The Bills did not play their best against the Browns on Sunday, but were able to come away with a 23-20 victory to keep alive the potential to clinch a postseason berth in Week 16.
While Buffalo went up 23-10 in the third quarter, the Browns scored late in the same period to make the score 23-17. Then the club had several opportunities to tie it or take the lead in the fourth quarter, but Buffalo’s defense came through each time to keep the Bills ahead.
Shedeur Sanders’ intentional grounding penalty late in the fourth quarter put Cleveland well behind the chains on its last opportunity, with the club eventually having to punt.
On the ensuing possession, quarterback Josh Allen took a QB sneak for 2 yards on third-and-1 to seal the victory.
Allen underwent X-rays on his right foot during halftime after suffering an injury late in the second quarter. But he did not end up missing an offensive snap, playing the rest of the game.
Allen’s numbers, however, were not particularly impressive against Cleveland. He was 12-of-19 passing for 130 yards and rushed for 17 yards on seven carries.
James Cook powered the offense with 117 yards on 16 carries with two touchdowns. He had a 44-yard score in the first quarter and a 3-yard TD in the second.
On the other side, Shedeur Sanders finished 20-of-29 for 157 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. He suffered a laceration on his right pinky during the second quarter, but ended up missing just one offensive snap and playing the rest of the game.
Quinshon Judkins, however, suffered a significant leg injury in the first half and had to be carted off the field in an air cast.
Additionally, Myles Garrett was credited for a half-sack on Allen, giving him 22.0 sacks on the 2025 season — a half-sack away from tying the single-season record and a full sack away from breaking it.
With the win, the Bills will now clinch a postseason berth with a Houston loss or tie to Las Vegas later today or an Indianapolis loss or tie on Monday night. At 11-4, Buffalo will face Philadelphia at home next week before finishing the regular season with a home game against the Jets.
The 3-12 Browns will face the Steelers at home before finishing the season on the road against Cincinnati.
