Bills stage 4th-quarter rally to upend Burrow, Bengals

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Josh Allen threw for three touchdowns and ran for one, Christian Benford scored the go-ahead TD on a 63-yard interception return, and the Buffalo Bills rallied from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Cincinnati Bengals 39-34 on Sunday.

Allen scored on a 40-yard rush, breaking his record of 36 for the longest by a Bills quarterback, and Buffalo flipped the game with big defensive plays on a snowy afternoon in western New York. Benford and defensive end A.J. Epenesa intercepted Joe Burrow on consecutive plays from scrimmage, leading to the Bills scoring three touchdowns in a span of 4:20 in the fourth quarter.

Benford’s interception — the cornerback leaped to snag Burrow’s lob intended for Ja’Marr Chase — gave Buffalo its first lead with 5:25 remaining.

The Bills then went up 39-28 after Epenesa’s interception, which he caught after Burrow’s pass was tipped by defensive tackle Jordan Phillips. On fourth-and-goal from the 3, Allen found tight end Jackson Hawes for a touchdown.

The Bills (9-4) have won two straight for the first time in a month, and they kept pace in a tightly packed AFC race.

The Bengals (4-9) saw their already shaky playoff prospects dim even further. Their only realistic shot entering the weekend was winning the AFC North, but they fell three games behind Pittsburgh.

Burrow’s boost to the Bengals lasted only one week after he oversaw Cincinnati’s 32-14 win over Baltimore in the starter’s first game after missing nine with a toe injury.

The interceptions were Burrow’s first in four starts this season. He finished 25 of 36 for 284 yards and four touchdowns while losing for the first time in nine starts dating to last season.

Bengals’ Burton suspended

Bengals wide receiver Jermaine Burton did not travel to Buffalo and has been suspended for one game by the team. The Bengals did not specify a reason for their decision. The second-year player has yet to appear in a game this season. He had four catches for 107 yards in 14 games, including one start, last year.

Up next

Bengals: Host division rival Baltimore next Sunday.

Bills: At the AFC East-leading New England Patriots next Sunday.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl