Bills vs. Bengals Divisional Round Preview: Major Stakes, Immense Respect
With a trip to the AFC Championship game on the line, the Buffalo Bills host the Cincinnati Bengals in a highly-anticipated Divisional Round matchup from Highmark Stadium on Sunday.
These are conference rivals eager to end the other's season ... and also compassionate teams who respect one another greatly after a shared experience.
It is a rematch from the cancelled Week 17 game, in light of Damar Hamlin’s terrifying on-field collapse. With Hamlin now back in Buffalo after his terrifying incident against the Bengals, there's a sense of relief - but also plenty of added motivation for the Bills, who are on a quest for their first-ever Super Bowl title. Buffalo finished the regular season with a 13-3 record, good for the No. 2 seed in the AFC.
The matchup is highlighted by two superstar, MVP-candidate quarterbacks in Buffalo's Josh Allen and Cincinnati's Joe Burrow. During the regular season, Burrow ranked second in the league in passing yards, while Allen ranked sixth in yards per game. Which offense will rise to the occasion against two top-10 defenses?
The game also features impressive winning streaks: Buffalo's eight-game winning streak vs. the Bengals' nine-game streak. The Bills have won four straight home playoff games.
IMPORTANT INJURY NOTE: Micah Hyde has come a long way back from the injury he sustained in September, to the point his 21-day window is open ... But Hyde is not quite ready and will not play against the Bengals.
WHO: Buffalo Bills (13-3) Cincinnati Bengals (12-4)
ODDS: The Bills are 4.5-point favorites vs. the Bengals
GAME TIME: Sunday, January 22, 2023 at 3:00 p.m. EST
LOCATION: Highmark Stadium (Orchard Park, New York)
TV/RADIO: CBS | WGR 550
THE FINAL WORD: For years, Rob Gronkowski was an AFC East thorn in the Bills' side. But now he's joining 'Bills Mafia:'
"OK, now I’m retired again, so I wanna bring this back up,'' Gronk said on the "New Heights podcast with fellow NFL players Jason and Travis Kelce. "I’m kind of a Buffalo Bills fan now, again.''
“Now that I’m not playing no more,'' Gronk said, "I’m like, ‘Dang.’ And I thought about it, how cool that would be to play for the Buffalo Bills."
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