau probably coached his last game. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

The good news?

By finishing with the NFL's worst record this year, they nailed down the No. 1 pick in next April's draft.

Kitna was more frustrated by the Bengals' play than the bonus money he lost.

"Today was the epitome of our season," Kitna said. "The Jon Kitna watch, I really did not enjoy that. I thought it took the focus away from the game as a team, and it was unfortunate."

Kitna didn't help his own cause. He finished 19-of-35 for 241 yards and two interceptions, fumbled once and twice failed to convert fourth-down attempts.

The Bengals have not enjoyed a winning season in 12 years, dropping to 55-137 over that stretch.

"It's not any fun for any of us," LeBeau said. "Life is about living. We aren't happy with what happened this year, but we are looking forward to 2003 and getting things straightened around."

It's doubtful that LeBeau, whose record is 12-33 since taking over in 2000, will be around to be part of the perennial rebuilding process. Speculation is Bengals owner Mike Brown will fire LeBeau as early as Monday.

Jeff Burris scoops up a Buffalo fumble. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

The Bengals didn't score a touchdown until Kitna's 6-yard run with 6:55 left. They managed just three first downs on their first four possessions and didn't score until their last drive of the first half. Kitna marched them 78 yards only to settle for Neil Rackers' 19-yard field goal.

With the playoffs out of reach, the Bills settled for the next best thing - a respectable finish to their season.

Drew Bledsoe scored a touchdown and passed for another as the Bills (8-8) erased the dreadful memories of last year's 3-13 finish. Buffalo's five-win improvement from one season to the next matched a franchise record set three other times.

The Bills' once porous defense continued a stretch of strong play, limiting the Bengals to 317 yards of offense. In its last 14 quarters, Buffalo has held opponents to a combined 39 points.

The Bledsoe-led Bills offense also rebounded from two tough games.

Chad Johnson fails to catch a pass in the end zone under pressure from Buffalo's Nate Clements. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

Bledsoe, who had gone a combined 29-of-69 for 286 yards and two interceptions in his last two games, finished 23-of-31 for 230 yards. Eric Moulds had nine catches for 75 yards and a touchdown, and became the first Bills player - and 39th in NFL history - to reach the 100-reception plateau.

Moulds finished the season with 100 receptions, eclipsing the old Bills mark of 94 he set two years ago.

Buffalo put the game out of reach early, scoring points on four of its five first-half possessions to build a 20-0 lead.

After two Mike Hollis field goals, a 32- and 25-yarder, Bledsoe capped a 55-yard drive with a 7-yard run and, two possessions later, hit Moulds for a touchdown on a fourth-and-goal from the 2.

Larry Centers, with a 4-yard run in the third quarter, also scored for Buffalo.

Game statistics

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