Josh Allen delivered another barnstorming performance with two rushing touchdowns as the Buffalo Bills handed the Detroit Lions only their second defeat of the season with a 48-42 NFL victory at Ford Field on Sunday.
The blockbuster clash between the two high-scoring potential Super Bowl contenders did not disappoint, with Bills quarterback Allen once again underscoring his credentials as the front-runner for this season’s Most Valuable Player award.
Allen, who rushed for three touchdowns and threw three more in Buffalo’s defeat to the Los Angeles Rams last week, was in commanding form with 362 passing yards from 23-of-34 attempts.
Bills running back James Cook also played a key role with two touchdowns and 105 rushing yards, which included one 41-yard sprint to the end zone in the second half.
Although Buffalo were always in control after racing into an early 14-0 lead in the first quarter, Detroit’s offense kept the Lions in touch, with quarterback Jared Goff throwing five touchdowns and 494 passing yards in a game that saw the two teams combine for nearly 1,100 yards of offense.
The Bills improved to 11-3 with the win, while Detroit fell to 12-2, to leave the Lions tied in the NFC with the Philadelphia Eagles, who defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-13 on Sunday.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts threw for 290 yards with two touchdowns and rushed for one more to set up the Philadelphia win.
– Mahomes injury scare –
In other games, Patrick Mahomes threw for two touchdowns but suffered a late injury scare as the Kansas City Chiefs eased to a 21-7 win over the Cleveland Browns.
Chiefs quarterback Mahomes limped off the field midway through the fourth quarter of a win that leaves Kansas City on 13-1 and on course to secure post-season home-field advantage.
Mahomes was uncertain as to the severity of the injury but said he could have played on if needed.
“Usually you have to wait until the day after to get a good sense of it,” Mahomes said. “I could have finished the game in different circumstances.”
In other games on Sunday, Lamar Jackson threw five touchdowns in a dazzling performance as the Baltimore Ravens outclassed the New York Giants 35-14.
Jackson finished with 290 passing yards after completing 21-of-25 passes to help Baltimore improve to 9-5 for the season. The Giants fell to 2-12 with the loss.
Elsewhere, the Houston Texans clinched the AFC South after a 20-12 win over the Miami Dolphins was followed by the Indianapolis Colts’ 31-13 defeat on the road game against the Denver Broncos.
In New Orleans, the Washington Commanders hung on for a nail-biting 20-19 victory over the Saints. The Saints looked poised to snatch a win or force overtime after Foster Moreau’s last-gasp touchdown left New Orleans just one point behind at 20-19.
But a New Orleans bid for a two-point conversion failed, allowing Washington to sneak victory.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, meanwhile, boosted their hopes of winning the NFC South with an emphatic 40-17 rout of the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium in California.
Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield threw four touchdowns and finished with 288 passing yards in a win that lifted the 2021 Super Bowl champions to 8-6.
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