"Bills Defeat Buccaneers 24-18 | Game Summary, Key Moments, and Notable Statistics"
On Thursday Night Football, Josh Allen is still unbeaten after leading the Buffalo Bills to a 24–18 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Allen finished with 324 passing yards and two touchdowns on 78 percent of his attempts completed. Shortly after the release, his pass was tipped, and he intercepted the ball.
Allen recorded 41 running yards and a rushing touchdown on seven carries in addition to his performance in the air. When needed, Allen reacted quickly to avoid contact by slipping when necessary.
Beginner tight end Since Dawson Knox and Quintin Morris are still recovering from injuries, Dalton Kincaid was the only tight end who was active on the game day roster. With five receptions for 65 yards and his first-ever touchdown, Kincaid finished the game.
Sideline Access | Bills vs. Bucs | TE Dalton Kincaid's first NFL touchdown
By the end of the second quarter, Kincaid had beaten his defender to the touchdown zone after Allen had taken the snap at the Tampa Bay 22-yard line and rolled right. Reaching out and holding onto the ball that will probably go up on Kincaid's mantle, the 24-year-old celebrated his first career score by jumping into the stands.
The Bills offense scored ten points in the first half of the three games prior to Thursday night. They scored 17 on Thursday. After Buffalo's opening drive, Tyler Bass put them ahead with a 37-yard field goal, one week after missing two attempts. After that touchdown, Buffalo never trailed.
In the first half, Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers offense were effectively contained by the Bills defense and special teams groups. On their second drive of the game, the Bucs drove into Buffalo territory, but defensive end Shaq Lawson deflected Chase McLauglin's field goal attempt to prevent the Bucs from scoring.
The Bills offense heated up in the second quarter after failing to find the end zone in the first. From the Tampa Bay 13-yard line, Allen had a wide open window in the red zone. The quarterback chose to hold it himself for a touchdown run. It was his fifth touchdown run of the season.
The first points of the game for Tampa Bay came when McLaughlin knocked the 57-yard field goal through the posts. Mayfield, who was starting to heat up for the Bucs, connected receiver Chris Godwin for a big gain.
On the opening play of the third quarter, Allen found Kincaid for an eighteen-yard gain, going right back to him. After an effective nine plays, Allen found Gabe Davis for a short pass that resulted in their final touchdown of the day.
There were six straight punts as neither team could muster a scoring drive. Punter Sam Martin of the Bills dropped two punts inside the 5-yard line and three of his four attempts inside the 10-yard line.
Cam Lewis attempted a great play to bring the ball down after his last punt bounced up, but it rolled into the end zone for a touchback.
Late in the game, following a lengthy drive that resulted in a touchdown reception from Mike Evans and a successful two-point conversion, Tampa Bay posed a threat to Buffalo's lead. The Bucs attempted a Hail Mary after Mayfield drove them to their own 45-yard line after Buffalo was forced to punt.
The ball landed on the blue turf of the Bills end zone, where it was intercepted by a huddle of Bucs receivers and Bills defenders, ending the game.
The Bills now have a 5-3 record on the year. They will play the Bengals at 8:20 p.m. on Sunday in Cincinnati.
Josh Allen | Buffalo Bills: "Our Guys Came Out Ready To Play"
Important Data and Information to Be Aware of:
Josh Allen equaled quarterback Dan Marino for the second-most touchdowns in a player's first six seasons with 199 after scoring three touchdowns overall in Thursday's victory. With twenty-four, only Patrick Mahomes has more.
With his 43rd career rushing touchdown, Allen equaled Steve Young for the second-most by an NFL quarterback. Cam Newton has the most yards of any quarterback at 75.
In his career, Allen is presently 6-0 while playing on Thursdays. Prior to the Bucs' setback tonight, Mayfield had a perfect record on Thursday Night Football.
With 65 yards gained, Dalton Kincaid played a significant role in the Bills' passing attack. This season, Kincaid has caught 30 of 34 targets, which is the highest catch percentage of any rookie and is sixth overall in the NFL.
Ed Oliver's season-high sack in the second quarter was tied with his own, established in 2019. The Bills defensive tackle, who was sidelined due to a toe injury last week, finished with two tackles overall.
Since 2020, Allen has thrown the most throwing touchdowns in the NFL (18) on scrambles outside the tackle box to the right side of the formation, including his toss to Kincaid.
With nine receptions, fourth-year receiver Gabe Davis set a career high. Six was his previous best, achieved three times.
Josh Allen | Buffalo Bills: "Our Guys Came Out Ready To Play"
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Walter Wippert
SCORING SECTIONS:
8:04 1Q | Tyler Bass hits a 37-yard field goal that is GOOD as BUF 3 TB 0.
11:03 2Q | Josh Allen up the middle for 13 yards, TOUCHDOWN; BUF 10 TB 0.
7:40 2Q | BUF 10 TB 3 | Good field goal by Chase McLaughlin from 57 yards out
6:46 Second Quarter | BUF 10 TB 10 | Baker Mayfield to Chris Godwin short middle for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN
2:40 into the second quarter | BUF 17 TB 10 | Josh Allen to Dalton Kincaid, short right pass, for 22 yards, TOUCHDOWN
10:40 third quarter | BUF 24 TB 10 | Josh Allen to Gabe Davis short left for 4 yards, TOUCHDOWN
2:44 4Q | TB 17 BUF 24 A long left toss from Baker Mayfield to Mike Evans goes 24 yards for a touchdown. The Baker Mayfield pass to Cade Otten is finished, and the two-point attempt is successful.