CINCINNATI Bengals anxious to prolong success

CINCINNATI (AP) -- Only 43,000 fans showed up for the Bengals' final home game in 2002, one that ended another dreary season and made a little bit of history.
They actually won on that December day, beating New Orleans for their second and final victory. The two measly wins set a franchise record for futility in one season and got Dick LeBeau fired as head coach.
Three years later, history of a whole different sort is within reach during the final regular-season home game.
The Bengals (11-3) have already clinched the AFC North and their first playoff appearance in 15 years. A victory today over fading Buffalo (4-10) would match the franchise record for wins in the regular season.
Bury the past
"Not having a winning season, not going to the playoffs -- we've erased that history," linebacker Brian Simmons said. "Now at this point, we've got time to go and create a new history. We've already erased all of the bad stuff."
Only two other Cincinnati teams have won a dozen games, and both went to the Super Bowl. League MVP Ken Anderson led the Bengals to their first Super Bowl appearance in Detroit in 1981, and MVP Boomer Esiason led them to their second title game in Miami in 1988.
These Bengals clinched their division title last week in Detroit, where the Super Bowl returns this season. There wasn't a lot of celebrating afterward because they know the history and sense that something special is afoot.
"Our ultimate goal is to get to Detroit again," Simmons said. "I like that stadium. It's a pretty nice stadium."
They'll be in better shape for a return trip if they win their last two games and Denver loses one along the way. The Bengals and Broncos are tied for second-best record in the AFC, but Denver has the tiebreakers in its favor.
Scenario
The division winner with the second-best record gets a first-round bye in the playoffs, a one-week break the Bengals covet. Coach Marvin Lewis hasn't let up on his team all season, pushing hard for the long-awaited breakthrough to the playoffs.
"This team's really, really been grinding," Pro Bowl quarterback Carson Palmer said. "And that's Marvin's philosophy. For us to get a week off and have an opportunity to really rest our bodies and get ready for the playoffs would be huge."
As they finish a hugely disappointing season, the Bills have the look and feel of one of the old Bungles teams. They've lost five in a row for the first time since 2001, when they dropped six straight.