ANOTHER amazing comeback and win by the Buffalo Bills, especially sweet 'cause the talking heads favored the Cincinnati Bengals to win in Buffalo! This was made even better because it was a snow game!!! I LOVE MY BILLS!!!
Inside the Bills Locker Room After Big Win Over Bengals! | Victory Speech
Go inside the locker room for Head Coach Sean McDermott's postgame speech after the Bills 39-34 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Presented by Caesar's Sportsbook.
Bills rally for 39-34 win over Bengals thanks to Josh Allen's 4 TDs, Christian Benford's pick-6
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- — Christian Benford apologized with a laugh, because the Buffalo Bills cornerback wasn’t supposed to jump when he instinctively leaped to snag Joe Burrow’s attempt to lob a pass over his head.
“I actually didn’t do my technique right, if I’m being honest,” Benford said. “But I don’t know, God just gave me something for me to leave my feet. I’m sorry, but then the rest was history.”
Benford intercepted Burrow's soft toss and returned it 63 yards for a go-ahead touchdown with 5:25 left, Josh Allen threw for three touchdowns and ran for one, and the Bills beat the Cincinnati Bengals 39-34 on a snowy Sunday.
By the time Benford outran intended receiver Ja'Marr Chase to the end zone, everyone on the Bills sideline was leaping for joy. It was one of three touchdowns in a span of 4:20 for Buffalo, which overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit.
“It’s fun to see your brother who does his job ... and can make plays for your team in big moments of the game,” Allen said. “It’s so awesome. He deserves every bit of it.”
Two of Allen's passing TDs came on fourth down. He also scored on a 40-yard run — breaking his own team record for the longest rushing TD by a quarterback — and capped the victory with a 17-yard scramble to convert a third-and-15 and allow Buffalo to run out the clock.
It wasn’t pretty. And it was a little sloppy with the field slicked by persistent snow flurries.
What mattered for Buffalo (9-4) was the outcome. The Bills have won two straight for the first time in a month and kept pace in the tightly packed AFC.
The Bengals (4-9) saw their already shaky playoff prospects dim even further. Their only realistic shot entering the weekend was winning the AFC North, but they fell three games behind Pittsburgh.
“Just sick for the guys,” Cincinnati coach Zac Taylor said. “They made more plays than us down the stretch, and that was the difference in the game.”
Burrow’s boost to the Bengals lasted only one week after he oversaw Cincinnati’s 32-14 win over Baltimore in the starter’s first game after missing nine with a toe injury.
He finished with interceptions on consecutive plays. After being picked off by Benford, Burrow’s next pass was tipped by defensive tackle Jordan Phillips and intercepted by A.J. Epenesa. That set up Allen's 3-yard TD pass to Jackson Hawes.
“Could’ve thrown it higher, I guess,” Burrow said of Benford’s interception.
The interceptions were Burrow’s first in four starts this season. He finished 25 of 36 for 284 yards and four touchdowns while losing for the first time in nine starts dating to last season. The Bengals are guaranteed to finish with their fewest wins since going 4-11-1 in 2020 when Burrow was a rookie.
“Obviously we are not where we want to be as a team or organization,” Burrow said. “That’s how the cookie crumbled this year. Obviously, I would have loved to have been out there more, and would have loved to make an impact. But that wasn’t the case.”
Tee Higgins caught two touchdown passes, including a one-handed 25-yarder with 2:13 left. Tight end Mike Gesicki scored on a 12-yard catch and Chase Brown scored on a 5-yard run.
Allen finished 22 of 28 for 251 yards. His first TD pass, an 11-yarder on fourth down to Khalil Shakir, was Allen’s 20th of the season, making him the first NFL player with three season of 20 TDs passing and 10 rushing.
Benford, who returned a fumble 17 yards for a touchdown in a 26-7 win at Pittsburgh last week, became the Bills’ first player to score defensive TDs in back-to-back games.
The two interceptions were highlights for a defense that couldn’t get off the field to start the game. The Bengals scored touchdowns on each of their first three drives and converted seven of their first eight third-down opportunities.
Buffalo’s offense, meantime, had some sputters. With the Bills trailing 21-18, James Cook was stripped of the ball at the Cincinnati 1 by DJ Turner, and the Bengals’ Oren Burks recovered it in the end zone. And the Bills settled for a field goal when their opening drive stalled at Cincinnati's 5 — after running back Ty Johnson went down untouched with an open path to the end zone.
“That’s why it’s two halves of football, right? Sixty minutes,” Bills linebacker Shaq Thompson said. He then shared how Allen urged on the defense after Buffalo cut Cincinnati's lead to 28-25.
“Josh said we needed one. And when 17 says you need one, we got to lock in and buckle up,” Thompson said. “Guys stepped up. It doesn’t matter who makes the play, it’s just as long as the play gets made.”
Bengals: CB PJ Jules did not return due to an ankle injury. Higgins returned after twice being evaluated for a concussion.
Bills: S Cole Bishop was briefly sidelined with cramping.
Bengals: Host division rival Baltimore next Sunday.
