By Kevin Kelly
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball all grade on a more forgiving scale. But in the NFL, where half of a team's 16-game schedule is played on the road, success in unfriendly confines is critical for turning playoff aspirations into reality.

This is what currently faces the Bengals, who begin a stretch of three consecutive road games Sunday in San Diego.

Do well and their season could spill into the New Year.

Do poorly and the season could end in a cacophony of what-ifs?

"You've got to win on the road," Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said. "In the NFL . . . what you do in November and December is going to determine your fate."

Cincinnati enters its game against the Chargers with a 5-5 overall record and tied with the Ravens for first place in the AFC North.

The division is one of two in the NFL - the NFC West being the other - in which every team has a losing road record.

"Any time you go on the road it's a challenge," said Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren, whose first-place team is 1-3 on the road and plays at Baltimore on Sunday.

"Until we actually take care of business and start to play consistently well, the questions will come up."

The Bengals are 1-3 away from Paul Brown Stadium this season, while Baltimore is 2-4 on the road.

After Sunday, the Bengals have road games against division mates Pittsburgh on Nov. 30, and Baltimore on Dec. 7.

"You've got to face it, there's not going to be a wild card team out of our division," Bengals linebacker Kevin Hardy said. "So in order to get to the playoffs, you have to win the AFC North."

No team has gone into the playoffs with a losing road record the past three seasons.

Dallas was the last to do it, going 1-7 on the road in 1999, yet still earning a wild card bid with an 8-8 overall record.

Entering this weekend, 20 of the NFL's 30 teams have losing road records.

"Maybe it's the home field advantage," Bengals cornerback Tory James said. "Maybe it's the traveling. I don't know what it is."

The Titans are considered the NFL's best road team.

Entering this season, Jeff Fisher's team had a better road record (37-27) than any other since 1995.

The Steelers, Packers and 49ers were the only other NFL franchises with winning road records during that span.

"We probably keep things consistent as far as what you do at home and on the road," Fisher said during a September news conference. "We want to do the same things. We don't let the crowd noise bother us, per se."

Strategies are put into place by coaches to maintain their team's focus on the road.

Players are given itineraries mapping where they have to be and when.

Team meetings, walk-throughs, meals and network interviews can occupy the bulk of a player's time.

"There aren't many distractions," Bengals rookie offensive tackle Scott Kooistra said. "We get to our hotel, have our meetings, maybe go out to dinner and see new cities.

"But the bottom line is you're going there to do a job and play the game."

Road trippin'

The Bengals play their next three games on the road, where they are 1-3 this season.

Cincinnati hasn't won three consecutive road games since the 1995 season. Below is the team's road record the past 10 seasons.

2003: 1-3
2002: 1-7
2001: 2-6
2000: 1-7
1999: 2-6
1998: 2-6
1997: 1-7
1996: 2-6
1995: 4-4
1994: 1-7
Totals: 17-59 (.224)

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Information from team Web sites was used in this report.

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