The images of the Bills game in the snow in Buffalo in December were already cinema-worthy. When the defense and quarterback Josh Allen decided to take matters into their own hands to share the lead in the second half, the film became perfect.
Well, perfect, let’s say, for nervous Bills fans! Because for those of the Bengals (4-9), it is rather a heartbreaking end which visibly puts an end to their season.
The Bills (9-4) won 39-34, and they have therefore won their last 12 games played in December in Buffalo.
It is often said that matches in the snow are not the most spectacular because they have the gift of breaking the rhythm of attacks, but this duel was quite the opposite. It was exciting from start to finish and it made me want to go be a snow angel.
The stakes for the playoff race were immense and we should not rely on the Bengals’ mediocre record. They are clearly not the same since the return to play of quarterback Joe Burrow, who had not known defeat in his last eight starts, dating back to last season.
The team, without Burrow, went 1-8, but his return provided hope. With this ninth defeat, the corpse is ripe for the morgue.
Big games
For their part, the Bills would have found themselves in serious danger with a defeat. At the start of the match, this scenario seemed to be taking shape.
The Bengals scored a touchdown on each of their first three possessions to build a 21-11 lead at the half.
In the fourth quarter, the Bengals still held a 10-point lead, this time by 28-18, and that’s when everything changed.
Josh Allen took matters into his own hands with a long 40-yard run for a touchdown that cut the lead to three points.
Four plays later, the Bengals had the ball, and Burrow attempted a short pass, intercepted by Christian Benford, who returned the ball to the end zone.
For the first time in the game, the Bills took the lead, and Benford became the first defensive player in team history with touchdowns in two straight games.
The Bengals regained the ball, but on their first play on offense, the sky fell on their heads again, a pass from Burrow being hit and landing in the hands of defensive end AJ Epenesa.
The Bills needed just five plays and 29 yards to increase their lead on a three-yard pass from Allen to tight end Jackson Hawes on a fourth down.
Their audacity must be applauded because it would have been easy to settle for a three-point field goal, but by finding the end zone, they put the game out of reach of the Bengals.
When we tell you that it was a rare, truly spectacular match in the snow!
Effective when it counts
For Allen, it was a 15e touchdown pass since 2020 in a fourth down situation. No one did better during this period and it shows once again that it is difficult to find more efficient than him to go for the big play at the right time.
The Bills are not perfect and the Bengals’ three successive touchdowns at the start of the match demonstrate that the defense can be vulnerable.
The fact remains that in the second half, their point differential this season is +95. There is no team that does better.
It’s not the Bills’ most convincing season and they’ve been more dominant in years past, but maybe that’s exactly what they need. Going under the radar to better surprise…
We could have endless matches like this in the snow.
5 KEY MOMENTS
1. Poor Daniel Jones!
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Colts quarterback Daniel Jones was already playing with a fractured fibula in his left leg. And now in the loss to the Jaguars, he had to leave due to a non-contact Achilles tendon injury. There is every reason to believe that it is a torn tendon and that his season is over. If that’s the case, not only are the Colts in trouble with Riley Leonard making his debut in his place in the middle of a playoff race, but Jones will be a free agent in March. Will the Colts be reluctant to hire him long term?
2. Quite a comeback!
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When the Seahawks went for wide receiver Rashid Shaheed at the trade deadline, they were hoping for an impact on the passing attack. Shaheed is shy on this end, but in the win against the Falcons, he had a great touchdown on a 100-yard kickoff return. At this point in the game, the Seahawks were struggling and the offense was neutral, with a score of 6-6 in the third quarter. This return whipped the troops since the attack then woke up by scoring 24 additional points. It was the Seahawks’ longest punt return since 2015.
3. A shock from Shough
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It’s often said that there are no guaranteed victories in the NFL and the matchup between the Buccaneers and Saints provided proof. The Saints, with their two small victories before the match, overthrew the Buccaneers, authors of seven victories. In the third and fourth quarters, Saints rookie quarterback Tyler Shough made the difference with two rushing touchdowns, on runs of 34 yards and 13 yards. Shough only gained 144 yards through the air and had one interception, but on the ground he made the difference. The Bucs are now tied with the Panthers in their division, with two matchups between the two teams coming up.
4. Ravens stolen?
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The Steelers won a critical division matchup against their eternal rivals, the Ravens. In the fourth quarter, the Ravens thought they had the lead when Lamar Jackson connected with tight end Isaiah Likely, who caught the ball and took two steps into the end zone before having the ball knocked out of his hands. The original decision to allow the touchdown was overturned and the Ravens are furious. It’s still difficult to determine what a catch is, but the Ravens have had several misses at other times and the Steelers deserve their victory.
5. The Packers are kings
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The Packers regained first place in the North division of the national conference by beating the Bears, but it took everything! The Bears trailed by seven points at the end of the game, but were dangerously moving up the field. At the Packers’ 14 line, the Bears found themselves in a fourth down situation with a yard to go. Quarterback Caleb Williams could have run for the first play, but he threw a pass that lacked juice towards tight end Cole Kmet and cornerback Keisean Nixon threw the interception that gave his team the victory. A big play at a crucial moment!
WINNERS OF THE WEEK
- Shedeur Sanders
Our tributes to poor Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders in the loss to the even poorer Titans. He became the first Browns center since the legendary Otto Graham in 1950, with a game of more than 300 yards through the air, three touchdown passes and a touchdown on the ground.
2. Les Rams
The Rams brilliantly bounced back from their defeat against the Panthers by administering a violent spanking to the Cardinals, with a score of 45-17. The Stafford-Nacua duo reigned again. Stafford threw three touchdown passes, including two to Nacua, who had seven receptions for 167 yards.
3. The Jaguars
The Jaguars are not making any noise, but their victory against the Colts gives them first place in their division. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence threw two touchdown passes and committed no turnovers.
4. The Dolphins
Miami’s representatives have often been criticized when winter sets in and they play in northern markets, but they shined in New York by massacring the Jets with 239 yards on the ground. Tua Tagovailoa only needed to throw 21 passes.
5. JJ McCarthy
The Vikings’ heavily criticized young quarterback threw three touchdown passes in the shutout victory over the Commanders. Between now and the end of the season, the Vikings need to see encouraging signs from him and this was a day to do that.
LOSERS OF THE WEEK
- The Ravens
The Ravens lost to the Steelers and their odds of making the playoffs dropped to 31% according to ESPN’s statistical model. Quarterback Lamar Jackson (19 in 35, 219 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception) remains inconsistent.
2. The Commanders
A little regression for the Commanders this season was possible, but how did this team, which reached the conference finals a year ago, become such an abomination? The 31-0 loss to the Vikings was their worst since 2005.
3. Kirk Cousins
The Falcons were manhandled by the Seahawks and quarterback Kirk Cousins was the victim of two interceptions. We remind you that the veteran is desperately looking for one last opportunity as a starter next season.
4. Geno Smith
The Raiders quarterback continues to collect defeats and he had to leave the game against the Broncos with an injury. It’s a certainty, the veteran will no longer be the man for the job in Las Vegas next season. Unless he retrains as a dealer at the casino…
5. Baker Mayfield
We know that Mayfield is injured in his left shoulder and that the pain must prevent him from being himself, but his fantastic start to the season seems so far away. The Buccaneers suffered their fourth loss in five games.
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