Bills-Bengals 3 Ups & 3 Downs

The Buffalo Bills lost 24-18 to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday Night Football. Let’s look at some of the ups and downs from their performance.

Up #1: Dalton Kincaid

The rookie tight end has been asked to step up his game over the past couple of weeks, with Dawson Knox injured. And he has done just that. In that span, Kincaid has tallied 23 receptions for 221 yards and one touchdown. He has also been Josh Allen’s second-favorite target over that span. This past game against the Bengals might have been Dalton’s best game as a Bill. He caught 10 balls for 81 yards and looked great down-to-down for Allen and this Bills offense.

Down #1: Terrel Bernard Injury

Standout second-year linebacker Terrel Bernard sustained a game-ending concussion in the second quarter against the Bengals. Tyrel Dodson replaced him, but it seemed the Bengals wanted to attack Dodosn at the MLB position. Hopefully, the Bills get him back in the lineup soon, as the defense is already missing too many starters.

Up #2: Sean McDermott’s defense

Many people are currently not pleased with Bills Head Coach Sean McDermott, but the one thing you have to credit him for is being able to run a good defense, even while missing many key players due to injury.

The defense wasn’t perfect Sunday night, but they played well enough to give Buffalo a chance to win. Holding the Bengals’ offense to just 24 points is a win in many peoples’ eyes.

Down #2: Bills Offense

According to Joe DiBiase of WGR 550, for the first time in Josh Allen’s career as the Buffalo Bills starting quarterback, this team has gone five straight games without scoring more than 25 points.

Allen leads the NFL in total touchdowns with 24 and is at the top of the league in completion percentage, but the Bills offense hasn’t gotten anything going consistently over the past five weeks.

Up #3: Dolphins lost

The Bills didn’t leave us with too many positives against the Bengals, but the Miami Dolphins did. The Kansas City Chiefs defeated Miami and, as a result, the Bills only sit half a game back of the division lead.

Down #3: Buffalo’s upcoming schedule

The Bills are 5-4, which is not a horrible record overall. However, their upcoming opponents will not be a cakewalk. Buffalo’s next five opponents are the Broncos, Jets, Eagles, Chiefs, and Cowboys.

None of those games will be easy for Buffalo. With the way the team is currently playing, they are going to need to figure things out asap, before the gauntlet of opponents comes Buffalo’s way.

Featured Image Credit: AP Photo