ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — On a wickedly cold and blustery day, Mike Singletary lit a fire under the San Francisco 49ers.

The coach's much-discussed themes sprang to life during a 10-3 victory on Sunday over the Buffalo Bills. The offense established the run, the defense stiffened in the red zone, and the team played with uncharacteristic precision on the road.

Where did that come from?

"Coach Singletary," linebacker Takeo Spikes said. "And I say that in all sincerity and honesty."

In short, this was the kind of game the new coach has been demanding since taking over for Mike Nolan on Oct. 20.

As a result, the 49ers became the first West Coast team to win a game played on the East Coast this season.

The 49ers also beat a winning team for the first time this season, having scored previous victories over lowly Seattle (2-10), Detroit (0-12) and St. Louis (2-10).

This, in contrast, was a victory over a Bills team contending for an AFC wild-card spot coming off a 54-point outburst. The 49ers likely snuffed those playoff hopes, and the defense silenced Buffalo three times inside the 10-yard line: two missed field goals and a failed fourth down.

"I think it's pretty clear that the story of the game is the red zone," Bills coach Dick Jauron said.

Temperature at kickoff was 38 degrees, with a 15-mph wind. Singletary, looking for a sunny side to the nasty conditions, noted that the Bills practiced indoors all week while the 49ers spent Wednesday slogging through a cold Santa Clara rain.

Whatever the reason, the 49ers looked weatherproof from the start. On the game's opening drive, they marched 72 yards on 14 plays, chewing more than eight minutes off the clock.

Shaun Hill capped the drive with a 12-yard pass to Isaac Bruce. The receiver's 90th career touchdown catch gave the 49ers a 7-0 lead and, apparently, all the points they needed.

Though a passing play finished the drive, it started with a run. Frank Gore took a handoff on the first play from scrimmage. Then he took another. And another. And another. And another.

None of those five consecutive carries went for a long gain, but it sent a message that the 49ers were prepared to slug it out.

"It was big," said Singletary, who improved to 2-3 as coach. "It took time off the clock. It set the tempo. It set the tone in terms of what we're here to do."

Watching on the sideline, the 49ers defensive players watched the offense do its job.

"Then we thought, 'Now it's our turn,' " cornerback Walt Harris said.

The defense delivered by holding an opponent to three points for the first time since Nov. 5, 2006 (a 9-3 victory over Minnesota).

This time, the 49ers had help from the Bills' not-so-special teams. Rian Lindell bonked a 20-yard field goal attempt off the left upright midway through the second quarter. Lindell had made 53 consecutive kicks from inside the 40-yard line, the longest active streak in the NFL.

"I'm not going to make excuses: I stunk," Lindell said. "I don't know what to tell you."

Later, Lindell struck the left upright again on a 40-yard attempt.

Of course, the Bills' field goal attempts came only because the 49ers closed the door to the end zone. Before Lindell's first miss, for example, the Bills had a second-and-goal at the 2. But the 49ers defended a pair of Trent Edwards' passes to force the kick.

Later, after Joe Nedney's 50-yard field goal gave the 49ers a 10-0 lead, the defense held off another charge.

As part of his 134-yard day, running back Marshawn Lynch broke loose for a 50-yarder — his longest run of the season — to give the Bills a first-and-goal from the 9. But the Bills had to settle for Lindell's 22-yarder (a successful try that drew a sarcastic cheer from an increasingly sour crowd).

Entering the game, the 49ers were giving up an average of 28.2 points per game, including 35 points to the Dallas Cowboys a week ago.

But the 49ers defense bounced back by holding big-play receiver Lee Evans in check. Evans had seven catches for 80 yards, but nothing longer than 22 yards.

"I told our guys, 'Don't let the ball get over our heads. Let's keep everything in front of us. Don't be a hero,' " Singletary said.

The Bills outgained the 49ers 350-195 in yards. They had 18 first downs to the 49ers' 12.

But when it mattered, the Bills couldn't budge. On fourth-and-two from the San Francisco 7 with about 10 minutes to play in the fourth quarter, defensive lineman Ray McDonald broke through and pressured J.P. Losman into an incomplete pass.

It helped clinch the 49ers' first road victory since Week 2 against Seattle.

"It's very, very rewarding," Singletary said, "because they've been working so hard. It's one of those things where we're thankful for sticking together. We just need to keep doing it."