The Cincinnati Bengals are back.
After a slow start to the season, Joe Burrow and the Bengals picked up their fourth straight win against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night. The Bengals scored on their first two drives of the night and cruised to a 24-18 win at Pacor Stadium.
Burrow went a perfect 6-of-6 on the opening drive of the night before capping it off with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Irv Smith. Although the Bills immediately responded with a touchdown of their own — a Josh Allen run for a 2-yard score — that was the last time they found the end zone until the final minutes of the game. Joe Mixon gave the Bengals a 14-7 lead with a 2-yard run, then Burrow found Drew Sample for a 22-yard touchdown before halftime.
The Bills made a field goal out of halftime, but that was it. The Bengals were forced to fumble after Dalton Kincaid’s catch deep in the red zone to stop the Bills’ best shot at the end zone early in the fourth quarter.
Allen hit Stefon Diggs for a 21-yard score with just over three minutes left in the game, and they completed the 2-point conversion, suddenly bringing the game to just six points. But Burrow immediately found Tyler Boyd on a deep play, then quickly ran out the clock to seal the victory for Cincinnati.
Allen was 26-of-38 for 258 yards with a touchdown and an interception in the loss for the Bills. He was also their leading rusher with 44 yards on the ground. Diggs had 86 receiving yards on six catches.
Burrow went 31-of-44 for 348 yards with two touchdowns for the Bengals. Mixon added 37 yards on 14 carries and Dee Higgins had 110 receiving yards on eight catches. The Bengals are currently 5-3 on a four-game winning streak. While they still have a lot of work to do to establish themselves in the elite tier in the AFC, Sunday night’s win over the Bills certainly helps in that quest.
Yahoo Sports provides the latest news, highlights and scores as the Bengals host the Bills on “Sunday Night Football” in Week 9.