Bills: At the AFC East-leading New England Patriots next Sunday.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
The Buffalo Bills came alive in the fourth quarter on Sunday to erase a 10-point deficit and defeat Cincinnati 39-34, dealing a tough blow to the Bengals’ playoff hopes on a snowy day in Orchard Park, N.Y.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow got off to strong start, throwing two touchdowns in the first half and helping Cincinnati build a 21-11 lead at the break. But a disastrous fourth quarter opened the door for a Bills comeback. Burrow, who missed two months because of a turf toe injury, entered the game having not thrown an interception this season. Then he threw picks on back-to-back possessions, including a 63-yard pick six by Bills cornerback Christian Benford that gave Buffalo a 32-28 lead with less than six minutes remaining.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen made critical plays at the right time. With Buffalo down 28-18 in the fourth, he broke free to rush for a 40-yard touchdown, the longest rushing TD by a quarterback in franchise history, to pull Buffalo within three points. He finished 22 of 28 with 251 passing yards, 78 rushing yards, three passing TDs and one rushing TD.
Bills defense rights the ship
The Bills’ ugly third-down defense reemerged Sunday and made them play from behind all afternoon, requiring a miracle finish to salvage victory. The Bengals moved the chains with amazing ease, converting 10 of 12 third downs. The Bengals won the coin toss, wanted the ball, were perfect on their first seven third-down attempts and scored touchdowns on their first three possessions. The Bills didn’t force a punt until the closing seconds of the second quarter, and despite the Bengals starting the third quarter with another three-and-out, the slow defensive start was an albatross.
The Bills had a chance to take a lead late in the third quarter, but running back James Cook fumbled at the goal line. With the ball back, the Bengals started converting their third downs again. On the ensuing possession, Buffalo’s defense failed to preserve a third-and-4 and a third-and-6, leading to Cincinnati taking another double-digit lead. It didn’t stick. Barely two minutes after Allen’s 40-yard run, Buffalo intercepted Burrow on back-to-back plays after he’d gone 137 straight attempts without any.
Benford’s 63-yard pick six made him the first player in Bills history to score a defensive touchdown in consecutive games, and defensive end A.J. Epenesa intercepted Burrow again one play later to wipe out what looked like a disastrous defensive performance for 3 1/2 quarters. — Tim Graham, Bills beat writer
An MVP performance from Allen
With the Bills in need of a superhero effort with an offense that has been perplexing at best all season, reigning NFL MVP Allen took over the game in the second half. Down 21-11 at halftime, Allen led the Bills on three touchdown drives over their first four offensive series in the second half, and the only one that didn’t result in points was when Cook fumbled. Allen put together clutch moments at clutch times and then the game-clinching 17-yard run on third-and-15 to officially put the Bengals away. In his first-ever win over a Burrow-led Bengals team, Allen accounted for 329 total yards and those four touchdowns. And with it, the Bills remain in shouting distance of the AFC East-leading New England Patriots, who are two games ahead with four to play. The two teams square off in Week 15. — Joe Buscaglia, Bills beat writer
Two plays change game for Burrow
What played out like the latest chapter in the legend of Burrow was derailed in back-to-back plays with an interception. The Bengals were driving in an attempt to salt away a win and score the game-clinching touchdown, but instead, Burrow couldn’t get a quick-game throw over Benford, who snagged the pick and took it 63 yards to the house. On the first play of the ensuing drive, a Burrow pass was tipped into the air and intercepted again. He has only nine games in his career with two or more interceptions and these unfolded in consecutive plays with the team’s realistic playoff hopes hanging in the balance.
The plays wiped out what was otherwise looking like a legendary game from Burrow. In his second game back from toe surgery, he threw four touchdown passes and led five touchdown drives. It wasn’t merely his efficiency and playmaking, but pulling out vintage big moments in the most high-leverage situations. The Bengals were 7-of-7 on third downs while he turned each of the first three possessions into touchdown drives to seize control of the game. He showed no ill effects of his injury, shifting in the pocket for an off-script touchdown pass to running back Chase Brown and shaking Epenesa on a free run to hit tight end Mike Gesicki for another. Then, in two plays, all of those great moments became a footnote. — Paul Dehner Jr., Bengals beat writer
Fatal flaws doom Bengals
The Bengals have been the beneficiary of breaks in recent weeks, some they made and some that were gifted. Against Baltimore, they got five turnovers and recovered four fumbles. Against Buffalo, they were helped by Bills running back Ty Johnson slipping despite a wide-open path to the end zone. A red-zone stop to force a field goal took four points off the board. Then, Cook was stripped by cornerback DJ Turner II moments before scoring a touchdown, a loose ball that the Bengals recovered in the end zone, taking seven away.
Those were about the only ways Cincinnati could manufacture stops. The Bengals couldn’t keep track of tight ends all day with Dawson Knox, Dalton Kincaid and Jackson Hawes combining for 11 receptions for 137 yards and two touchdowns. Every week teams put the Bengals’ rookie linebackers in a blender trying to cover tight ends. It continues to be a fatal flaw. — Dehner
Playoff hopes dim
Cincinnati’s playoff hopes aren’t dead but they are on life support. The Bengals still can track down the AFC North, but have to win against the Ravens next week, then win the final three and get help. But it is now an even longer shot than before. — Dehner
