The Sports Xchange

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The Cincinnati Bengals are off to their best start in 27 years, but quarterback Andy Dalton believes they can still play better.

How good can be the Bengals be at their best?

“Well, you wouldn’t throw an incompletion, you would score every time you hand the ball off,” Dalton said with a smile.

Short of that, the Bengals will settle for being 6-0 after beating the Buffalo Bills 34-21 on Sunday at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

The Bengals have started 6-0 twice before, in 1975 and in 1988, when they advanced to the Super Bowl.

Coach Marvin Lewis called the milestone “a miniscule part of history.”

“We’ve got bigger things to do,” Lewis added.

The Bengals offense had its highest-scoring day of the season, even with the Bills blanketing star receiver A.J. Green (four catches, 36 yards). Dalton completed 22 of 33 passes for 243 yards and three touchdowns, connecting with seven different receivers for first downs or touchdowns.

Cincinnati wide receiver Marvin Jones exploited the one-on-one coverage created by the extra attention Green received and caught a career-high nine passes for 95 yards and a touchdown.

Tight end Tyler Eifert and running back Jeremy Hill also caught touchdown passes from Dalton, running back Giovani Bernard ran for a touchdown, and Matt Nugent kicked a couple field goals.

“You never know who is going to have the big week,” Dalton said. “It’s nice to have the ability to spread it around to a bunch of different guys, because we have a lot of playmakers on this team.”

Bills coach Rex Ryan said the Bengals had too many weapons for his defense to contain.

“That team has lit up everybody in the league,” Ryan said. “You can take away this guy, you take away that guy, well, this other dude beat you.”

What we learned about the Bengals:

1. The pieces are in place for a special season. The Bengals are 6-0 for the first time since 1988, when quarterback Andy Dalton was still in diapers and Boomer Esiason was leading Cincinnati to the Super Bowl. However, the Bengals aren’t celebrating anything yet. Asked what the team has accomplished so far, wide receiver A.J. Green said, “Nothing. We’re just 6-0. It’s the best we can be now. We have to keep getting better.”

2. If the Bengals don’t have the best offense in the NFL, coordinator Hue Jackson might have the most complete one. The Bills did their best to take away Green, playing two deep safeties and rolling extra coverage his way. That didn’t deter Dalton, who spread the ball around to wideouts Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu, tight ends Tyler Eifert and Ryan Hewitt, and backs Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard. All had catches of at least 13 yards, and the Bengals’ 34 points were a season high. On the ground, Hill and Bernard combined for 106 yards on 24 carries, a healthy 4.4-yard average.

3. The Bengals were remarkably healthy heading into this game, but the bye week may be coming at an opportune time. Cornerback Leon Hall (back) was the only injured player to sit out, but he was considered a game-time decision, which suggests he could be ready to return in two weeks. Linebacker Vincent Rey injured his right ankle Sunday but stood on the sideline with his helmet on for the remainder of the game and never was ruled out officially. Defensive end Michael Johnson sustained a bone bruise in his lower left leg but expects to be healed up after the bye, according to ESPN.com.

Etc.

–WR Marvin Jones carved up Rex Ryan’s defense for the second time in his career. His nine-catch, 95-yard, one-touchdown day was one of the most productive lines of his career, but not as impressive as the eight catches, 122 yards and four touchdowns he put up against Ryan’s Jets in 2013.

–RB Giovani Bernard produced 83 yards and a touchdown on just nine touches. On the Bengals’ second touchdown drive, he accounted for 46 of the 55 yards, rushing for 6 yards on the first play, picking up 23 yards on a screen pass on the next play, then darting 17 yards untouched for a touchdown three plays later.

–CB Darqueze Dennard, the Bengals’ first-round pick in 2014, made his first career interception in the second quarter, cutting in front of Bills WR Chris Hogan on an underthrown pass from QB EJ Manuel.