CINCINNATI (AP) — Joe Burrow threw for a season-high 348 yards and had two touchdown passes as the Cincinnati Bengals beat the Buffalo Bills 24-18 in a key AFC matchup Sunday night for their fourth straight victory.
Burrow was 31 for 44 while completing passes to eight receivers, with tight ends Irv Smith Jr. and Drew Sample making the touchdown grabs. Tee Higgins had eight receptions for a season-high 110 yards for the Bengals (5-3).
Meanwhile, Cincinnati’s defense kept Josh Allen and the Bills (5-4) playing from behind throughout.
Cam Taylor-Britt intercepted Allen to shut down a drive in the second quarter. Nick Scott upended Buffalo tight end Dalton Kincaid and recovered the fumble on the Cincinnati 13-yard line in the third quarter.
The subsequent Bengals drive ate up 5:20 and a 20-yard field goal by Evan McPherson extended Cincinnati’s lead to 24-10.
Allen threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Stefon Diggs and the two connected on a 2-point conversion pass to cut the lead to 24-18 with 3 1/2 minutes left, but the Bengals got two first downs and ran out the clock to seal it.
Allen had a respectable night, going 26 for 38 and 258 yards, but he also threw an interception for the fifth straight game. Diggs had six catches for 86 yards.
Burrow was 6 for 6 for 65 yards on a methodical opening drive that he finished off with a 7-yard pass to Smith, who got his first touchdown catch of the season.
The Bills answered with a quick scoring drive, highlighted by a 34-yard catch-and-run by Diggs and capped by Allen’s 2-yard TD run.
Aided by a roughing the passer call on the Bills’ Tim Settle, Burrow put together another extended drive. Joe Mixon barreled in from the Buffalo 2-yard line to finish it.
Burrow tossed a bubble screen to Sample, who ran for a 22-yard touchdown and gave the Bengals a 21-7 lead at the half.
INJURIES
Bills LB Terrel Bernard was ruled out with a concussion.
UP NEXT
Bills: Host the Denver Broncos (3-5) on Monday, Nov. 13.
Bengals: Host the Houston Texans (4-4) next Sunday.
___
AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
