Both the Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills marked this Sunday night’s game on their calendars when the 2023 NFL schedule got released.
In Week 17 of last season, a highly anticipated matchup between the two with playoff seeding on the line was halted by a terrifying situation in which Bills safety Damar Hamlin had to be resuscitated on the field. The emotional weight of this rematch was heavy for both teams, while conference bragging rights and positioning were on the line as well.
Although Hamlin didn’t play, he made the trip and warmed up on the field, where he was greeted by Bengals receivers Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins. Boyd is a fellow alum of Pittsburgh, and Higgins was the player who hit Hamlin when the unthinkable occurred last season.
How the Bengals beat the Bills
The Bengals offense came out firing in this game. Joe Burrow surged down the field on the opening drive and found Irv Smith Jr. for a seven-yard score.
The Bills immediately responded with an 85-yard scoring drive of their own, capped off by a Josh Allen rushing touchdown. But the Bengals shrugged it off and drove down the field for their second score immediately after.
This time, it was Joe Mixon punching it in on the ground.
The offenses then went a bit cold, trading punts with an Allen interception mixed in. But right before halftime, Burrow hit Drew Sample on 3rd and 7 for a 22-yard score.
Cincinnati held a 10 point lead for all of the third quarter before extending it to 14 midway through the fourth. Stefon Diggs pulled Buffalo closer with a receiving touchdown and two-point conversion.
But it wasn’t enough, as the Bengals were able to run out the clock with two first downs.
The Bengals are now 5-3 and sit in a Wild Card spot, while the Bills fall out of one as their record worsens to 5-4.
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Marca
