As we received the first pictures of pre-game warmups from Buffalo, there was an air of excitement in our Sky Sports studio. Primarily because the host – yours truly – loves a snow game!
What tends to happen, though, is that I get all excited about the prospect of a snow game and then we get a quarter into the action and I am reminded that it is not easy to play football in such weather. That was not the case on Sunday as Josh Allen and Joe Burrow put on a show in a winter wonderland in Western New York. It was a seasonal and festive classic!
Both quarterbacks had sensational stretches of play in a high scoring affair that saw the Buffalo Bills emerge as 39-34 victors over the Cincinnati Bengals. There were periods where they were so good that I began to feel sad that one of them would have to lose this game.
It was a contest that had a real playoff feel to it and the drama never ended. Ironically, it was a pair of Burrow mistakes (and good plays by the Buffalo defense) that turned this game on its head.
The Bengals are an instantly-competitive team with their superstar quarterback at the helm and they led 28-18 with 8:44 remaining following Burrow's third touchdown pass of the snowy day.
But the guy on the other sideline also happens to be a superstar quarterback. Josh Allen pulled the Bills to within three on a 40-yard touchdown run with 7:33 remaining. Then cornerback Christian Benford scored on a stunning 63-yard interception return. The next drive saw Burrow picked off by AJ Epenesa, setting up an Allen touchdown pass to Jackson Hawes. In the blink of an eye, the Bengals had gone from leading by 10 to trailing by 11.
Of course, there was late drama as Burrow threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Tee Higgins with just over two minutes remaining and then Allen faced a third-and-15 on Buffalo's final drive. Failure would have meant Burrow having one more chance to win the thriller. But Allen donned his Superman cape one more time and scrambled 17 yards for the game-ending first down. Of course he did!
Allen was superb. He threw for three touchdowns and rushed for another. And now the Bills are very much alive in the AFC East title race. They are two back from the New England Patriots and they play Mike Vrabel's men in Week 15.
As for the Bengals, they are likely cooked at 4-9. They are three games back from the Pittsburgh Steelers with four to play. The sad part is that they would be such a fun watch in the playoffs now that their talisman is back in action. Their biggest failure came when going 1-8 while trying to keep the season alive for Burrow's return.
We can only hope that Burrow stays healthy for the entirety of the 2026 season because the NFL is a more entertaining proposition with him on the field each weekend.
Who's Hot…
The Houston Texans defense… If defense really can still win championships then the Houston Texans are going to be very dangerous come the AFC playoffs. The Texans have now won five in a row after Sunday's 20-10 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, a win in which they were dominant against Patrick Mahomes, sacking him twice, intercepting him three times, and holding him to just 160 passing yards. There might not be a better defense in the NFL than the Texans, who are strong up front, athletic at the linebacker position, and opportunistic and aggressive in the secondary. They are the complete package and few will want to face them in January.
Matthew Stafford and Puka Nacua… The Los Angeles Rams are the top seed in the NFC following Sunday's 45-17 win over the Arizona Cardinals. It was a victory powered by Matthew Stafford at quarterback and Puka Nacua at wide receiver. Stafford continues to play at an MVP level, throwing three touchdown passes, while Nacua once again showed that he can make every kind of catch in the book. He has safe hands, he's strong, he can take a big hit, he can stretch the field, he's the complete package, catching seven passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns. The Rams can play really good defense, but they can also get into a shootout if necessary and put a lot of points on the board. That makes them the Super Bowl favourite in the NFC… for now.
The Green Bay Packers… The Packers won for the fourth week in a row, and this was a big one, edging out the Chicago Bears 28-21 at Lambeau Field. The victory gives the Packers top spot in the NFC North and control of the division, although they meet the Bears again at Soldier Field on December 20. Jordan Love was very efficient, especially in the first half. He threw three touchdown passes in this game and connected well with his wide receivers. There was enough of a rushing attack with Josh Jacobs when necessary, and he scored the game winner with 3.32 remaining. And Green Bay also showed they can play really good defense. At times they dominated this game and they dug deep at the end with a Keisean Nixon interception in the endzone to secure a huge divisional win against their biggest of rivals.
