The 2025 Buffalo Bills season has been written, but the book is incomplete. Before we cast our full attention toward the 2026 season, let’s take one last glance back over our shoulder for our annual look at the Plays That Defined the prior campaign.
For any newcomers, first and foremost; Welcome! When it comes to the “rules” of this exercise, we’re not voting for our favorite highlight necessarily, but the one that best captures the essence of the game. Put differently, if you had to choose just one play
to show someone to explain as much of the contest as possible, which would you choose?
Week 14; Cincinnati Bengals at Buffalo Bills
Buffalo had just oxidized the Steelers to move to 8 – 4. Up next were the 4 – 8 Cincinnati Bengals. While the record suggested a pushover, the struggling felines had been without quarterback Joe Burrow for most of the season. Returning to action the week prior, Cincinnati had ripped apart the Baltimore Ravens with their newly returned leader.
In Buffalo, both teams repeatedly found themselves racking up points. In the end, the difference was a fourth quarter flurry by Buffalo, with points from both the offense and defense. Down 10 to start the fourth quarter, Buffalo kicked into high gear and in what seemed like moments went up by 11. The Bengals tried to fight back, but in a game where the last team with the ball seemed destined to win, the Bills made sure it was them.
Bengals third-down conversion (Q1; 13:38)
The Buffalo Bills were VERY good in this game forcing third downs, with the Bengals facing 12 of them in total. The Bills were NOT very good once they reached this point however, allowing 10 of those third downs to be converted. This was the first of many, and it helped the Bengals establish an early lead by scoring touchdowns on their first three drives.
Khalil Shakir touchdown (Q2; 7:36)
Buffalo wasn’t too shabby on third downs either for the record, converting six of 11. If you’re into math, that means Buffalo winded up facing five fourth downs. They went for it on four of those, and kicked a field goal on the fifth. Of the four attempts, they converted three of them, scoring two touchdowns. This is the more impressive, but the second half touchdown to Jackson Hawes should be mentioned as well. How Josh Allen got this to Khalil Shakir is beyond me and I watched this frame-by-frame.
Josh Allen touchdown (Q4; 7:41)
Buffalo asserted themselves in the running game, but James Cook didn’t have gaudy stats. Who did though? Josh Allen, with a lot of his day skewed by this massive run for a score. Down by ten and midway through the last quarter, the Bills needed a boost and this sure as heck did the trick. Back within three, Buffalo just needed to find an answer to the Bengals offense.
Christian Benford pick six (Q4; 5:35)
At this point in the game, the Bengals had the ball six times. They scored touchdowns on four of those and punted twice. It wasn’t that the Bills hadn’t stopped them at all, but to say it was a struggle would be an understatement. Credit then to Christian Benford for reading the play perfectly and coming up with the ball for a 63-yard pick six. This put Buffalo ahead for the first time in the game. After kicking off following this score, the undaunted Bengals came right back out throwing. And immediately Joe Burrow was picked off again. The Bills capitalized on that six plays later to go up by 11.
Josh Allen ices the game (Q4; 1:54)
The Bengals were able to cut into the Bills’ lead with another touchdown. Thanks to a fumble on the two-point try, Buffalo was still up by five. With about two minutes to go, Buffalo was looking to end the game with a knee but a minimal gain by James Cook was followed by an eight-yard sack of Josh Allen. Now facing 3rd & 15, it looked like Joe Burrow would get another chance with the ball and over a minute to do it. Josh Allen put on his cape again, converted the third down, and shut the door on Cincinnati.
