The Bengals’ offense was in full swing as the Cincinnati club defeated the Buffalo Bills 27-10 in a playoff showdown at Highmark Stadium on Sunday night.
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In wintry conditions and persistent rain, the team from Ohio secured their ticket for the American final. There, the Bengals meet the Kansas City Chiefs, whom they defeated in that duel with no future in January 2022.
In their daytime games, the Cincinnati offense cleared the ball twice in nine on-field appearances. Quarterback Joe Burrow finished his duel with 26 completions on 36 attempts for 242 yards and two touchdowns.
Running back Joe Mixon was no problem after running for 105 yards and crossing the goal line once in 20 carries. He also caught two passes for 18 yards.
The Bengals committed no turnovers, conceded only one quarterback sack, and conceded only two penalties. The Bills were more unruly and mostly never able to establish their base game.
Quarterback Josh Allen scored the lone crowd favorite on a one-yard run in the second quarter. He completed 25 of 42 stints for 264 yards. In the final moments of the game, he also became the victim of a theft.
Damar Hamlin at Highmark Stadium
Safety Damar Hamlin visited his Buffalo Bills teammates before the playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Highmark Stadium on Sunday.
The one who suffered cardiac arrest on January 2 against the same Bengalis also took part in the duel. The audience gave him a loud ovation in the first half.
In the first quarter of the ultimately abandoned game, Hamlin collapsed to the ground after contact with a wide receiver. He was resuscitated in midfield before being taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. A week later, he was transferred to a Buffalo hospital and released a few days later.
This week, Bill’s head coach Sean McDermott said Hamlin has begun visiting his team’s facilities regularly.
“He’s trying to get back into a routine and reacclimatize. It’s step by step, one small step at a time,” McDermott said Wednesday.