ORCHARD PARK, New York − For all the flaws of the 2025 Cincinnati Bengals, the meaningful portion of the season effectively ended in one of the most unlikely ways: With the ball in quarterback Joe Burrow’s hands.
The Bengals (4-9) came to play the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium with faint hope for a playoff push still flickering. They played the Bills on Dec. 7 in a manner befitting of a team desperate to right a season plagued by ineffective defense and a rotating cast of quarterbacks following Burrow’s Week 2 injury. The Bengals led by 10 points in the fourth quarter and seemed to be in control.
But with the lead later whittled down to three points at the 7:33 mark in the quarter, the Bengals’ signal-caller unleashed uncharacteristic interceptions on back-to-back plays. The loss wasn’t all on Burrow’s shoulders, but the game was gone for good after the second of his two turnovers.
Fourteen seconds of game clock elapsed between the two Burrow interceptions. That sequence was the difference in the game, an eventual 39-34 Bills victory. The defeat also joined a growing list of agonizing Bengals losses that will define a year that started 2-0 and with expectations of Super Bowl contention.
A ‘great play’ ignites the Bills’ comeback
The first interception stunned Highmark Stadium. The Bengals were driving and looking to respond to Bills quarterback Josh Allen’s 40-yard touchdown run that made the score 28-25.
Buffalo called a corner blitz and cornerback Christian Benford came careening into the Cincinnati backfield. Burrow attempted to lob a short pass over Benford.
“Could have thrown it higher? I guess, but the linebacker was running out there underneath of it,” Burrow said. “So, if I threw it higher, he might have gotten involved, too.”
Benford ripped the ball down and returned it 63 yards for a touchdown. The Bengals trailed for the first time all day at 32-28.
“We know they’re doing everything they can to protect the football,” Cincinnati linebacker Oren Burks said. “That’s how the ball bounces.”
Burrow, who acknowledged his pass was heading toward traffic, and head coach Zac Taylor both praised Benford for his interception.
“We were in a great spot and I thought (Benford) just made an outstanding play,” Taylor said. “That’s a big-time play in this league, and he’s playing with a lot of confidence. You don’t see a lot of guys be able to make that.”
A second turnover condemned Cincinnati to a two-score deficit
With 5:25 to play, Cincinnati was still very much in the game. Receiver Tee Higgins (two receiving touchdowns, six catches, 91 yards) and running back Chase Brown (two total touchdowns, 35 combined yards) were enjoying big days, as was tight end Mike Gesicki (86 yards on six catches and a touchdown).
As explosive as the Bengals’ offense can be, Burrow’s next pass erased a lot of optimism for the final minutes of the contest.
Burrow dropped back, and his attempt was deflected at the line of scrimmage. It fell into the arms of defensive end A.J. Epenesa, who was down at Cincinnati’s 29-yard line.
“Great plays by them,” Burrow said. “Next one, tip ball. Lands right in that guy’s hands. Yeah, good plays by them.”
With the Bills back in scoring position, Allen eventually hit Jackson Hawes on a 3-yard TD reception for a 39-28 lead. With 3:09 remaining in regulation, the deficit at that point proved too much for the Bengals to overcome even though Burrow and Higgins connected on their second touchdown of the game on the next drive.
The fallout from the Bengals’ loss to Bills
Four games remain for the Bengals this season. At 4-9, they are likely to miss the playoffs for a third consecutive year. Unlike the last two years, a winning record is also out of the question as a result of the Dec. 7 loss to Buffalo.
The losing season will be Cincinnati’s first since 2020.
From winning the 2021 AFC Championship, to appearing in the AFC Championship Game in 2022, and then back-to-back 9-8 finishes outside the playoff picture, Cincinnati’s year-to-year backslide is assured of taking another backward step.
What’s left of 2025, Burrow said, will be spent trying to appreciate his opportunities and entertaining those Bengals fans still following the disappointing season.
“Obviously, we’re not where we want to be as a team or an organization (and) 4-9 is not good,” Burrow said. “We got four games to go and show high-level execution. High-level play, playmaking. I’m gonna relish the opportunity to go out and play and … continue to try to put on a show for everybody watching.
“I hope that comes across.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Here’s Joe Burrow’s breakdown of his back-to-back interceptions vs. Buffalo
