The Buffalo Bills (8-4) host the Cincinnati Bengals (4-8) Sunday afternoon in a 1 p.m. EST battle of teams that entered the season with playoff aspirations and find themselves both fighting for positioning in a crowded AFC playoff race.
Before this Week 14 clash, let’s revisit the series history, relive some of the more memorable matchups, break down those common connections, and go through the list of players who played for both teams. Hint: there are 49 players who saw action for both the Bills and Bengals.
CINCINNATI, OHIO – NOVEMBER 05: Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills looks to pass against the Cincinnati Bengals during the fourth quarter at Paycor Stadium on November 05, 2023 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Jeff Dean/Getty Images) Getty Images
Bills vs. Bengals series history
The Bills and Bengals have split their 34 previous meetings, with each team winning 17 games. Cincinnati has prevailed in six of the last eight matchups, including a 27-10 road win in the 2022 AFC Divisional Round.
The teams met for the first time on September 22, 1968, the Bengals’ first season as an NFL franchise, and Cincinnati picked up its second win in its first three games, beating Buffalo 34-23 at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bills led 14-10 after Gary McDermott’s five-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, but the Bengals reeled off 17 unanswered points, including two pick-sixes off quarterbacks Dan Darragh and Kay Stephenson passes bridging the third and fourth quarters to send the Bills to an 0-3 start to the season. Cincinnati prevailed despite passing for only 68 yards in the game.
The Bengals won 11 of the first 16 meetings, including in the 1981 AFC Divisional Round and the 1988 AFC Championship game, but Buffalo responded by winning the next 10 games in the series from 1989-2010.
In his three career matchups with the Bengals, Josh Allen is 1-2, and has yet to win a head-to-head game against Joe Burrow — his lone victory on September 22, 2019 came against the Andy Dalton-led Bengals.
In their last meeting, in Week 9 of the 2023 NFL season, Burrow completed 31-of-44 passes for 348 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions in a 24-18 win in Cincinnati on Sunday Night Football. The Bengals’ defense forced two Bills turnovers — one Josh Allen interception and a Dalton Kincaid fumble — and Buffalo couldn’t overcome a 21-7 halftime deficit in a rematch of the 2022 AFC Divisional Round of the playoffs.
Allen connected with Stefon Diggs on both a 17-yard touchdown strike and ensuing two-point conversion pass to trim the deficit to 24-18 with three and a half minutes remaining, but the Bengals put up a pair of first downs and ran out the clock to seal the primetime win.
Allen finished 26-of-38 for 258 yards with a touchdown and an interception, and was also Buffalo’s leading rusher (8 carries for 44 yards). Diggs caught six passes for 86 yards, Kincaid added 10 catches for 81 yards, and Khalil Shakir and James Cook III each had four catches in the loss.
ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 22: Joe Burrow #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals looks on at the line of scrimmage against the Buffalo Bills during the second half in the AFC Divisional Playoff game at Highmark Stadium on January 22, 2023 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images) Getty Images
Fun fact: The Bengals’ first playoff win in franchise history came during a back-and-forth AFC Divisional Round playoff game during the 1981 season. Playing in Cincinnati, the Bills, fell behind 14-0 before quarterback Joe Ferguson and the offense got going. A 54-yard strike to wide receiver Jerry Butler set up running back Joe Cribbs’ one-yard touchdown run as the Bills went into halftime trailing 14-7. Buffalo tied the game when Cribbs scored on a 44-yard run, but the dynamic back was injured on the play and sat out the rest of the game.
Quarterback Ken Anderson directed a Bengals’ scoring drive that culminated in a 20-yard touchdown run from running back Charles Anderson, but the Bills refused to go away. Ferguson found Butler for a 20-yard touchdown strike to tie the score at 21-all early in the fourth quarter. Cincinnati answered as Anderson hit rookie wide receiver Cris Collinsworth on a 16-yard TD pass with 10:39 remaining.
Ferguson moved the Bills to the Bengals 21-yard line with three minutes remaining in regulation and had Buffalo poised to score the potential game-tying touchdown, but a delay-of-game penalty negated a fourth-down conversion pass from Ferguson and Ferguson’s ensuing pass intended for tight end Roland Hooks fell incomplete. The Bengals ran out the clock and secured their first postseason victory en route to their first-ever trip to the Super Bowl.
