CINCINNATI — Inspired by what passes for motivation around these parts, the Cincinnati Bengals found their resolve and got a win.

Finally. And barely.

Ryan Fitzpatrick threw a pair of touchdown passes to Chad Ocho Cinco, who celebrated by giving the head coach a kiss, and Cincinnati stopped a late 2-point conversion try yesterday, preserving a 21-19 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

With the losses mounting and history beckoning, several Bengals tried to fire up their teammates. Offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth talked to the offense after practice on Saturday, and receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh spoke up in the locker room before the game.

The message: Don't be a doormat.

"We're 0-8, but I think we're a good 0-8 team, if that's possible," Houshmandzadeh said. "I was just telling them: Are we going to the playoffs? Probably not. But we're all men and play with pride. Basically, play with pride and let's try to make this thing look somewhat respectable."

For one day, they were.

At 1-8, the Bengals are no longer on pace to be historically bad. Now merely dreadful, they were too much for the stunned Jaguars (3-5), who fell behind 21-3 before making it close.

Montell Owens returned a fumble 18 yards for a fourth-quarter touchdown, and David Garrard led a late drive that culminated in Maurice Jones-Drew's 1-yard run with 1:17 to go. Garrard failed to squeeze a pass into double-covered Jerry Porter on the conversion try.

The game closed with one of those multiple-lateral plays that ended with the ball dribbling out of bounds. The 64,238 fans raised their arms in celebration of an unexpected win.

"Being 0-for-whatever-it-was coming in, there was a lot of pressure and a lot of frustration for everybody, from the staff to the equipment managers," said running back Cedric Benson, who ran for 104 yards and a touchdown. "Everybody's trying to figure out what's wrong."

Now, the Jaguars have to do some figuring.

Again, they had problems trying to run the ball behind a patched-up line. Garrard threw his first interception in five games, breaking a streak of 166 passes without one. That rare, poor throw set up a touchdown that put the Bengals ahead 21-3.

Frustration boiled over as the Bengals pulled ahead. Jaguars defensive tackle John Henderson and Whitworth were ejected for trading blows while blocking each other on a play.

"We're not functioning with a high level of confidence," coach Jack Del Rio said. "We're missing a spark, and we're trying to find it. It hasn't been good enough, and I've said it enough different ways.

"I'm not in a good mood right now."

Fitzpatrick, who studied the laws of economics at Harvard, helped the law of averages catch up with his winless team. The scrambling quarterback looked a lot more comfortable in his fourth straight start for the injured Carson Palmer, going 21 of 31 for 162 yards.

JETS 26, BILLS 17

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Abram Elam, starting in place of injured safety Eric Smith, returned an interception thrown by Trent Edwards 92 yards for a touchdown, sparking New York's victory over Buffalo. The Jets (5-3) have won four of five and have caught the Bills in the division standings. Buffalo (5-3) has lost three of four and lost all the momentum it had generated following a 4-0 start.

Brett Favre wasn't exactly perfect as he forced a throw to the left sideline and was intercepted by Jabari Greer, who returned it 42 yards for a touchdown that cut the Jets' lead to 23-17 with under 11 minutes left. Favre, 19 of 28 for 201 yards, responded by efficiently producing a 14-play, 65-yard drive that ate up nearly 9 minutes and ended with Jay Feely hitting a 31-yard field goal.

RAVENS 37, BROWNS 27

CLEVELAND — Matt Stover booted three field goals — the last with 5:36 left — and linebacker Terrell Suggs returned an interception 42 yards for a touchdown to end Cleveland's (3-5) last threat with 2:43 remaining as Baltimore (5-3) rallied for a win.

Stover, who ranks fifth in league scoring history, made field goals of 41, 32 and 22 yards for the Ravens, who trailed 27-13 in the third quarter before storming back by scoring 24 unanswered points to beat the Browns for the second time this season.

COLTS 18, PATRIOTS 15

INDIANAPOLIS — Adam Vinatieri showed New England he's still the NFL's best clutch kicker.

The Patriots' career scoring leader, who booted winning field goals in two of their Super Bowl victories and then was let go as a free agent, kicked a 52-yarder with 8:05 left to give Indianapolis the win over the Patriots (5-3).

Vinatieri hadn't made a kick that long since November 2002, when he hit a 57-yarder against Chicago, but had no trouble making this one and possibly saving the season for Indianapolis (4-4).

DOLPHINS 26, BRONCOS 17

DENVER — Miami bottled up Denver's ground game and intercepted Jay Cutler three times in a win over the befuddled Broncos. Cornerback Will Allen returned the second of Cutler's mistakes 32 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter. Ronnie Brown rushed 20 times for 59 yards, including a 2-yard scamper into the end zone with three minutes left to ice it for the Dolphins (4-4).

Denver (4-4) lost for the fourth time in five games.