Bills Overwhelm Browns, 42-0 : AFC: Cleveland, off to a 2-7 start, suffers worst shutout loss in its history, reviving speculation that Coach Bud Carson will be fired.

Normally, a bye gives a team an extra week to rally together and prepare for the next game.

But in the case of the Cleveland Browns, who have a bye next week, it might be the time owner Art Modell fires Coach Bud Carson.

Speculation about Carson’s demise was revived Sunday after the Buffalo Bills routed the Browns, 42-0.

It was the worst shutout loss in Cleveland’s history, eclipsing a 34-0 trouncing at Kansas City earlier this season, and the worst home loss ever. The Browns lost two road games by 48-point margins in the 1960s.

The Browns (2-7) are off to their worst start since 1984, when they were 1-8.

“I better go home and think about it myself, to be honest with you,” Carson said of his rumored firing. “The last thing I want to do is be part of a football team that can’t win. If I’m that part, I’ll know it and I’ll step away from it. Right now, I think it looks worse than it is.”

The victory, the most lopsided win in Buffalo’s history, improved the Bills to 7-1 and extended their win-streak to six games.

The Bills avenged a bitter, 34-30 loss at Cleveland in a divisional playoff game last January.

Thurman Thomas scored touchdowns on runs of three and 11 yards in the first half. He also scored on an 11-yard touchdown pass play early in the fourth quarter that gave the Bills a 28-0 lead en route to their first win at Cleveland since 1974.

“It was no payback or anything like that, but we wanted to come out of this one with a big win, and we did,” said Bills quarterback Jim Kelly, who completed 14 of 19 passes for 200 yards.

Mike Pagel started at quarterback for the Browns, replacing Bernie Kosar, who had not missed a start when healthy since 1985. Pagel played the entire game and completed 16 of 38 passes for 195 yards.