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Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills
Each week, the Bills take the field looking to keep their playoff hopes alive, and they did exactly that on Sunday. Buffalo took down the Bengals 39-34, eliminating Cincinnati from any chance of making the playoffs as a wild card team.
Bills Given a B-Grade for Win vs. the Bengals
Despite needing some assistance from Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow‘s pick-six, the Bills managed to secure a victory. CBS Sports’ John Breech rated Buffalo’s performance as a “B-” for this win.
“For three quarters, this looked like a game the Bills were destined to lose, but then Josh Allen and the Bills defense combined to pull off a miracle fourth-quarter performance,” Breech wrote on Sunday. “Christian Benford pulled off the play of the year in Buffalo by picking off Joe Burrow and returning it 63 yards for a touchdown.
“After the defense did its job, Allen did what he always does: He put the team on his back. In the fourth quarter alone, Allen totaled 117 yards and two touchdowns. He also iced the win by converting a third-and-15 with a 17-yard run, a play that kept Joe Burrow from getting the ball back. The Bills might not be as good as they were last year, but with Allen at quarterback, this team is capable of beating anyone.”
The Bills did precisely what they needed to do: secure a win. It didn’t matter how the game unfolded; Buffalo must continue racking up victories because there’s a chance it won’t clinch the AFC East with the Patriots boasting an 11-2 record and one of the easiest schedules remaining.
Buffalo’s only route to the playoffs could be through the wild card spot, given its 9-4 record.
Bengals Given a C Grade for Loss
The Bengals didn’t appear to be a playoff contender heading into the game, but with only four wins, they needed a victory over the Bills to get back in the mix.
With the Bengals’ season likely ending without a playoff berth, this game could very well be the reason they miss out. Breech awarded Cincinnati a “C” for its performance.
“The Bengals were only going to go as far as Joe Burrow could take them this year and he took them into the fourth quarter of this game with a 10-point lead before suffering an all-time meltdown,” Breech added. “Burrow threw two interceptions in the fourth quarter, including a pick six that gave the Bills the lead.
“The defense struggled against Josh Allen, but the bottom line is that this is a game the Bengals probably would have won if not for Burrow’s interceptions. He had to be nearly perfect for the Bengals to win and although he was nearly perfect for three-and-a-half quarters, it wasn’t enough. The end of this game is going to sting for a long time for both him and the Bengals.”
This Sunday, the Bills will face the Patriots in New England. A loss could end the Bills’ chances of winning the division, while a victory would keep them firmly in the division race.
Danny Fisher Is a football journalist covering the Buffalo Bills for Heavy.com. He has covered the NFL for Gridiron Heroics, focusing on the AFC and Penn State football for Nittany Central. More about Danny Fisher
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