Cincinnati
Bengals
11-6
31
FINAL
24
Buffalo
Bills
14-3
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Wildcard Round matchup, the Cincinnati Bengals narrowly defeated the Buffalo Bills 31-24, advancing deeper into the 2026 postseason. Both teams entered the game with high hopes, but it was the Bengals who capitalized on key opportunities to secure their playoff spot.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was stellar, throwing for three touchdowns and leading his team to victory. Chase Brown contributed significantly on the ground with 89 rushing yards, while Ja'Marr Chase was a standout in the passing game, racking up 120 receiving yards. Their combined efforts proved too much for the Bills' defense to handle.
Buffalo's defensive effort was highlighted by Landon Jackson, who recorded two sacks, and Christian Benford, who led the team with four total tackles. However, the turning point came late in the game, as Cincinnati's offense managed to maintain possession and effectively run down the clock, thwarting any chance of a Bills comeback. Despite the defensive pressure, it was the Bengals' offensive execution that ultimately sealed their victory.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | YDS | TD | INT | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Allen | QB | 24 | 13 | 298 | 1 | 2 | 78.1 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 25 | 21 | 239 | 3 | 2 | 112.7 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Brown | HB | 14 | 89 | 6.4 | 1 | 67 | 0 |
| James Cook III | HB | 11 | 55 | 5.0 | 1 | 21 | 0 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| DJ Moore | WR | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Keon Coleman | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joshua Palmer | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 6 | 120 | 20.0 | 1 | 60 | 0 |
| James Cook III | HB | 3 | 91 | 30.3 | 1 | 88 | 0 |
| DJ Moore | WR | 4 | 86 | 21.5 | 0 | 40 | 0 |
| Brandon Aiyuk | WR | 2 | 55 | 27.5 | 0 | 31 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 9 | 53 | 5.9 | 1 | 16 | 0 |
| Dalton Kincaid | TE | 2 | 46 | 23.0 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| Tee Higgins | WR | 3 | 35 | 11.7 | 1 | 14 | 0 |
| Mike Gesicki | TE | 2 | 23 | 11.5 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Khalil Shakir | WR | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Andrei Iosivas | WR | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Joshua Palmer | WR | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landon Jackson | DT | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Demetrius Knight Jr | WILL | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Barrett Carter | MIKE | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| C.J. Gardner-Johnson | SS | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Terrel Bernard | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Dax Hill | CB | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian Benford | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Davison Igbinosun | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tacario Davis | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Dorian Williams | WILL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Greg Rousseau | LEDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ed Oliver | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Battle | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Maxwell Hairston | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Josh Newton | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cole Bishop | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kris Jenkins Jr | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joe Andreessen | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bradley Chubb | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bryan Cook | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| DJ Turner II | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kyle Dugger | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cashius Howell | REDG | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evan McPherson | K | 1 | 1 | 4 | 30 |
| Tyler Bass | K | 1 | 1 | 3 | 39 |