Who's Not…
The Las Vegas Raiders… The Silver and Black lost for a seventh consecutive week in falling 24-17 to the Denver Broncos on Sunday. It took their record in this miserable season to 2-11 and you really have to wonder what the Raiders have going for them right now? They rushed the ball for just 40 yards, their quarterbacks were sacked four times (Geno Smith was knocked from the game and replaced by Kenny Pickett) and they only have two good players… tight end Brock Bowers on offense and defensive end Maxx Crosby on defense. It feels like they're a million miles away from being competitive. This looked closer than it was because Daniel Carlsen kicked a 46-yard field goal as time expired. What's the point of that? Why not throw the ball into the endzone and try to score a touchdown if you're going to chase points in a losing cause. Just another weird moment for head coach Pete Carroll and his team, who look absolutely lost in the Nevada desert.
The Indianapolis Colts… The season is falling apart at the seams for a Colts team that suffered a fourth defeat out of five on Sunday. During that key 36-19 loss at the Jacksonville Jaguars, Indy lost quarterback Daniel Jones for the remainder of the season to an Achilles injury. It was a sad sight to see as Jones played the first half of the year at an MVP level as the Colts opened 7-1. He now faces a race against time to be fit for the 2026 season opener and his future is also cloudier now as Jones is out of contract heading into the offseason. The Colts have no first-round picks, so likely have to invest in their veteran. That's for down the road. Now, it's over to rookie Riley Leonard to save the season. That feels like a tough ask and even making the playoffs could be difficult for this once-soaring squad.
The Fast Five…
- The Jaguars lead the AFC South with a 9-4 record. That is a significant turnaround for a team that won just four games in 2024. Liam Coen has done an outstanding job in his first year as head coach and has instilled toughness and discipline in his team on both sides of the ball.
- Aaron Rodgers looked sharp and youthful as the Pittsburgh Steelers took over first place in the AFC North with a 27-22 win over the Baltimore Ravens. Pittsburgh had lost five of their previous season and were floundering on offense. But Rodgers threw for284 yards and a touchdown and even ran for a score. At 42, he became the oldest touchdown scorer in Steelers' history.
- The NFC South division is wide open now after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers stubbed their toe with a 24-20 home loss against New Orleans, who were powered by two excellent Tyler Shough touchdown runs. Baker Mayfield threw for just 122 yards in the rain and Tampa have now lost four of five. They dropped to 7-6 and now have the same record as the Carolina Panthers team they will face in Weeks 16 and 18.
- The Miami Dolphins have taken on a more hard-nosed approach while winning five of their last six to improve to 6-7. On Sunday, Miami rushed for 239 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-10 win over the New York Jets, despite losing star running back De'Von Achane to a second quarter rib injury. The Dolphins have now topped 160 rushing yards in four straight games.
- The Washington Commanders lost for the eighth game in a row on Sunday as they were on the wrong end of a 31-0 scoreline against the Minnesota Vikings. It was a game that saw Jayden Daniels knocked to the bench once more and tight end Zach Ertz leave on a cart after suffering a serious knee injury. Dan Quinn's men just need to look after each other, hang in there and go again in 2026. This season has been cursed.
Fact of the Week
Running back Jahmyr Gibbs scored three times during the Detroit Lions' 44-30 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday Night Football. Gibbs tied fellow Lion and Hall of Famer Barry Sanders with the most touchdowns (47) by a player before the age of 24 and in their first three NFL seasons.
Final Thought…
Quarterbacks, running backs and receivers may grab our attention on a weekly basis, but we continue to see that defense still matters in today's NFL. Look at what the Houston Texans have done to the likes of Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes in recent weeks. And the likes of the Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers have all shown that their defenses can play dominant roles in games, even though they are also blessed with star power on offense. And while it may not catch our attention, one of the strengths of the Jacksonville Jaguars is that they feature the NFL's best run defense. They allowed the Colts to rush for just 89 yards on Sunday. Offensive players will continue to grab headlines, but strong defensive plays down the stretch could yet power a Super Bowl run.
