In a matchup that features two of the most talented quarterbacks in the National Football League, Josh Allen and the 8-4 Buffalo Bills will be playing host to Joe Burrow and the 4-8 Cincinnati Bengals. The Bills might be in the thick of the playoff hunt, but the Bengals are also trying to keep their postseason hopes alive as they aim to keep pace with the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Needless to say, this game could greatly impact how the rest of the season unfolds for both of these squads.

After a disappointing Week 12 loss to the Houston Texans, Buffalo returned to the win column with a convincing victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, 26-7. The Bills were able to lean on the ground game, which gashed the Steelers for 249 rushing yards, the most rushing yards allowed by a team visiting Pittsburgh in 50 years.

“I mean, [it was an] unbelievable job. Obviously, [we] worked real hard game-planning-wise. It's a credit to our offensive staff,” said Josh Allen after the win. “But them going out there and doing their job. I heard we set a record for rushing yards in this stadium, which is so cool. I'm so proud of both those guys. They continue to work extremely hard. They've both been kind of like the jumbo tackles for us that have been in and out of the lineup. It was very, very cool to see them get their opportunity tonight, and they took advantage of it.”

When we think of the Bills, we typically think of Josh Allen and the passing attack. In reality, Buffalo's offense thrives on the ground game, which ranks first in the NFL as of Thursday, December 4th, 2025 (155.7 rushing yards per game).

“I think number one is having Josh Allen as your quarterback. And that's not to discredit any of our players, but when you play Josh Allen, you're always gonna want to stop Josh Allen in the pass game first, and so I think that that's a huge element,” explained offensive coordinator Joe Brady. “Our guys understanding the scheme, understanding the detail, and working together with it. The only way for the run game to work is for everybody being on the same page and understand the combinations. We have a lot of the guys doing the same things together, and that continuity helps. Our guys have the confidence and the understanding - all the receivers [and] tight ends - that if it's a game that we have to run the ball for 45 minutes, and we can have success doing it, we're going to keep doing it.”

Defensively, the Buffalo will face the daunting task of having to contain the wide receiver duo of Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Together, they average 140.5 receiving yards per game.

“He’s (Ja’Marr Chase) gotta good connection with the quarterback. Got good ball skills, good route runner. So, he's a well-talented guy,” said Bills cornerback Christian Benford. “[Tee Higgins is] another good route runner. Good ball skills. Can go up and get it. His size plays a good part in that.”

On the other side, the Cincinnati Bengals kept their season alive with a dominant defensive performance. Cincy shut down the Ravens for a 32-14 win that featured five Baltimore turnovers.

“That was, kind of, the first all-around game we've played all season, it felt like. Wasn't perfect by any means, but road divisional wins on Thursday nights, nonetheless, never come easy,” said Bengals head coach Zac Taylor during the postgame press conference. “[It] started with our defense. The five turnovers, just getting them off the field, giving our offense great field position, getting stops in huge moments when they had a chance to gain some momentum… [I] couldn't be prouder of those guys. And then, offense picked it up in the second half with some of the touchdowns. Evan McPherson, coming up big, six field goals on a day that's not a perfect day. It's a cold day. It's a little windy. I thought he hung in there and did a great job for us. So, [I’m] really proud of our team.”

Week 13 also marked the return of Joe Burrow to the lineup. He had been out of action with a foot injury since Cincy's 31-27 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on September 14th. Last Thursday, Burrow threw for 261 yards and two touchdowns in the win.

“It's a lot of fun to watch Joe Burrow play football,” Zac Taylor laughed. “You could feel him get into a rhythm. Statistically, it's not the best game that we've ever had as an offense, but just you could feel the rhythm he was in, the confidence he was in. You could see him move around. The scramble, even though it was for four or five yards, I think it was good for everybody to see.”

As we've come to expect, Joe Burrow kept his cool while speaking to members of the media after the game. Though he said he wished he had performed better, he was just happy to return to the football field.

“It felt great, obviously,” Burrow said. “Had to knock some rust off there in the first half. So, I expect myself to play better, but it was great to be back out there. A lot of emotions running through it at the end of the game. It's just good to be back with the guys.”

Everybody knows that there is a lot to keep track of in the race for the AFC North, with Pittsburgh and Baltimore not only tied in terms of record but also going head-to-head this weekend. Regardless, Zac Taylor is focusing on what his team can control, which is getting ready for the Bills.

“We have our messaging each week that we follow, and I've never felt the need to make sure that we're just focused on the week. I think those guys have done a really good job of doing that. That's the most critical point, is just we’ve got to play Buffalo, need to win the game, and worry about the rest after that,” Zac Taylor said on Monday. “It's exciting to know there's still opportunity there, but you just have to take it week-to-week. Us beating Baltimore has nothing to do with how we're going to play against Buffalo. Our guys understand that.”

Prediction for Cincinnati Bengals @ Buffalo Bills (-5.5)

The Bengals' defense will once again be the team's downfall. Buffalo comes into this game with the number-one rushing attack in the NFL, while Cincinnati has the second-worst run defense in the league (153.3 yards allowed per game). The effectiveness of the ground game will allow the Bills to control the clock and the pace of the game. Plus, it seems highly unlikely that the Bengals will be able to force five turnovers again, let alone four fumbles. Week 13 was an anomaly. On top of that, Buffalo ranks sixth in passer rating allowed (80.9), so Joe Burrow will not be as good this weekend as he was on Thanksgiving.

Prediction: Bills 27 - 23 Bengals

How to watch Cincinnati Bengals @ Buffalo Bills (-5.5)

Bengals @ Bills starts at 1:00 p.m. EDT at Highmark Stadium. You can watch it on Fox or stream it via the Fox Sports app or YouTube TV.

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