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HOUSTON -- Toronto FC appears to be gaining some momentum and confidence at just the right time. Joe Bendik made four saves on Saturday night as Toronto played the Houston Dynamo to a scoreless draw that extended the Reds unbeaten streak to three games. In a contest that saw few good scoring chances, Bendik helped Toronto secure its first clean sheet since Oct. 20, 2012, against Montreal, which also ended in a scoreless tie. "We have been very close six or seven times and conceded late," Toronto head coach Ryan Nelsen said of the clean sheet. "We have had a bit of bad luck, but it was always going to come. It is something to grow from. We notch that one, and we try to get as many more as we can." Bendik said before this season, Toronto would either make a mistake or the opposition would catch a break and get a goal late. That did not happen Saturday night. "We finished the game out today as we did last week (a 2-1 victory at D.C. United)," Bendik said. "It is hopefully the first of many (shutouts). It was a pretty good team effort. 0-0 in Houston is a pretty good mental challenge." In extending its unbeaten streak, Toronto (2-7-6, 12 points) stretched Houstons (6-5-5, 23 points) winless streak to six. Toronto had a chance to notch the game-winner late, but Jeremy Brockies shot in the 85th minute from outside the box saved by Houston goalkeeper Tally Hall, and Danny Koevermans rebound attempt was also saved by Hall, who also finished with four stops. Torontos Doneil Henry had a header off a corner kick in the 16th minute saved by Hall as well. Brockie said Toronto will take the result. "At this stage we will take one point over no points. Over the 90 minutes, we had the better opportunities than they did," he said. "It is a little disappointing to not get one on the board, but the boys worked very hard for the result." Will Bruin had Houstons best chances -- three headers in the first half -- with one cleared, a second go high and a third saved by Bendik. "I thought it was a very sufficient performance," Nelsen said. "Obviously, it is one of the most difficult places to play, especially this time of year. (Houston head coach) Dominic (Kinnear) has them so well-rounded. June, July, August this is such a hard place to come. The guys had to stand up and all of them did. Unfortunately we couldnt pinch it at the end." Nelsen said the two games upcoming at home are key, and if Toronto came get two positive results, then things would start to look a bit different as the club tries to climb the Eastern Conference table. "Guys from day one to now are improving," Nelsen said. "The team as a whole is improving. I think the performances have been there, and we havent gotten the results we deserve, but I think now the hard work they have put in has paid off." Buddy Bell Jersey . R.J. 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Kicker Josh Brown has been released by the New York Giants, but the NFLs issues when it comes to handling cases of domestic violence are far from over.The complications seem clear for the NFL, which was hoping for a fresh start with a revised conduct policy following the Ray Rice fiasco. For one, the league is not in a position to fully investigate allegations of domestic violence and is completely reliant on facts to become known -- such as Browns journal, in this instance. Second, the league is realizing these cases have too many mitigating circumstances to stick to the firm six-game minimum penalty standard.A police report is like a snapshot of a moment. You cant take it as the complete truth because it simply states whats known at a specific moment. There were a lot of red flags that deserved a follow-up from the NFL regarding the initial police report Molly Brown filed, but its clear the league can only do so much.According to NFL disciplinary officer Todd Jones and a statement the league put out after issuing a one-game suspension to Brown in August, the NFL didnt have enough evidence to suspend Brown for six games. Witnesses didnt cooperate and police departments wouldnt speak to the league.To be clear: While the NFLs 2014 code of conduct policy calls for a six-game minimum suspension in cases of domestic violence, it also stipulates that aggravating and mitigating factors be taken into account. In Browns case, the league felt there were far too many to hand out six games.Sometimes that mitigation may not be a fact; it may be the lack of a fact, Jones said in an interview after the one-game suspension was announced.And thats how Molly Browns understandable refusal to meet with NFL investigators became a mitigating factor in an abuse case.It wasnt supposed to be this way.The NFL has an incredible amount of control over how it disciplines player conduct. The league went to the mat with Tom Brady over deflated footballs, spending nearly $20 million in legal fees, according to ESPNs Darren Rovell. The league fines players tens of thousands for celebrating with prolonged gyrations or wearing cleats too colorful to fit within the rulebook.?Discipline is one thing. But actual investigations?As it turns out, investigations arent any easier for the NFL than for law enforcement. Welcome to the murky world of domestic viiolence cases.dddddddddddd Prosecutors dont often bring charges without a cooperating witness, and most alleged victims have reasons not to press the case -- whether they fear retaliation or dont want to break up a family or have hope that the perpetrator wont ever hurt them again.Victims dont want to talk to the NFL any more than they want to talk to cops. Probably less, in fact. Molly Brown didnt, and neither did Colleen Crowley after former Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel was pulled over in Ohio. The NFL investigated that case -- when multiple people called 911 to report a reckless driver -- and the NFL cleared Manziel. Crowley later alleged that he hit her hard enough to cause temporary deafness in one ear. That case is still pending.Jones said NFL investigators cant get to much information that isnt part of the public record. But the league did have access to the Josh Brown police file that?contained statements from Molly Brown saying the abuse happened 20 times and a police officer at the scene who said, on the record, that Molly Brown seemed fearful.Do you believe her? Do you believe any alleged victim? Or do you only believe it if she presses charges or agrees to cooperate and says it again to you? Or do you not believe her at all, accepting only video evidence or the painful admissions of a man in therapy?Jones also points to the importance of being fair to players and employees, who are the only people the NFL can compel to cooperate with these investigations.Advocates for victims of domestic violence are concerned that the league isnt giving the word of alleged victims enough weight, and that they have been unfairly characterized by people in the league. Subtle and not-so-subtle victim-blaming is fairly common. Meanwhile, Rene Renick, the VP of programs for the National Network to End Domestic Violence, is concerned about a team culture that supported Brown despite the abuse.I look forward to the day when other teammates say, Thats not OK and I dont want to take the field with you, and that takes a change of culture, she said.An elevator video and a written confession make this much simpler, but the NFL and investigators are unlikely to find many such smoking guns. ' ' '