After a close contest in Cincinnati, the Bills came away with a win over the Bengals.
Buffalo Bills Insider Chris Brown provides the details. Here is his report:
Regular season records: Buffalo (5-5), Cincinnati (3-6-1)
In a nutshell:
Bills vs. Bengals – Week 11
It wasn’t a pretty game by any stretch of the imagination, but in a game that saw both teams lose their biggest playmakers in the first half, Buffalo won the battle of attrition. The Bills lost LeSean McCoy and Robert Woods to injuries in the first half, while the Bengals lost A.J. Green on third play from scrimmage.
Buffalo’s offense proved to be more effective, especially when it came to their rushing attack. Mike Gillislee and rookie Jonathan Williams picked up the slack for McCoy and Tyrod Taylor chipped in as the three rushed for 137 yards and helped the team average 5.4 yards per carry.
That combined with a Bills defense that forced Cincinnati’s offense to go three-and-out four consecutive times between the third and fourth quarter and just 37 second half yards before their final drive, was enough to post a 16-12 victory.
Cincinnati had a last ditch effort to try and win the game on an Andy Dalton throw to the end zone, but it fell incomplete.
The win put an end to Buffalo’s three-game losing streak and lifted the Bills record back to .500 at 5-5 on the season.
How it went down:
-The Bills scored on their opening possession as they put together an effective eight-play 75-yard scoring drive. LeSean McCoy capped it with a seven-yard touchdown run to give Buffalo the early 7-0 lead midway through the opening quarter.
-Three defensive penalties, including a head butt personal foul by Jerry Hughes, helped keep a Cincinnati drive alive. Andy Dalton took a read option keeper in from two yards out to finish a 13-play, 75-yard scoring drive for the Bengals. But Mike Nugent’s point after attempt was no good to make it a 7-6 game.
-Buffalo got a 26-yard field goal from Dan Carpenter after Stephon Gilmore made his third interception of the season on an Andy Dalton pass intended for Brandon LaFell. The kick gave the Bills a four-point lead (10-6) with nine minutes left in the half.
-Cincinnati responded with a touchdown drive of their own as Andy Dalton found Tyler Boyd for a one-yard touchdown catch, but again Nugent missed the point after attempt giving the Bengals just a two-point lead (12-10) with three minutes remaining in the second quarter.
-The Bills would re-take the lead early in the third quarter when Dan Carpenter bombed a 54-yard attempt through for a 13-12 Buffalo edge.
-A 15-play 88-yard drive stalled at the Cincinnati two-yard line, so Carpenter put a 20-yard chip shot through for a four-point Buffalo lead with 12 minutes remaining (16-12).
Subplots:
-LeSean McCoy sustained a thumb injury late in the first half and did not return.
-Robert Woods suffered a knee injury in the first half and did not return to the game leaving Buffalo with just four healthy receivers for the rest of the game.
-Tyrod Taylor was 19-27 passing for 166 yards and an interception. He also rushed for 39 yards on nine carries.
-Dan Carpenter’s 54-yard field goal was his longest of the season.
-Kevon Seymour was the primary nickel cornerback replacing Nickell Robey-Coleman in the lineup.
-Stephon Gilmore’s interception in the second quarter was Buffalo’s first defensive takeaway since Week 5.
-A.J. Green left the game with a hamstring injury on the game’s third play from scrimmage. He did not return. Bengals Vontaze Burfict suffered a neck injury on Buffalo’s first possession and did not return to the game either.
Inactives:
QB Cardale Jones, WR Walt Powell, CB Marcus Roberson, LB Brandon Spikes, OT Cyrus Kouandjio, TE Gerald Christian, DT Corbin Bryant.
Up next:
The Bills return home to host the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday Nov. 27 for a 1 pm kickoff in Week 12.