Cincinnati Bengals @ Buffalo Bills
Final Score: Bills 39, Bengals 34
Writer: Cesar Escajeda
It was absolute fireworks throughout a snowy day in Orchard Park, as Josh Allen willed the Bills to a ridiculously resilient win despite a monster effort by Joe Burrow and the Bengals’ offense.
Three Up
- Josh Allen — The man just continues to find a way. From the start, Cincinnati put the pressure on Buffalo with touchdowns on their first three possessions. It wouldn’t be enough to faze Allen and Co., however, as the Swiss cheese that is the Bengals’ defense was gashed time and time again both through the air and on the ground. Despite the snow, Allen managed to put up four total TDs — with the reigning MVP breaking his own record for the longest rushing TD by a QB in Bills history.
- Tee Higgins — The WR1B for the Bengals had himself an afternoon in his return from the concussion protocol, paving the way for Cincy with two ridiculous TD grabs to top off a leading effort in terms of targets and receiving yards. There were a few moments where it appeared he’d been knocked out with injury yet again, but Higgins managed to power through and looked about as sharp as could be despite the less than stellar weather conditions.
- Buffalo TEs — The return of Dalton Kincaid seems to have given a massive boost to Buffalo’s offense, but it was certainly a group effort with veteran Dawson Knox leading all Bills pass catchers on the day in receiving yards. The tandem accounted for almost half of all targets Allen put out there, and somehow it was the third-string rookie TE Jackson Hawes of all players who put the final nail in the coffin — hauling in a 3-yard TD on fourth-and-goal to put Buffalo up by two scores.
Two Down
- Joe Burrow — It’s hard listing Burrow here given how phenomenal he’s been through just his second game back from injury, but for all the good he did against Buffalo on the road it was his mistakes that really hammered the loss for Cincy. Leading by three and driving once again in the fourth quarter, he tried to lob a quick pass to Ja’Marr Chase down the right side but failed to see LB Christian Benford lurking right in front of him and then simply plucked the ball out of the air and shoved Burrow out of the way en route to a 60-yard pick-6. Despite that the Bengals still had life with over 5 minutes remaining in the game, but on the very next offensive play, Burrow would get picked off AGAIN — this time on a tipped pass to DE A.J. Epenesa. Buffalo would take the ensuing drive and score to push the lead even further out, and Cincy simply could not recover. Burrow’s four-TD day in the snow is certainly nothing to scoff at, and without him at the helm this team’s playoff chances would be even further in the grave than they already are — but it’s hard to simply set aside the mistakes given just how badly needed a win was.
- Chase Brown — The padded stats as a result of two TDs certainly helped fantasy managers as playoffs loom, but Brown looked extremely ineffective rushing the ball against Buffalo. His 1.9-yard rushing average was abysmal, and looked even worse when compared to fellow RB Samaje Perine‘s day, as the veteran ran physically and with purpose to lead the backfield behind a 5.2-yard average. Brown still had a 2:1 advantage in carries on the afternoon, but never really looked to get his footing in the snow, while Perine shined in comparison with far less.
Cincinnati Bengals
Quarterback
Joe Burrow: 25/36, 284 Yards, 4 TDs, 2 INTs, Fumble (Lost, on 2-Point Try)
The Bengals got off to a white-hot start in the snow as Joe Burrow led three consecutive drives into the end zone to open up the first half. It’s just his second game back from a toe injury that sidelined him for nine games, but the veteran hasn’t lost a step and the offense is multitudes better with him at the controls. It would have been an excellent performance had it not been for the back-breaking back-to-back interceptions in the middle of the fourth quarter, which ultimately snatched defeat from the jaws of victory considering the Bengals held the lead the entire game prior. The loss adds yet another obstacle to Cincy’s long-shot playoff hopes, but Burrow at the helm at least still gives them a chance.
Running Back
Chase Brown: 12 Carries, 23 Yards, TD | 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 12 Yards, TD
Chase Brown was frustratingly inefficient all afternoon, being corralled on virtually every rushing attempt. The Bills’ run defense was in his face almost immediately on every play, and instead of being decisive with his runs he seemingly tried to rely more on his usual elusiveness, which was completely mitigated by the snow. Rough numbers in a tough loss, but he was still a major part of the offense on the day – as evident with two TDs.
Samaje Perine: 6 Carries, 31 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 7 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Tee Higgins: 11 Targets, 6 Receptions, 92 Yards, 2 TDs
The acrobatic plays Tee Higgins was making all game were wildly impressive, with both of his touchdowns coming on incredibly impressive catches. His second to keep the Bengals alive late in the fourth quarter was an effortless one-handed reception in the end zone, with the corner dragging him down. Higgins wasted no time establishing himself back into this offense as the go-to for Burrow on the day — leading Cincinnati in targets and yardage through the air while putting on a heck of a show.
