Cincinnati Bengals vs Buffalo Bills

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.” Injuries 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. Up next 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