What a win by the Buffalo Bills. The Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals’ Week 14 contest on December 7, 2025, was an instant classic, and it’s a shame the league didn’t flex this matchup into prime time. In snowy conditions at Highmark Stadium, Buffalo found a way to pull off a heart-pounding 39-34 victory in one of the most exciting games of the regular season, keeping their playoff hopes alive. But it wasn’t all pretty, and there was some bad news mixed in with the triumph from Western New York.
Buffalo was dominated early by the Bengals’ offense, led by quarterback Joe Burrow, who threw for 284 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions on 25-of-36 passing. In the first half alone, the Bills were only able to force one punt, and it looked like Burrow was going to score on every drive. Fortunately, a couple of turnovers late in the fourth quarter helped Buffalo pull out the victory.
Self-inflicted wounds once again reared their ugly heads, nearly costing Buffalo the game. Running back James Cook had a costly fumble while the Bills were driving late, despite otherwise having a dominant performance with 18 carries for 80 yards and two receptions for 31 yards.
The team avoided a major blow when safety Cole Bishop got hurt and was ruled out, but his official designation was due to cramping, so for now, it appears the Bills dodged a serious injury to one of their key defenders, who still managed three tackles before exiting.
The Bills won the football game, kept their playoff hopes alive, and saw their quarterback make NFL history along the way. However, the defense struggled mightily on third down, only to come up big in the most important moments. It seemed like the unit had no answers for Burrow and the Bengals’ offense, who scored on nearly every drive in the first half. Buffalo finally got a stop late in the second quarter, marking the first time all game they halted Burrow on third down.
The team was down some key players, including defensive end contributions that left gaps, allowing Burrow to exploit underneath routes as the Bills lined up more than five yards deep. But Buffalo made crucial second-half adjustments, starting with a key stop that allowed Josh Allen and the offense to get points on the board. They settled in and slowed down the Bengals’ offense in the second half—a miracle after the early dominance.
A special shoutout goes to cornerback Christian Benford for his efforts on defense. He sacked Burrow when the team desperately needed to shut him down and capped it off with his second touchdown in as many games: a late fourth-quarter pick-six off Burrow that covered 63 yards.
Perhaps the biggest issue for the defense was stopping Burrow on third down. The Bengals gashed the Bills all game, converting efficiently and keeping drives alive. However, late in the contest, on back-to-back throws from Burrow, Buffalo forced key takeaways to give the ball back to Allen and the offense for a chance to close out the game.
On the Bengals’ side, tight end Mike Gesicki hauled in six catches for 86 yards and a touchdown, celebrating with his signature griddy dance that seemed inevitable in such a high-scoring affair.
Shifting to the offense, Josh Allen made history despite the snowy conditions not helping matters. Far too often, Allen dropped back in the pocket, surveyed the field, and had to make something out of nothing due to lack of separation. Yet, he delivered a heck of a performance, completing 22 of 28 passes for 251 yards and three touchdowns, while adding nine rushes for 78 yards and another score.
After throwing perhaps the wildest touchdown of the season—a scrambling 11-yard strike to wide receiver Khalil Shakir—Allen cemented himself in the record books as the first quarterback in NFL history with three seasons of more than 20 passing and 10 rushing touchdowns. While he made history, it was clear Allen had to do everything in this matchup.
Allen did damage with his arm and legs, scampering into the end zone late in the fourth quarter on a 40-yard rushing touchdown as the team mounted a late push. It was another reminder of just how great No. 17 can be, willing his team to victory.