Mike Gesicki: 6 Targets, 6 Receptions, 86 Yards, TD
As good as the TEs on the other side of the field were, you could argue Mike Gesicki had himself an even better day. The veteran TE brought in everything sent his way, and was making acrobatic one-handers of his own despite the frigid conditions. He registered his first TD of the season on a 12-yard strike late in the game, and had the longest play of the day for Cincy on a 37-yard catch-and-run to put the Bengals in position to strike with the game winding down. It was an excellent performance by Gesicki, and Burrow seemed to really trust him in high pressure situations.
Ja’Marr Chase: 8 Targets, 5 Receptions, 44 Yards
Ja’Marr Chase found himself taking a backseat to Higgins in this one, but make no mistake — the talented wideout was still heavily involved. His eight targets on the day finished second on Cincinnati’s roster, and Burrow was looking his way frequently at the end of the game. That was part of the problem however, as both interceptions came on plays where Chase was the target. His performance is still going to feel like a letdown for fantasy owners considering the Bengals scored five total TDs, of which he was not the beneficiary.
Andrei Iosivas: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 17 Yards
Noah Fant: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 15 Yards
Tanner Hudson: 1 Targets, 1 Reception, 11 Yards
Buffalo Bills
Quarterback
Josh Allen: 22/28, 251 Yards, 3 TDs | 9 Carries, 78 Yards, TD
It was an MVP-esque performance at home from Josh Allen, with four total touchdowns, topping a ridiculously efficient performance both as a passer and on the ground running. He finished just 3 yards shy of the team lead in rushing yards, with his legs arguably being the main reason Buffalo got the win. In the third quarter, he outraced multiple Bengals defenders to the goal line on a 40-yard scamper, then later sealed the victory on third-and-15 with a 17-yard run to kill the clock and end Cincy’s chances of getting the ball back. His passing touchdowns were nothing to sell short, either, with absolute darts that threaded the needle to multiple Bills receivers. It was a sensational performance, and one that likely sprung a multitude of fantasy rosters into the playoffs.
Running Back
James Cook: 18 Carries, 80 Yards, 2 Fumbles (1 Lost) | 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 31 Yards
James Cook had a number of big plays, and the Bills looked happy to feature him given the snowy conditions. His fumbling issue reared its ugly head, however — with not one, but TWO fumbles at the goal line. The first was ruled to have gone out of bounds inside the 1 and Buffalo would go on to score after that, but the second was a coughed-up ball that the Bengals recovered in the end zone for a touchback. At the time, it felt like a dagger to the Bills’ hopes at a comeback, but Cook and Co. kept fighting, and he was integral in setting Buffalo up on subsequent drives to take the lead. The lack of TDs coupled with these turnovers certainly hurt his fantasy numbers though.
Ty Johnson: 2 Carries, 25 Yards | 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 14 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Dawson Knox: 7 Targets, 6 Receptions, 93 Yards
The veteran TE was an absolute menace down the field, registering multiple long gains against a porous Cincinnati coverage from the get-go. Dawson Knox lead the Bills in almost every receiving category and ran with attitude every time he had the ball, bullying his way through multiple defenders. He would have had a TD late in the game if not for a bobble just as he caught the ball out the side of the end zone, which replay overturned. Still, it was an interesting performance given Dalton Kincaid‘s return from a lengthy absence, and could indicate Knox will still have a sizable future role in the passing game regardless.
Dalton Kincaid: 5 Targets, 4 Receptions, 41 Yards, TD
Dalton Kincaid wasted no time getting back into the rhythm of the offense, and, just like Knox, found ample running room to maneuver against a shaky secondary. The Bills’ TEs feasted down the seam and across the middle of the field, with Kincaid turning a choice route in the redzone into a nice 5-yard score.
Khalil Shakir: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 16 Yards, TD
It was a fairly quiet day for the WR corps in Buffalo overall, but Khalil Shakir made the most noise with his 11-yard TD reception to mark the Bills’ first TD of the day. Allen delivered a strike at the exact moment it needed to be delivered, crossing multiple Bengals defenders to get to the waiting hands of Shakir in the back of the end zone. The rest of the day was negligible for the veteran, but at least the score helped his numbers.
Gabe Davis: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 21 Yards
Jackson Hawes: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 3 Yards, TD
Keon Coleman: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 16 Yards