Buffalo Bills vs. Cincinnati Bengals Week 14 snap counts

SB Nation

The Buffalo Bills improved their record to 9-4 after beating the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday afternoon at a snowy Highmark Stadium. Buffalo overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit, thanks to scoring

three touchdowns in less than five minutes, and Josh Allen became the first quarterback in NFL history to total 20+ passing touchdowns and 10+ rushing touchdowns in three straight seasons. His 40-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter also marked the longest regular-season rushing touchdown by a quarterback in team history.

Usual injury report suspects such as wide receiver Joshua Palmer, right tackle Spencer Brown, and linebacker Terrel Bernard were unable to suit up yet again. Defensive end Joey Bosa missed his first game of the season due to a hamstring injury.

See the full inactives list here: Buffalo Bills Week 14 inactives vs. the Cincinnati Bengals

Bills Week 14 offensive snap counts (64 snaps)

D.Dawkins T 64 100%
D.Edwards G 64 100%
O.Torrence G 64 100%
R.Van Demark T 64 100%
C.McGovern G 64 100%
J.Allen QB 64 100%
J.Cook RB 48 75%
G.Davis WR 37 58%
T.Shavers WR 36 56%
D.Knox TE 35 55%
J.Hawes TE 34 53%
K.Shakir WR 32 50%
B.Cooks WR 23 36%
D.Kincaid TE 22 34%
K.Coleman WR 18 28%
Ty.Johnson RB 16 25%
R.Gilliam FB 15 23%
R.Davis RB 4 6%

With Spencer Brown sidelined, tackle Ryan Van Demark (100%) logged his third start of the season. He was struggling at times to seal off the right side of the line, but it was enough time for Allen (100%) to work his magic outside of the pocket. Speaking of JA17, he totaled four touchdowns (3 passing, 1 rushing) and was clearly the best football player on the field. He converted multiple fourth downs and showed why you cannot forget to put a QB spy on him, especially in late-game situations or key downs.

Running back James Cook (75%) totaled 101 scrimmage yards on 20 touches but fumbled on the 2-yard line following a 12-play, 70-yard drive that took over seven minutes off the game clock. Cook has fumbled six times and lost three of them since Week 10. Since the bye week, he has averaged 20 carries per game, so it’s clear that the workhorse role is catching up to him. Ty Johnson (25%) nearly took his second carry to the house but slipped in the snow, and Buffalo had to settle for a field goal on its opening drive. Ray Davis (6%) remains the odd man out in the running back room.

Despite Allen nearly doubling his passing yardage from last week, the wide receivers were rather quiet, with Gabe Davis (58%) now leading the wide receiver room in snaps. Davis hauled in both of his targets for 21 yards, both on key downs. It is obvious how much more comfortable Allen plays when he has Davis on the field. Tyrell Shavers (56%) logged one fewer snap than Davis, and while he doesn’t show up in the box score too often, his run-blocking ability is evident and so important to the Bills’ offensive game plan each week. Wideout Khalil Shakir (50%) looked like he was battling some ankle/foot injuries throughout the game, but he came up big for Buffalo’s first touchdown of the game in a magical Allen scramble drill in the red zone. Veteran Brandin Cooks (36%) logged the fourth-most snaps in the wide receiver room, and it is Keon Coleman (28%) who has received the short end of the stick, and deservedly so. It is worth mentioning that many Bills fans who attended the game commented on Coleman’s obvious lack of hustle.

Sunday was certainly the tight end game, with Dawson Knox (55%) leading the way. Knox finished with six receptions for 93 yards and nearly hauled in a touchdown to ice the game, but it was called back following official review. It was all okay, though, as rookie Jackson Hawes (53%) caught his lone target for a three-yard touchdown on the next play. Dalton Kincaid (34%) made his return following a three-game absence and immediately made an impact in the intermediate parts of the field. Kincaid hauled in 4-of-5 targets for 41 yards and a touchdown, while logging just 22 total snaps.

Bills Week 14 defensive snap counts (60 snaps)

S.Thompson LB 60 100%

C.Benford CB 59 98%

Ta.Johnson CB 59 98%

A.Epenesa DE 49 82%

J.Poyer S 47 78%

G.Rousseau DE 45 75%

C.Bishop S 45 75%

M.Milano LB 40 67%

D.Jones DT 37 62%

T.White CB 36 60%

D.Walker DT 26 43%

C.Lewis DB 25 42%

M.Hairston CB 25 42%

J.Phillips DT 24 40%

J.Hancock DB 22 37%

T.Sanders DT 18 30%

L.Ogunjobi DT 15 25%

D.Williams LB 11 18%

M.Fox DE 11 18%

J.Solomon DE 6 10%

Linebacker Shaq Thompson (100%), Buffalo’s new leader on defense, was the only player to log every single defensive snap. While Thompson is 31 years old already, he is still impacting this defense at a high level, especially in the running game. It will be interesting to see how the team handles linebacker splits once Terrel Bernard returns to action. Safety Cole Bishop (75%) exited early due to cramping, and veteran Jordan Poyer (78%) led the team with eight total tackles.

Perhaps it was the snow or simply the fact that Joe Burrow and the Bengals have had the Bills’ number, but man, the defense was so soft throughout the game… until the thing happened. The thing, in this case, was the momentum-shifting 63-yard pick-six in the fourth quarter by cornerback Christian Benford (98%). Benford became the first player in team history to record a defensive touchdown in back-to-back weeks after housing a fumble recovery in Week 13 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Veteran Tre’Davious White (60%) still seems to have the edge over rookie Maxwell Hairston (42%) in terms of snap share, but it is still nice to see the rookie receiving regular run regardless. He had a couple of “welcome to the NFL” moments while trying to guard Cincinnati’s pass-catchers, particularly Tee Higgins.

The defense didn’t slow down after Benford’s game-breaking moment, as edge rusher A.J. Epenesa (82%) intercepted a tipped pass by defensive tackle Jordan Phillips (40%) on the very next possession. Epenesa logged a career-high 82% of the snaps with Joey Bosa sidelined, and he ranks FIRST in Bills history in interceptions among defensive lineman (since the merger) with four. It was nice to see rookie T.J. Sanders (30%) get involved as he works his way back from injury, and Bills fans got their first taste of practice-squad call-up, edge rusher Morgan Fox (18%), who logged just 11 snaps.