Coming into the 2025 season, the Buffalo Bills were expected to roll through their slate of opponents. With one of the easiest schedules in the league, there seemed to be nothing standing between them and another deep playoff run.
That’s not exactly how the season has turned out. Between costly losses and the unexpected rise of their AFC opponents, the Bills are already falling behind in the race for the top seed in the conference. Especially after a shocking loss to the Miami Dolphins, every game feels like a must-win if this team is going to earn home-field advantage in the postseason.
One of Buffalo’s late-season matchups just became a whole lot more difficult. Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow returned to practice this week, instantly transforming his Week 14 matchup with Josh Allen and the Bills from a snooze fest to a spectacle.
Joe Burrow’s return sets up massive Week 14 showdown for Bills
The Bills are already a game and a half behind the New England Patriots. They can't afford to keep taking losses to lesser opponents. But this Week 14 matchup is setting itself up to be a classic trap game if Burrow is on the field.
At 3-6, the Bengals' season is likely already over. When their star quarterback returns, they may already be too far behind in the playoff race for a late-season game to mean much. But that doesn't matter to Burrow. He played at an elite level in 2024, even after the Bengals' postseason hopes were nearly dashed. If he's back in the lineup by the time the Bengals play the Bills, Cincinnati's offense will immediately become a major threat.
With both offenses operating at a high level, this game could quickly turn into a shootout. We may be looking at another Bills game determined by who has the ball in their hands last.
The two quarterbacks have only faced off twice in their careers, but Burrow currently holds the advantage over Allen, winning both games. In their last meeting, Allen and the Bills fell just short of victory, losing 24-18. Over two years later, Buffalo will finally get its chance at revenge.
The Bengals' defense is as weak as they come, so the Bills should be able to score points in bunches in this matchup. As Burrow works back into the starting lineup, it will be a question of whether or not the Bengals can keep up.