PITTSBURGH (AP) — Josh Allen threw for a touchdown and ran for another, Joey Bosa sacked Aaron Rodgers to spring Christian Benford for a game-tilting, 17-yard scoop-and-score, and the Buffalo Bills pushed the Pittsburgh Steelers around in a 26-7 victory on Sunday.
Buffalo (8-4) bounced back from a loss at Houston by whipping Pittsburgh (6-6) up front. James Cook ran for 144 yards as the Bills piled up 249 yards on the ground and controlled the clock for nearly 42 minutes inside blustery Acrisure Stadium.
The swirling winds at one of the league’s trickiest venues made passing nearly impossible. Allen completed 15 of 23 for 123 yards with an interception and a 3-yard scoring toss to Keon Coleman, who returned to the active roster after being a healthy scratch the last two weeks due to disciplinary issues.
The reigning MVP essentially put the game away when he bulldozed across the goal line from 8 yards out early in the fourth quarter to give the Bills a 16-point lead. It was the 76th rushing touchdown of Allen’s career, breaking the NFL record for touchdown runs by a quarterback that he briefly shared with Cam Newton.
Missing both starting offensive tackles and facing one of the league’s best pass rushes, the Bills kept it simple. They attacked Pittsburgh’s leaky run defense repeatedly, and whenever Buffalo appeared on the verge of sputtering, Allen extended drives with his legs.
Things didn’t go quite as smoothly for Pittsburgh. Rodgers, playing with a brace protecting his broken left wrist, was largely ineffective and missed the chunk of one drive early in the second half after getting drilled by Bosa on the first play of the third quarter.
Rodgers fumbled on the play, and Benford picked up the loose ball and sprinted to the end zone to turn a 7-3 halftime deficit into a 10-7 lead. The 41-year-old quarterback left the field with a bloody nose.
Mason Rudolph filled in for Rodgers for a series and threw an interception that ended up in Benford’s hands. Buffalo marched 56 yards in eight plays, and Allen’s fourth-down flip to Coleman gave the Bills firm control.
Rodgers returned but finished 10 of 21 for 117 yards as the Steelers lost for the fifth time in seven games while being booed frequently.
Despite the swoon, Pittsburgh remains in a tie with Baltimore for the AFC North lead. The rivals meet twice over the final five weeks.
Buffalo’s hopes of catching AFC East-leading New England remain alive, and the brand of football the Bills displayed in the late-November chill could serve them well down the stretch.
Injuries
Bills: Bosa sustained a hamstring injury in the fourth quarter and did not return with Buffalo leading comfortably.
Steelers: LB Patrick Queen exited late in the first half with a right hip injury and did not return. … CB James Pierre left in the second half after entering the concussion protocol.
Up next
Bills: Host Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals next Sunday.
Steelers: Visit Baltimore next Sunday, hoping to bounce back and take control of the division.
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