Cincinnati, Ohio (WGR 550) - In a rematch of the 2022 AFC Divisional Round, the Buffalo Bills fell short in prime-time on Sunday night with a 24-18 loss to the Bengals at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati.
The Bengals received the opening kickoff and after an impressive nine-play, 76-yard opening drive, quarterback Joe Burrow connected with tight end Irv Smith Jr. in the left corner of the end zone for the score touchdown of the game.
The Bills quickly answered back with a swift seven-play, 85-yard touchdown drive of their own. Quarterback Josh Allen was able to roll out to his right and punch in a two-yard touchdown run. This after opening the drive by going 5-of-6 for 83 yards.
Cincinnati got the ball right back and marched down the field to re-take the lead against the Bills.
After getting down to the Bills' two-yard line, Burrow handed the ball off to veteran running back Joe Mixon, who took care of business up the middle to give the Bengals a 14-7 lead.
After an exchange of punts, the Bills turned the ball over on the second play of a drive with just about nine minutes remaining in the half. Allen attempted an intermediate pass along the sideline for wideout Gabe Davis, but it came up short of the mark, allowing for cornerback Cameron Taylor-Britt to jump in front and pick off the Buffalo quarterback.
For Allen, it marked the fifth-straight game in which he has thrown an interception.
Luckily for the Bills, the Bengals found themselves in penalty trouble on the ensuing drive, and eventually backed themselves out of Evan McPherson's range, leading to a punt.
Cincinnati got on the scoreboard again with less than two minutes remaining in the half, as Burrow connected with another tight end on this drive, Drew Sample, for a 22-yard touchdown strike on a 3rd-and-7 play inside Buffalo territory.
Despite having enough clock to work with to put up some points before halftime, the Bills failed manage even a field goal, as Buffalo entered the locker room trailing by a pair of touchdowns.
The Bills offense started off hot to open the third quarter with an 11-play, 58-yard drive where Allen connected with wide receiver Stefon Diggs, tight end Dalton Kincaid and running back James Cook to set up a 34-yard field goal for kicker Tyler Bass to cut into the deficit.
Buffalo's defense came up with a big stop with about two-and-a-half minutes left in the third quarter when a 4th-and-5 pass from Burrow to Sample came up short of the sticks inside at the Bills' 35-yard line.
With a chance to get back into the contest early in the fourth quarter, the Bills drove down the field and advanced as far as the Cincinnati 11-yard line. However, on a pass over the middle to Kincaid deep in Bengals territory, the rookie tight end was sent end-over-end, which then led to Cincinnati punching the ball out of his hands.
The Bengals recovered the loose change with 13:25 remaining on the game clock.
Cincinnati didn't quite make the most of the Buffalo turnover, but they did turn it into three more points with a 20-yard field goal from McPherson to extend the lead to 24-10 with 8:08 remaining.
With time dwindling down and needing a response, the Bills marched down the field again and got back in the end zone. This time, it was Allen connecting with his No. 1 target for a 17-yard touchdown.
The Bills made it a six-point game following a successful two-point conversion attempt, in which Allen connected with Diggs again to cut the deficit to 24-18 with 3:32 remaining on the clock.
However, needing a defensive stop in order to get the ball back, Buffalo failed to get the Bengals offense off the field as the clock ticked to 0:00. Facing a 3rd-and-3 at the two-minute warning, Mixon was able to break to the edge and pick up the necessary yardage to commence victory formation.
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GAME SUMMARY
First Quarter:
- 7-0 CINCINNATI: Bengals touchdown (9:18) - Joe Burrow passes short left to Irv Smith Jr. for a seven-yard touchdown. (Evan McPherson's extra point attempt is good)
Drive Info: 9 plays, 76 yards, 5:42
- 7-7 TIE: Bills touchdown (6:03) - Josh Allen scrambles to the right finds the end zone for a two-yard touchdown run. (Tyler Bass' extra point attempt is good)
Drive Info: 7 plays, 85 yards, 3:15
- 14-7 CINCINNATI: Bengals touchdown (0:35) - Joe Mixon rushes up the middle for a two-yard touchdown run. (Evan McPherson's extra point attempt is good)
Drive Info: 11 plays, 69 yards, 5:28
Second Quarter:
- 21-7 CINCINNATI: Bengals touchdown (1:37) - Joe Burrow connects with Drew Sample for a 22-yard touchdown pass. (Evan McPherson's extra point attempt is good)
Drive Info: 7 plays, 45 yards, 1:52
Third Quarter:
- 21-10 CINCINNATI: Bills field goal (10:21) - Tyler Bass' 34-yard field goal attempt is good.
Drive Info: 11 plays, 58 yards, 4:39
Fourth Quarter:
-24-10 CINCINNATI: Bengals field goal (8:08) - Evan McPherson's 20-yard field goal attempt is good.
Drive Info: 12 plays, 85 yards, 5:10
-24-18 CINCINNATI: Bills touchdown (3:32) - Josh Allen connects with Stefon Diggs for a 17-yard touchdown pass. (Buffalo's two-point conversion attempt is successful)
Drive Info: 12 plays, 75 yards, 4:36
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SKYWORKS EQUIPMENT RENTAL STATS OF THE GAME:
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What's next:
The Bills return home for their third-straight game in prime-time on "Monday Night Football" when they play host to the Denver Broncos at Highmark Stadium. Kickoff next Monday is slated for 8:15 p.m. EST on the official voice of the Bills - WGR Sports Radio 550.