CINCINNATI — Rex Ryan didn’t even try to look casual.
The Bills coach had just seen his team bat down the potential winning touchdown pass in the end zone on the game’s final play as Buffalo held on for a 16-12 victory on Sunday afternoon at Paul Brown Stadium.
That triumph improved the Bills to 5-5 and kept alive their longshot playoff hopes while the Bengals, who have made the post-season five straight seasons, fell to 3-6-1, yet are still closer to a playoff spot than Buffalo as they trail Baltimore and Pittsburgh (both 5-5) by only 1 ½ games in the AFC North.
Still, given the restive attitude of most of the 61,356 fans in attendance, coach Marvin Lewis’s job is growing more and more at risk.
Meanwhile, Ryan was merely relieved.
“Clearly we needed this one,” he said. “I knew it was going to be a dogfight and it could come down to the last play of the game.
“It’s a lot easier to play when there isn’t a penalty every other play (Buffalo was flagged 8 times for 70 yards in the first half) … we kind of fixed that in the second half (1 for 5) and made some adjustments.”
He admitted, “I feel fortunate to win the game (but) we deserved it as well.”
Some would say neither team deserved it.
Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton was awful, going 24-of-43 passing for only 207 yards with a poor 57.0 passer rating while throwing two interceptions to maligned Buffalo cornerback Stephon Gilmore.
Bills’ QB Tyrod Taylor fared a bit better, going 19-of-27 for 166 yards with a pick, but helped offset that with 39 yards on nine carries.
Most of all, though, there was a caveat on his performance. Already without his No. 1 wide receiver, Sammy Watkins (injured reserve, foot), he lost both running back LeSean McCoy, who scored the Bills only touchdown, (thumb), and wideout Robert Woods (knee) to injury in the first half.
“It’s definitely tough,” Taylor said of the loss of Woods and McCoy. “The production those two guys have had this season has definitely been big for us.”
The margin of victory was provided by Buffalo field goal kicker Dan Carpenter who hit three field goals including a 54-yarder, his longest of the season, that put the Bills ahead for good.
“That was as deep as (we were going to try it),” Ryan said. “He came through. The funny thing is that he ran out there without hesitation. I was debating what to do and he answered that question. He was confident and he was really the difference … (it was) a huge, huge kick for us.”
Of course, Bengals fans would also agree that the difference was kicking … but unsuccessfully so.
Cincinnati placekicker Mike Nugent missed both extra points, a dynamic that set the Bengals up to have to score a touchdown to win, rather than attempt a field goal for a win or tie.
Lewis blamed only one miss on Nugent, pinning the other on a bad snap.
“Most of the time Mike makes those,” he lamented, “but today he didn’t.”
Buffalo’s defense had a big hand in the victory.
It held the Bengals’ ground game to only 93 yards and kept Dalton in check, right down to cornerbacks Ronald Darby and Nickell Robey-Coleman batting away that last-play pass.
“We knew it was going to be a tough game,” Taylor said. “We didn’t know how many points we were going to score … but we knew it was going to come down to a couple of plays.
“The defense took the challenge of a very explosive offense … a team that has a bunch of playmakers. They played very well and got us the ball back.”
In the second half, Buffalo held the Bengals to four three-and-outs in six possessions.
Meanwhile the offense survived on the running of Taylor and backup tailbacks Mike Gillislee and rookie Jonathan Williams.
“They gave us everything they’ve got,” Ryan said of that trio. “That’s what everybody on this team gives you … and that was good enough today. Hopefully, we’ll be good enough going forward.”
And the defense, especially the secondary, which has been criticized much of this season, stepped up.
“Guys played well today,” safety Corey Graham said. “We play defensive back … you either make it or miss it. It’s a game of inches and over the last few weeks a lot of balls went (the opponent’s) way. Today the balls went our way.”
Of the last drive, when the Bengals went 58 yards in 12 plays, getting to the Buffalo 27 with three seconds left, needing a touchdown, Graham said, “We were playing conservative so obviously they were going to get plays … get checkdowns. That’s what you give away with that defense. We were trying to take away the deep ball. But we knew they had time and would have a chance at the end.
“We had the lead and needed a touchdown to beat us. You can’t allow someone to score a touchdown and lose the game. It was on our shoulders, and we want that. We were glad to go out there and get it done.”
And, on this day, they did.
-Olean Times Herald
