Bills Stampede To Third Straight Division Title | News, Sports, Jobs

Chicago Bears linebacker Joe Thomas (45) tackles Buffalo Payments operating again Devin Singletary (26) within the first half of an NFL soccer sport in Chicago, Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022. (AP Picture/Charles Rex Arbogast)

CHICAGO (AP) — Josh Allen and the Buffalo Payments got here into the season with hovering expectations and their sights set on a deep playoff run.

They earned one huge prize by clinching their third straight division title. It’s simply the subsequent step in what they hope is a path towards their final aim.

Devin Singletary and James Prepare dinner ran for lengthy touchdowns within the third quarter, and the Payments locked up the AFC East title by beating the Bears 35-13 on Saturday in one of many coldest video games performed in Chicago.

Allen ran for a TD and threw for an additional within the sport’s closing minutes after breaking a tie early within the sport with Corridor of Famer Dan Marino for essentially the most touchdowns in a participant’s first 5 NFL seasons. His three TDs within the sport highlighted an in any other case subpar outing, however the Payments (12-3) secured their third straight division title with their sixth win in a row.

“It’s the subsequent development in our aim — playoffs, division title and we all know what the subsequent one is,” Allen mentioned.

Buffalo remained on monitor for the No. 1 seed within the AFC. The Payments and West chief Kansas Metropolis, which beat Seattle, have equivalent information. However Buffalo owns the head-to-head tiebreaker after defeating the Chiefs in October.

“The usual has at all times been playoff caliber, after you set a playoff berth, then it’s championship caliber,” defensive deal with Ed Oliver mentioned. “And championship caliber is successful your division, successful our aspect then clearly taking part in in that sport (Tremendous Bowl) and successful that sport. I simply really feel like there are larger issues on the market.”

Chicago’s Justin Fields threw for 119 yards and a landing. However he ran for a season-low 11 yards after becoming a member of Michael Vick and Lamar Jackson as the one QBs with 1,000 yards dashing final week with the Payments containing him and holding him within the pocket.

“The truth of it’s I’m not going to be operating for like 100 yards a sport,” Fields mentioned. “When a protection does a superb job of taking my legs away, take a defender with me, perhaps take two with me and permit (the operating backs’) legs to work.”

BUNDLE UP

The temperature at kickoff was 9 with a minus-12 wind chill — solely three levels hotter than the report low for a Bears dwelling sport. It was Buffalo’s coldest highway sport by temperature since a minimum of 1967.

A small gathering of bundled-up followers watched because the Bears (3-12) matched a franchise report with their eighth straight loss.

RUNNING AWAY

Singletary ran for 106 yards and have become the primary Payments participant this season to hit triple-digits in a sport. He scored on a 33-yard run on the opening drive of the second half to place Buffalo on prime, a 2-point conversion go from Allen to Khalil Shakir making it 14-10.

Prepare dinner added a career-high 99, together with 27-yarder within the third following a fumble by the Bears’ David Montgomery gave the Payments a 21-10 lead.

Chicago’s Cairo Santos kicked a area aim early within the fourth quarter that Nicholas Morrow arrange by choosing off an ill-advised go. Allen scored from the 4 with just below 4 minutes remaining and threw a 13-yard TD to Dawson Knox with a couple of minute to play.

Allen broke the tie with Marino when he hit Gabe Davis with a 19-yarder within the first quarter. He now has 174 touchdowns — 135 passing, 38 dashing and one receiving.

Allen completed with 172 yards, two TD passes and two interceptions regardless that he was dealing with a short-handed secondary. Together with the interception by Morrow, he received picked off by Kyler Gordon close to the aim line within the second quarter.

“It’s not a lot the chilly because it was the wind,” Allen mentioned. “It simply gusts. You don’t know actually the place it’s coming from. Generally the flags are blowing a method. The following, they’re blowing the alternative approach.”

Stefon Diggs caught simply two passes for 26 yards. He wasn’t focused within the first two quarters regardless that the Bears positioned prime cornerback Jaylon Johnson (ring finger) on Friday.

However even with out huge contributions from their star quarterback and receiver, the Payments racked up 426 yards. They ran for 254 and averaged 8.2 per carry.

Dante Pettis had a landing catch for Chicago. However the Bears joined the 1978 and 2002 squads as the one ones in franchise historical past to drop eight in a row.

CHRISTMAS IN CHICAGO

The Payments had been spending Christmas Eve in Chicago due to the snow in Buffalo. They had been scheduled to fly to Rochester, New York, on Sunday morning.

INJURIES

Payments: RG Ryan Bates (knee) was damage whereas blocking for Allen on a scramble late within the second quarter. He returned within the third.

Bears: Fields’ non-throwing shoulder — the identical one he separated late final month — bothered him in the course of the sport. He was additionally hobbling on the finish after somebody stepped on his foot, although he mentioned he ought to be “good to go.” … OL Michael Schofield III (thumb) was injured on the opening drive, however returned within the second quarter.

UP NEXT

Payments: Go to Cincinnati on Jan. 2.

Bears: Go to Detroit on Jan. 1.

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