Depleted Bills hold on for 16-12 win over Bengals

“We had some things for him”, cornerback Ronald Darby said.

In the first quarter, the Bills couldn’t have started any better on both sides of the ball, as the defensive unit forced a three-and-out. Earlier today, we saw A.J. Green carted off the field with a hamstring injury, and he was ruled out for the game. Shortly after, he was declared out.

Woods leads the team with 42 catches for 493 yards including the three catches for 41 yards he had Sunday prior to the injury. But the Bills were willing to give the Bengals the underneath as they condensed the field without the threat of Green going vertical.

Although the stat sheet credited him with only four tackles, Williams disrupted many a play with his relentless pursuit of quarterback and ballcarriers. The Bills snapped a four-game streak of allowing teams to complete a 50-yard pass. Buffalo has an NFL-high 30 sacks, and also has given up seven passes of 50 yards or longer.The Bengals are trying to reach the playoffs for the sixth straight season and finally win a game – their streak of 25 years without a postseason victory is the sixth-longest in National Football League history. Longtime Cincinnati kicker Mike Nugnet would miss the extra point, the first of two point afters he would go on to miss on the day.

Gilmore’s return was stopped just short of the goal line, coming back to haunt the Bills. Until their unsuccessful last-minute drive against soft coverage (which featured nothing but Dalton dumpoffs), the Bengals gained 37 yards on five possessions, all of which ended in punts. But we knew they had time and would have a chance at the end.

Offensively, the Bengals are averaging 20.9 points and 395.4 total yards (275.1 in passing and 120.2 in rushing) per game.

The first came after an Andy Dalton 2-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Nugent also missed an extra point and a field goal during a 27-27 tie with Washington on October 30 in London. He was 19 for 27 for 166 yards, but threw an interception and could have had two more.

But the real stars of this game could be found on the Bills defense, especially in the second half.

The Cincinnati Bengals might have to make their final push without their top player.

Boyd’s first career touchdown catch came with three minutes remaining in the first half to put the Bengals ahead 12-10.

While Nugent struggled, the Bills field goal unit made the difference in this game.

The Bills can win any and all of those games.