Buffalo
Bills
11-6
52
FINAL
41
Cincinnati
Bengals
10-7
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Wildcard Round matchup, the Buffalo Bills narrowly defeated the Cincinnati Bengals with a final score of 52-41, securing their spot in the next round of the playoffs. The stakes were high as both teams sought to advance, but it was the Bills who ultimately emerged victorious in this high-scoring affair.
Offensively, the Bills were powered by an explosive performance from James Cook III, who racked up an impressive 259 rushing yards, showcasing his speed and agility. Quarterback Joe Burrow led the Bengals' charge with a staggering 451 passing yards and five touchdown passes, but it wasn't enough to overcome the onslaught from Buffalo. Mike Gesicki also shined in the passing game for Cincinnati, accumulating 160 receiving yards and making crucial catches.
On the defensive side, the Bills made key plays that shifted the momentum of the game. C.J. Gardner-Johnson's interception proved pivotal, halting a potential scoring drive from the Bengals and allowing Buffalo to maintain their lead. Cole Bishop led the Bills with four total tackles, while Deone Walker contributed with a sack that applied pressure to Burrow when it mattered most. This combination of defensive stops and offensive firepower ultimately sealed the win for Buffalo.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Burrow | QB | 33 | 20 | 61% | 451 | 5 | 1 | 131.6 |
| Josh Allen | QB | 14 | 9 | 64% | 182 | 3 | 0 | 147.3 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Cook III | HB | 18 | 259 | 14.4 | 21 | 3 | 70 | 0 |
| Josh Allen | QB | 2 | 23 | 11.5 | 12 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 7 | 22 | 3.1 | 9 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dalton Kincaid | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Khalil Shakir | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Gesicki | TE | 9 | 160 | 17.8 | 72 | 1 | 31 | 0 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 4 | 120 | 30.0 | 78 | 2 | 60 | 0 |
| Tee Higgins | WR | 5 | 95 | 19.0 | 81 | 1 | 36 | 0 |
| Dalton Kincaid | TE | 5 | 90 | 18.0 | 26 | 1 | 31 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 2 | 76 | 38.0 | 66 | 1 | 72 | 0 |
| DJ Moore | WR | 2 | 47 | 23.5 | 13 | 1 | 31 | 0 |
| Khalil Shakir | WR | 2 | 45 | 22.5 | 15 | 1 | 23 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C.J. Gardner-Johnson | SS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Cole Bishop | FS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dorian Williams | WILL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Maxwell Hairston | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Deone Walker | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kaleb Elarms-Orr | WILL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Von Miller | LEDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian Benford | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Josh Newton | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dexter Lawrence II | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Barrett Carter | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DJ Turner II | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Swayze Bozeman | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Shemar Stewart | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joe Giles-Harris | SAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Terrel Bernard | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Demetrius Knight Jr | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Geno Stone | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Battle | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Bradley Chubb | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bryan Cook | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Dax Hill | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonathan Allen | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Hancock | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Greg Rousseau | LEDG | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evan McPherson | K | 1 | 1 | 0 | 45 |
| Tyler Bass | K | 1 | 1 | 5 | 38 |

