Josh Allen shows why he's reigning MVP, other observations from Bills' Week 14 win

It feels like every week is now a must win for the Bills, and against the Bengals, Josh Allen was elite, and the defense rose up when they absolutely had to.

Buffalo Bills cornerback Christian Benford (47) runs the ball for a touchdown after an interception against the Cincinnati Bengals. | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

The last time the Buffalo Bills defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, Andy Dalton was the opposing quarterback, and it was Josh Allen's first start against them.

The year was 2019, and the Bills won 21-17 on a go-ahead touchdown by Frank Gore with less than two minutes remaining in the game. Since then, the Bills dropped back-to-back games, including an embarrassing 27-10 playoff loss nearly three years ago.

Allen and the Bills were able to get that Bengals monkey off their back with a stress-filled 39-34 win on a snowy afternoon at Highmark Stadium. Allen was fantastic, and the Bills' defense made a couple of clutch plays late in the game, after quarterback Joe Burrow and the Bengals had their way with the Bills' defense for most of the day. Let's start there, with the Bills' defense.

Opportunistic defense came through

Buffalo Bills safety Jordan Poyer dives under Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown, bringing him down during first-half action. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Bengals have one of the league's best collections of offensive talent, and Burrow was carving up the Bills' secondary throughout the game with that talent. Wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and tight end Mike Gesicki combined for 17 receptions, 222 yards and three touchdowns. Burrow finished with 284 yards and four touchdowns.

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The Bills' defense held their own against the run, allowing only 62 yards and a 3.3 yards per carry average, but with the way Burrow was slinging it, the Bengals didn't need to run it much. Still, in the fourth quarter, cornerback Christian Benford turned the tide with a timely pick-six of Burrow. On the Bengals' ensuing drive, defensive tackle Jordan Phillips tipped Burrow's pass, and defensive end A.J. Epenesa was there for another Bills interception.

Josh Allen reminds everyone he's still reigning MVP

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen runs for a first down during second-half action at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Dec. 7, 2025. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

All the talk over the past month or more has been about quarterbacks Drake Maye and Matthew Stafford playing at MVP levels, and they are the front-runners for the award. Allen is still the reigning MVP, and his performance against the Bengals served as a reminder to everyone. Was this performance enough to put him back into the MVP conversation, maybe, but more importantly, the Bills picked up another win.

Allen completed 22 of 28 passes in the snow, 251 yards passing, and three touchdowns. He added another 78 yards on the ground and a touchdown. Allen's 34 total touchdowns are second only to Stafford's 35, and he's showing once again that no matter who's on the Bills roster, as long as he's behind center, the Bills will always be a dangerous team.

No Joey Bosa, no Ed Oliver, no Michael Hoecht, no pass rush

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow runs away from Buffalo Bills defensive end AJ Epenesa and gets off a pass during first-half action. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Burrow threw 36 passes, but the Bills' defensive pass rush was nearly non-existent on those pass attempts. The only sack came from Christian Benford on a corner blitz, and the defense hit Burrow only five times. They also produced only two tackles for a loss.

The Bills need Joey Bosa back as soon as possible, but also need to keep him healthy for a potential playoff push. It's also a possibility that defensive tackle Ed Oliver could get back in time for the playoffs. This Bills defense desperately needs these guys on the field and to start generating pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

Bills WRs non-existent, but at least they have tight ends

Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid (86) runs with the ball in the third quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Allen completed 22 passes against the Bengals, and only seven of those went to wide receivers, and none of them had more than two receptions. As a unit, the Bills' receivers were only targeted nine times, for 69 yards, but Shakir had an early touchdown. The lack of talent in the Bills' receiver room has been a hot topic all season, but at least they have some tight ends who can make plays.

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Bills' tight ends Dalton Kincaid, Dawson Knox, and rookie Jackson Hawes combined for 11 receptions,137 yards and two touchdowns on 13 targets. Allen had 28 pass attempts, and nearly half of them went to tight ends. This is who the Bills are in 2025. If they are going to make a run in the playoffs, the offense will go through the tight ends and running back James Cook.

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