Christian Benford leads the way for Bills who shined in big Week 14 win

It was a very cold and snowy day at Highmark Stadium this past Sunday afternoon when the 4-8 Cincinnati Bengals came to Orchard Park to take on the 9-4 Buffalo Bills. As two of the best quarterbacks in the NFL were about to show their talents in a very important AFC matchup, the anticipation was in the air.

The first half didn't go as the Bills planned; they entered the locker room down 21-11. It took some much-needed regrouping and a few halftime adjustments for the team to get back on track. As these three excellent players stepped it up to show their leadership and toughness, they gave the Bills the important win they needed.

Three impact players who turned the game around for the Buffalo Bills

1. CB Christian Benford

It's been a phenomenal last two weeks for the Bills' star cornerback. After jump-starting the Bills in the win against the Pittsburgh Steelers last week with a fumble recovery for a touchdown, Benford kick-started the Bills this week with a 63-yard pick-six of quarterback Joe Burrow with 5:25 left in the fourth quarter to put the Bills up 32-28, and eventually win the game.

On the Bengals' last drive of the first half, Benford came out of nowhere on a corner blitz to sack Burrow and end the half with the Bills down by 10. Burrow did not see Benford coming, and it was a well-timed play at a key moment in the half.

Also, Benford's 63-yard interception return for a touchdown marked the first time Burrow was intercepted all year. Prior to that, he came into the game with 0 interceptions before missing time dealing with turf toe.

2. QB Josh Allen

The reigning MVP showed in this game why he won it for the first time in his career last year. Prior to Sunday, Allen was 0-2 against Burrow in his career. It looked like it was about to be 0-3, but Allen once again proved us all wrong, rushing for a 40-yard touchdown to cut the Bengals' lead to 28-25 with 7:33 remaining in regulation.

After being sacked late in the fourth quarter, setting up a 3rd and 15, Allen took the ball from the shotgun and ran it himself, sealing the Bills' win, 39-34. Allen finished 22-28 for 251 yards, four touchdowns, and a 139.7 quarterback rating.

His 40-yard touchdown scramble was the longest in his decorated NFL career. He finally beat Burrow and is now 1-2 against him in three matches. Allen also became the first player in NFL history to have 20+ passing and 10+ rushing touchdowns in three seasons.

3. TE Dawson Knox

While Dalton Kincaid made a fabulous return to the active lineup, the star of the tight end room belonged to number 88 on Sunday afternoon. Knox compiled six receptions for 93 yards on a day against a team that is one of the worst in the NFL in coverage against tight ends.

Head coach Sean McDermott wanted to make sure he had all the tight ends available in this game to take advantage of the Bengals' poor pass coverage. As a whole, the tight end group delivered a combined 139 yards and two touchdowns on the day.

Look for the Bills to go for three straight wins and keep their AFC East Divisional title hopes up against the 11-2 New England Patriots next Sunday.