Josh Allen Shines as Bills Beat Bucs 24-18 on TNF
The Buffalo Bills earned a big 24-18 road victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football. Quarterback Josh Allen led the way for Buffalo, throwing for 324 yards and 2 touchdowns while also rushing for 41 yards and another score.
Allen remained perfect on Thursday nights, improving to 6-0 in his career. He made key plays with both his arm and legs to help the Bills (5-3) take down Tom Brady's former team in Tampa.
Rookie Kincaid Has Breakout Game
Rookie tight end Dalton Kincaid had a breakout performance, catching 5 passes for 65 yards and the first touchdown of his career. His TD grab in the second quarter on a throw from a scrambling Allen gave Buffalo a 17-3 lead going into halftime.
Kincaid was pressed into expanded duty with injuries to fellow tight ends Dawson Knox and Quintin Morris. The rookie out of Utah stepped up in a big way, showing impressive chemistry with Allen on several key receptions.
Defense Contains Bucs Attack
The Bills defense also came up big on the road, sacking Bucs QB Baker Mayfield twice and forcing a missed field goal in the first half. Mayfield heated up in the second half with touchdown passes to receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, but it wasn't enough for Tampa Bay.
Defensive end Shaq Lawson tipped a field goal attempt to keep the Bucs off the board early. Linebacker Matt Milano led the team with 8 tackles, while Ed Oliver added a sack in his return from injury.
What This Win Means for Buffalo
Buffalo's road victory keeps them in first place in the tight AFC East race at 5-3. The Miami Dolphins and New York Jets are right behind at 5-3, while the New England Patriots sit at 4-4.
The Bills will face another big test next Sunday night when they take on the defending AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals on the road. It will be a clash of AFC favorites that could have playoff seeding implications.
This was an important bounce-back win for Buffalo after back-to-back losses to the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings. Allen and the offense found their groove again, while the defense limited big plays from the talented Bucs attack.
The victory showed the Bills are still one of the top contenders in the AFC. They'll look to keep rolling against the Bengals on Sunday night.
