Buffalo Bills vs Pittsburgh Steelers

PITTSBURGH -- — Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills came to Pittsburgh looking for something — anything, really — to snap themselves out of a midseason lull that had robbed them of their swagger, not to mention their usual grip on first place in the AFC East. The Bills found it during three hours of remarkably simple and remarkably effective football in a 26-7 victory on Sunday that made up for in sheer force what it lacked in style. Allen threw for a touchdown and ran for another, Joey Bosa sacked Aaron Rodgers to spring Christian Benford for a game-tilting, 17-yard scoop-and-score, and the Bills (8-4) set an Acrisure Stadium record by piling up 249 yards rushing while whipping the reeling Steelers. “Found a way to win, that's all that matters,” said Allen, last season's MVP. Maybe, but the Bills may also have found something that could be effective down the stretch. Playing without their starting offensive tackles and coming off a loss at Houston in which Allen was sacked eight times, Buffalo responded by opting to gash the Steelers. James Cook ran for 144 yards, Ray Davis added 62 and Allen chipped in 38, including the 76th rushing touchdown of his career, the most by a quarterback. Allen demurred when asked about breaking the mark of 75 previously held by Cam Newton, saying that's not why he plays. Still, his bulldozing 8-yard score early in the fourth quarter that put the game out of reach was symbolic of a day when Buffalo absorbed a couple of blows from the Steelers and kept on chugging. Allen juked past one defender, then fought off three more while his teammates dragged him across the goal line. “The line coming to throw me in there was pretty cool,” Allen said. And pretty alarming for Pittsburgh (6-6). On a blustery day that made passing treacherous, the Steelers knew they were going to be tested by one of the NFL's best rushing teams. They failed repeatedly. Buffalo held the ball for nearly 42 minutes and probably could have taken control earlier if not for a pair of first-half turnovers. “That's an awful performance by us," Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said. The Steelers have dropped five of seven since a 4-1 start. While they remain tied with Baltimore atop the AFC North, they have not looked competitive at times against quality opponents during a funk that shows little sign of abating. Rodgers, playing with a brace protecting his broken left wrist, was largely ineffective and missed the chunk of one drive early in the second half after getting drilled by Bosa on the first play of the third quarter. The four-time MVP fumbled on the play, and Benford picked up the loose ball and sprinted to the end zone to turn a 7-3 halftime deficit into a 10-7 lead. The 41-year-old quarterback left the field with a bloody nose. Mason Rudolph filled in for Rodgers for a series and threw an interception that ended up in Benford’s hands. Buffalo marched 56 yards in eight plays, and Allen’s fourth-down flip to Coleman gave the Bills firm control. Rodgers returned but finished 10 of 21 for 117 yards as the Steelers lost for the fifth time in seven games while being booed frequently. “We’ve got to flush this one,” Rodgers said. The swirling winds at one of the league's trickiest venues made passing nearly impossible for both teams. Allen completed 15 of 23 for 123 yards with an interception and a 3-yard scoring toss to Keon Coleman, who returned to the active roster after being a healthy scratch the last two weeks due to disciplinary issues. Coleman said he knows he needs to “be professional” going forward. The Bills hope he can help a passing game that's been unable to generate much down the field. “We’re going to need him,” Allen said. “We’re going to need his ability.” True, but what Coleman and the rest of Buffalo's receivers mostly did on Sunday was block for Cook, whose 32 carries were a career high. Pittsburgh knew he was coming and still couldn't stop him. Asked what that feels like, Cook laughed. “It's kind of scary, because I know they're coming,” he said. Cook hardly looked scared while repeatedly running through holes opened up by backup tackles Alec Anderson and Ryan Van Demark. “I've never seen a team run the same play as much as they ran it tonight and have as much success as they have,” Pittsburgh linebacker T.J. Watt said. “I'm out of words for it.” Injuries Bills: Bosa sustained a hamstring injury in the fourth quarter and did not return with Buffalo leading comfortably. Steelers: LB Patrick Queen exited late in the first half with a right hip injury and did not return. ... CB James Pierre left in the second half after entering the concussion protocol. Up next Bills: Host Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals next Sunday. Steelers: Visit Baltimore next Sunday, hoping to bounce back and take control of the division. ------ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl