Buffalo
Bills
10-7
0
FINAL
42
Cincinnati
Bengals
13-4
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a dominant performance, the Cincinnati Bengals crushed the Buffalo Bills 42-0 in the Wildcard Round of the 2026 season. With this decisive victory, the Bengals advance in the playoffs, showcasing their offensive firepower and defensive prowess against a struggling Bills squad.
Quarterback Joe Burrow was the standout performer, throwing for 242 yards and two touchdowns, leading Cincinnati's explosive offense. Running back Chase Brown added a stellar 143 rushing yards, effectively controlling the game on the ground, while Tee Higgins contributed significantly with 88 receiving yards, consistently moving the chains and finding space against the Bills' defense.
The Bengals' defense played a crucial role in the shutout, limiting the Bills to zero points and applying relentless pressure throughout the game. The turning point came early in the second quarter when Cincinnati's Dexter Lawrence II registered a key sack, forcing a turnover on downs and allowing the Bengals to capitalize with a quick touchdown, setting the tone for the rest of the game.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Burrow | QB | 22 | 17 | 77% | 242 | 2 | 1 | 123.6 |
| Josh Allen | QB | 16 | 7 | 44% | 67 | 0 | 3 | 16.4 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Brown | HB | 18 | 143 | 7.9 | 27 | 4 | 15 | 0 |
| James Cook III | HB | 17 | 61 | 3.6 | 21 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 2 | 24 | 12.0 | 3 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| Tyler Lockett | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tee Higgins | WR | 5 | 88 | 17.6 | 19 | 0 | 31 | 0 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 4 | 58 | 14.5 | 3 | 2 | 33 | 1 |
| Anthony Gould | WR | 3 | 44 | 14.7 | 21 | 0 | 32 | 0 |
| Dalton Kincaid | TE | 4 | 32 | 8.0 | 32 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 4 | 31 | 7.8 | 9 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Taysom Hill | TE | 1 | 21 | 21.0 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 1 |
| Khalil Shakir | WR | 1 | 19 | 19.0 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| James Cook III | HB | 2 | 16 | 8.0 | 20 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tarvarius Moore | SS | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Maxwell Hairston | CB | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Battle | SS | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tre'Davious White | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cole Bishop | FS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DJ Turner II | CB | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Dexter Lawrence II | DT | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Christian Benford | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Boye Mafe | REDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Terrel Bernard | MIKE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Greg Rousseau | LEDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| C.J. Gardner-Johnson | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Dax Hill | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Barrett Carter | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonathan Allen | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| JT Woods | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Demetrius Knight Jr | WILL | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| VJ Payne | SS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evan McPherson | K | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Tyler Bass | K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

