Published: October 31, 2007 10:04 pm      

BILLS NOTEBOOK: Whitner, defense slowly gaining respect

Denney, Leonhard might return to action this week.

ORCHARD PARK — Forcing six turnovers by the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football wasn’t enough for the Buffalo Bills defense to earn some respect.

Holding Thomas Jones, the NFL’s eighth-leading rusher, under 100 yards twice in less than a month, also didn’t do the trick.

So Bills safety Donte Whitner knows when the Cincinnati Bengals bring their potent offense to town Sunday, it’s another chance for his unit to make a statement.

“We’ll learn where we’re at this week, especially if (Bengals running back) Rudi (Johnson) is back in the game, when they can run the football and throw it,” Whitner said. “We’re going to see where we’re at this week and maybe we can earn some respect.”

For a defensive unit that was supposed to be the team’s Achilles’ heel — especially after being besieged by injuries the first three weeks — the opposite has been true the past month. The Bills have allowed 347, 385, 308 and 254 yards to the Jets, Cowboys, Ravens and Jets in those games, losing only the Dallas game in infamous fashion.

“There are some teams that start hot and then they tail off toward the end. There are some that start off slow and put a run together and make the playoffs,” Whitner said. “We just want to be a team that puts that run together and makes the playoffs.”

Though the Bills still rank 30th in the league in yards allowed, they’re just 13th in points given up. According to Whitner, that shows why statistics don’t always tell the whole story.

“You might be 30th in one category, but the category that really matters the most is how many points you gave up and how many points did you score,” he said.

In Sunday’s win against the Jets, Buffalo allowed just a field goal. The three points were the fewest the Bills have allowed in a road game since 1990, a 42-0 shutout of Cleveland.

Bills coach Dick Jauron hasn’t worried about whether his team is earning respect outside of Buffalo.

“It’s really not anything I think about in those terms,” he said. “The only thing that I know is that I have a lot of respect for our team. I always have. I like these guys. They’re hard-working guys, high-character guys. They fit well together and they play. They like to play and they’ll work hard this week.”

Injury updates

Rookie quarterback Trent Edwards missed Wednesday’s practice with a sprained right wrist. Also missing all of practice was linebacker Leon Joe, who has a back injury. ... Defensive end Ryan Denney, who has missed every game this season because of a broken wrist, practiced on a limited basis, as did cornerback Ashton Youboty (ankle). ... Safety Jim Leonhard (calf), wide receiver Sam Aiken (hamstring) and tight end Ryan Neufeld (thigh) worked out fully.

Kicking for Kids update

During the 2007 season, Dunlop has partnered with Bills punter Brian Moorman and his PUNT Foundation to support the Kicking for Kids program.

For every punt Moorman places inside the opponents’ 20-yard line, Moorman asks fans to make a pledge to the program, where every dollar generated goes directly to support kids battling cancer. Fans can visit www.active.com/donate/puntfoundation to donate.

So far this season, Moorman has put 13 punts inside the 20, which ranks fourth in the NFL in that category.

The PUNT Foundation provides assistance, family-centered programs and events designed to enrich the lives of children fighting cancer and provide them with various memorable opportunities.