Ferguson completed 15-of-31 passes with a touchdown and two costly interceptions, Cribbs rushed 15 times for 90 yards with a score, and Butler caught four passes for 98 yards and a touchdown in a loss for Buffalo.
Jan 3, 1982; Cincinnati, OH, USA; FILE PHOTO; Buffalo Bills defensive end Ken Johnson (91) and Sherman White (83) pressure Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson (14) during the 1982 AFC Divisional Playoff game at Riverfront Stadium. The Bengals defeated the Bills 28-21. Mandatory Credit: Manny Rubio-Imagn Images
BillsBengalsYear Formed19601968Overall Record494-509-8407-487-5Playoff Record21-2210-16Super Bowls Won (Appearances)0 (4)0 (3)Championships2 AFL titles6Hall of Famers124
Who has played for both the Bills and Bengals?
There are a total of 49 players who appeared in a game for both the Bills and Bengals. The best player to arguably suit up for both Buffalo and Cincinnati is middle linebacker Takeo Spikes, a two-time Pro Bowler during his time with the Bills. In his first season in Western New York, Spikes started all 16 games and made 126 tackles with two sacks, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries.
During the 2004 season, Spikes earned first-team All-Pro honors after picking off a career-high five passes (including a pair of pick-sixes) and recorded 98 tackles (eight for a loss) to go with three sacks and three forced fumbles while starting all 16 games.
ORCHARD PARK, NY – OCTOBER 5: Takeo Spikes #51 of the Buffalo Bills pursues the play against the Cincinnati Bengals during a game at Ralph Wilson Stadium on October 5, 2003 in Orchard Park, New York. The Bills defeated the Bengals 22-16. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images) Getty Images
Among the other notable players with ties to both the Bills and Bengals:
Defensive tackle Sam Adams (2003-05 with the Bills, 2006 with the Bengals)Linebacker Ray Bentley (1986-91 with the Bills, 1992 with the Bengals)Linebacker Preston Brown (2014-17 with the Bills, 2018-19 with the Bengals)Defensive back Jeff Burris (1994-97 with the Bills, 2002-03 with the Bengals)Cornerback Nate Clements (2001-06 with the Bills, 2011-12 with the Bengals)Defensive back Neal Craig (1971-73 with the Bengals, 1974 with the Bills)Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (2007-08 with the Bengals, 2009-12 with the Bills)Offensive lineman Cody Ford (2019-21 with the Bills, 2023-25 with the Bengals)Linebacker Guy Frazier (1981-84 with the Bengals, 1985-86 with the Bills)Offensive tackle Cordy Glenn (2012-17 with the Bills, 2018-19 with the Bengals)Defensive back Charlie King (1966-67 with the Bills, 1968-69 with the Bengals)Running back Larry Kinnebrew (1983-87 with the Bengals, 1989-90 with the Bills)Tight end Tyler Kroft (2015-18 with the Bengals, 2019-20 with the Bills)Linebacker Manny Lawson (2011-12 with the Bengals, 2013-15 with the Bills)Guard John Miller (2015-18 with the Bills, 2019 with the Bengals)Running back Zack Moss (2020-22 with the Bills, 2024 with the Bengals)Wide receiver Terrell Owens (2009 with the Bills, 2010 with the Bengals)Defensive back Lemar Parrish (1970-77 with the Bengals, 1982 with the Bills)Linebacker Tom Ruud (1975-77 with the Bills, 1978-79 with the Bengals)Guard Quinton Spain (2019-20 with the Bills, 2020-21 with the Bengals)Linebacker Takeo Spikes (1998-2002 with the Bengals, 2003-06 with the Bills)Defensive end Sherman White (1972-75 with the Bengals, 1976-83 with the Bills)
Fun fact: Only one player has ever thrown a pass in both a Bills and Bengals uniform:
ORCHARD PARK, NY – NOVEMBER 18: Cornerback Nate Clements #22 of the Buffalo Bills looks up after he tackled running back Shaun Alexander #37 of the Seattle Seahawks during a game at Ralph Wilson Stadium on November 18, 2001 in Orchard Park, New York. The Seahawks defeated the Bills 23-20. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images) Getty Images