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Bengals 24 Bills 18
The Bengals scored on their first two drives and never trailed in beating the Bills 24-18 on Sunday Night Football. The Bengals have won four in a row in moving to 5-3 overall.
A 24-10 4th quarter lead was cut to 24-18 with 3:32 left. But the Bengals got the ball and never gave it back. Joe Burrow hit Tyler Boyd for 32-yards to start the final drive. Then, facing 3rd & 3 with 2:00 remaining at the Bills 37, Joe Mixon broke a tackle and went for five yards to seal it.
The Bengals led 14-7 after a track meet like 1st quarter. Penalties and defense dominated the 2nd quarter until a late first half TD drive gave the Bengals a 21-7 lead at the half.
The TE game: 10 catches, 101 yards, 2 TD on 13 targets.
Irv Smith Jr. 3-26-TD… Drew Sample 3-30-TD
Tanner Hudson 4-45…. 3rd & 2, 3rd & 1
TE 3 catches on 1st drive/7 catches/8 targets/74 yards/2 TD 1st half
Burrow: 31-44-348 yards, 2 TD/0 INT, 1 sack, QB rating 108.9…+ 3rd & 3 scramble for 7 yards. 9 completions of 15+ yards.
Distributed like a point guard….8 different caught passes.
6-6-65-TD opening drive.
Bloodied right index finger.
Underthrew Chase on what should have been a 63-yard TD toss.
Offense
4th straight game with opening drive TD/3rd straight w/ TDs on first two drives.
Higgins 8-110 (Best game of year)….. Boyd 3-56.
Chase 4-41 (Shaken up on deep ball miss/landed hard on back).
Mixon 14-37 TD. Total run game 22-54. Blitz pickup was solid.
6 different players not named Chase got touches on the first drive.
2nd QT 2nd & 1: Three penalties…delay of game/hold/false start = punt.
4th & 1 at Bills 36 with 2:50 half. Chase 11 yard catch….drive ended in TD.
Stopped 4th & 5 at Bills 37 w/ 2:21 3rd QT. Called TO. Burrow short to Sample. (2yd)…..passing up 55 yd FGA…gave to Bills at own 35.
Burned final TO w/ 10:19 in game
1st & Goal at 7 in 4th QT……FG 24-10.
Defensive red zone rise up:
3rd down stop at Bills 17 to open 3rd QT = FG…..21-10.
Nick Scott hit TE Dalton Kincaid/Pratt forced red zone fumble early 4th at Bengals 11
Defense +2 …INT, FR
Allowed TD opening drive.,….and TD w/ 2 point conversion 3:32 left to make 24-18.
CTB INT….3rd in 4 games.
Allen 258 yards, TD, INT
Mike Hilton all over: 10 tackles.
Diggs 6-86, 2 catch 1st half…DJ Turner missed tackle for 34-yarder and later a TD.
BJ Hill 3rd down sack
Break on weird intentional grounding call end half took away FG attempt. Big because Bills got all to start 3rd QT.
3rd QT 3rd & 6 Hendrickson/Allen 1 yd…3 man rush w/ both Pratt/Wilson at line.
Kincaid 10-81.
First half: Bengals ran 36 plays to 21 for Bills… T.O.P. 21:00 to 9:00.
Special Teams
Brad Robbins punted 49 yards and out of bounds at 9.
Chris Evans big time KR coverage hit.
Stanley Morgan KR penalty pushed drive start back to 10.
Evan McPherson 20 yard FG
Miscellaneous
Bengals won the toss and took the ball
Per Paul Dehner Jr: Bengals NFL best 21-2 when scoring 1st over last three seasons.
Penalties: Bengals 1 last week/5 in first half...6 for game. Bills 5.
Per Jay Morrison: 18-0 in their last 18 games when leading after three quarters.
Bengals open as a 6.5 point favorite at home vs Texans next week
Bengals snapped a 10 game regular season losing streak on SNF.