Bengals End Bills’ Season With Damar Hamlin in Attendance

After the Bengals’ field goal just inside the two-minute warning of the first half pushed Cincinnati’s lead to 17-7, the Bills pulled back to within a score early in the second half on a 25-yard field goal from Tyler Bass. But from that point on, it was all Bengals, who all game sustained the momentum that eluded the Bills’ offense. Allen’s second-quarter touchdown run was the only time the Bills got into the end zone.

The Bills will look back on some missed opportunities. There was Allen’s well-thrown deep shot, which traveled more than 30 yards in the air, on a third down in the final seconds of the third quarter. But Bills receiver Gabe Davis couldn’t quite hold on to it. Later, midway through the fourth quarter and after Cincinnati had grown its advantage to 27-10, a Bills drive stalled deep in Bengals’ territory. They incurred a false start penalty that extended a third down, then failed to convert a fourth down from Cincinnati’s 16-yard line. Stefon Diggs could be seen shouting at the quarterback on the sideline as Allen studied plays on the bench.

Diggs, the team’s top receiver, briefly left the game after Allen overthrew him in the end zone, leading to a collision with a photographer. He returned for the next series and finished with four catches for 35 yards on 10 targets.

“He’s a fiery competitor,” Allen said of Diggs. “He wants the ball, and whatever it was that we couldn’t get him the ball tonight, we’re going to have to learn from.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/22/sports/football/bills-bengals-score-nfl-playoffs.html