'Sloppy' Bills Drop in Power Rankings as Bengals Matchup Looms
With a ticket to the AFC Championship on the line, the Buffalo Bills host the Cincinnati Bengals in the Divisional Round on Sunday afternoon.
It is a rematch from the cancelled Week 17 game, in light of Damar Hamlin’s terrifying on-field collapse. Hamlin has now been released from the hospital and traveled back to Buffalo after suffering from cardiac arrest.
The matchup features elite offenses and impressive winning streaks: Buffalo's eight-game winning streak vs. the Bengals' nine-game streak. The Bills have won four straight home playoff games.
The Bills are one of eight NFL teams left with a chance to make it to Super Bowl XLVII in Glendale, Arizona. Buffalo finished the regular season with a 13-3 record, good for the No. 2 seed in the AFC. The Bills snuck out a win over the Miami Dolphins, while the Bengals beat the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card Round.
Buffalo and defending AFC champion Cincinnati face off on Sunday from Highmark Stadium. Here is how Bleacher Report ranked the Bills and Bengals heading into the Divisional Round.
Buffalo at No. 3, dropping from No. 2:
The Bills were supposed to high-step their way into the Divisional Round. Instead, Buffalo was fighting just to stay in the tourney against a Dolphins team playing its third-string quarterback. The Bills managed to advance with a 34-31 win in Orchard Park, but the sloppy play in all phases must be addressed posthaste.
"I mean, the turnovers, they hurt us," Josh Allen said. "Really let them back in the game. Up 17-0 with chances, and I give them the ball two times and give them a touchdown -- it's just things you can't do. And you can't expect to win like that, so some stuff to clean up." The Dolphins converted Allen's three turnovers into 18 points. If the quarterback is similarly generous against the Bengals on Sunday, the Bills are going home.
Cincinnati at No. 4:
In the bad old days, January football for the Bengals was ground zero for heartache and disappointment. In the Joe Burrow era, it feels like the glory days. Cincinnati had its latest massive playoff moment courtesy of the unforgettable 98-yard fumble return touchdown by Sam Hubbard that allowed the home team to escape with a 24-17 win over the hated Ravens. "Run faster, Sam! Get there!" Burrow said afterward, relaying his inner monologue in the moment. "He actually did look pretty fast, surprisingly."
The 6-foot-5, 265-pound lineman was fast: Per Next Gen Stats, Hubbard reached a top speed of 17.43 mph on the return, the third-fastest speed by a defensive lineman as a ball-carrier this season. Up next? A titanic showdown with the Bills, with a trip to the AFC Championship Game on the line.
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
Full Divisional Round Schedule:
Saturday, Jan. 21
AFC: 4:30 p.m. (ET) (4) Jacksonville Jaguars at (1) Kansas City Chiefs (NBC, Peacock, Universo, NFL+)
NFC: 8:15 p.m. (ET) (6) New York Giants at (1) Philadelphia Eagles (FOX, FOX Deportes, NFL+)
Sunday, Jan. 22
AFC: 3:00 p.m. (ET) (3) Cincinnati Bengals at (2) Buffalo Bills (CBS, Paramount+, NFL+)
NFC: 6:30 p.m. (ET) (5) Dallas Cowboys at (2) San Francisco 49ers (FOX, FOX Deportes, NFL+)
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