After a 41-yard punt by Kevin Huber, the Bengals defense holds Buffalo to three-and-out after Fred Jackson is pushed out of bounds on a sweep to the right (two yards) and Ryan Fitzpatrick throws a low pass to Scott Chandler for a two-yard gain. Now with 10:59 left in the second quarter, the Bills line up at their own 39-yard line with six yards needed to convert the third down. Donald Jones flairs out towards the right sidelines and a poor Fitzpatrick pass over the receiver head leads to a failed conversion and a punt after another three-and-out.
Of the five possessions by the Bills, four have been punts with three of those going three-and-out. Cincinnati, after punting three times in four possessions, takes the football from their own 15-yard line. A tremendous effort blocking by the left side line of the line, most notably Kyle Cook, Cedric Benson picks up nine yards on the ground. Benson followed that up with a little power at the same point of attack, picking up the first down on a two-yard gain to the Bengals 26-yard line.
On the following play, A.J. Green hitches ten yards short of the first down near the right sidelines, hauls in the timing pass and spins around picking up the first down with 8:45 left in the first half at the Bengals 37-yard line. The Bengals call a timeout.
Andy Dalton, under some pressure, finds Jermaine Gresham over the middle, picking up nine yards near midfield. After Benson picked up no-gain, Andy Dalton and the Bengals offense lines up third-and-one at the Bengals 46-yard line with over eight minutes remaining in the first half. Dalton hands off to Benson and picks up the first down, but just barely.
Marcell Dareus sacked Andy Dalton on first down for an eight-yard loss, who failed to find a receiver on this three-step drop. It was over after that. Dalton scrambled right, throwing a duck into the ground just to get rid of the football. On the following play, with 18 yards needed for a third down, Dalton skips a pass for A.J. Green, who ran a hitch about three yards short of the first down. Incomplete.
Kevin Huber kicks the football 39 yards to the Bills 22-yard line, compounded by an offensive holding by the Bills that pushed their offense to the 12-yard line.