For much of Sunday’s game, the Bengals had taken it to the Bills on a snowy day in Western New York.
But then a nightmare sequence for Joe Burrow put Buffalo in control and ultimately allowed the Bills to come away with a 39-34 victory.
After Josh Allen rushed for a 40-yard touchdown to narrow Cincinnati’s lead to three points, the Bengals quickly made it to Buffalo territory and looked like they had a shot at expanding their advantage. But that’s when Christian Benford intercepted a Burrow pass to Ja’Marr Chase at the line of scrimmage, returning it 63 yards to the end zone for a go-ahead, pick-six.
Things went from bad to worse on Cincinnati’s ensuing drive, with Burrow’s first pass getting tipped at the line and picked off by defensive end A.J. Epenesa for another big turnover.
This ended up being a back-breaker, as Allen connected with tight end Jackson Hawes for a 3-yard touchdown on fourth-and-goal to put Buffalo’s lead at 39-28.
While the Bengals scored quickly on a 25-yard touchdown from Burrow to Tee Higgins, the club couldn’t hit a two-point conversion to keep Buffalo’s lead at five points.
And Cincinnati’s beleaguered defense was poor again on third-and-15 just after the two-minute warning, allowing Allen to scramble for a 17-yard gain to seal his team’s victory.
Allen ended the contest 22-of-28 for 251 yards with three touchdowns and no picks. He also had 78 yards on nine carries with a TD.
Buffalo’s tight ends were particularly impactful against the Cincinnati defense, with Dawson Knox catching six passes for 93 yards. Dalton Kincaid had four receptions for 41 yards with a TD.
The Bengals mostly went right through Buffalo’s defense, netting 25 first downs, 338 total yards, and finishing 10-of-12 on third down. But Burrow’s two critical picks in the fourth quarter made the difference.
Burrow ended the contest 25-of-36 for 284 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions. Tee Higgins had six catches for 92 yards with a pair of TDs. Mike Gesicki had six catches for 86 yards with a touchdown while Ja’Marr Chase finished with five catches for 44 yards.
With the victory, the Bills are now 9-4 and are getting closer to securing their spot in the postseason. Buffalo will be on the road to face the Patriots in Week 15.
Cincinnati has now fallen to 4-9. The team will be at home to face Baltimore next Sunday.
