Bills 30-20 Colts (November 10, 2024) Game Recap

INDIANAPOLIS – Josh Allen expects more from Buffalo’s offense than he saw Sunday in Indianapolis.

He couldn’t have asked for more from the Bills’ defense.

Taron Johnson intercepted Joe Flacco’s first pass and returned it 23 yards for a touchdown, and Allen and James Cook each ran for scores as the Bills defeated the Colts 30-20 for their fifth straight victory.

“We have to start faster. We didn’t play our best today, but we’ll get the win,” Allen said. “Four forced ball losses – we have to keep the ball a little better. We’ll take them as we can get them and turn the page tomorrow.”

The AFC East-leading Bills have topped 30 points in four straight games and improved to 8-2 for the first time since 1993. They earned their first win in Indianapolis since 1998, when Allen’s receiving corps was depleted by injuries.

This time the defense was successful for the Bills, posting four sacks, fending off Flacco three times and recovering a Flacco fumble to put Allen in position to collect the ball.

“I thought the defense and the takeaways made a big difference in the game,” coach Sean McDermott said. “I think they’re just a very competitive group, they take a lot of pride in not letting each other down.”

Allen finished 23 of 37 for 280 yards with two interceptions, ran eight times for 50 yards and had his 57th career rushing TD to tie the late OJ Simpson for second in Bills history. Cook had 19 carries (19) for 80 yards. Mack Hollins caught six passes for 86 yards.

Meanwhile, Buffalo’s defense forced the 39-year-old Flacco into multiple errors and sacked Jonathan Taylor in the second half after he ran for more than 100 yards before halftime. Taylor finished with 21 carries for 114 yards, while rookie receiver Adonai Mitchell had his best game of the season – six receptions, 71 yards.

It wasn’t enough to prevent the Colts (4-6) from losing their third straight game or to prevent Flacco from being booed, as he went 26 of 35 for 272 yards, two touchdowns and the three picks . He has committed six turnovers in his two starts since replacing the benched Anthony Richardson. Flacco is 1/3 of Indy’s starter this season and hasn’t been able to recapture the form he had last year when he led the Browns to the playoffs.

“The first decision was just a terrible decision,” Flacco said. “The hardest part about not playing well is just your mentality and the fact that you have to deal with not playing well, and the best way to do that is to get back to work.”

Just seven plays after Johnson’s pick-6, Flacco was intercepted again near midfield and the Bills quickly turned that takeaway into a field goal and a 10-0 lead.

The Colts responded with Taylor’s 59-yard run, which set up the first of two Matt Gay field goals. After Indy’s defense stopped the Bills on fourth down, Flacco took advantage of a 2-yard TD pass to Tyler Goodson.

Allen’s interception on the Bills’ ensuing series set up the field goal that gave Indy a 13-10 lead, but Allen quickly regained control with his 13-yard TD run. Tyler Bass scored field goals for Buffalo at the end of the first half and beginning of the fourth quarter, and Cook sealed the victory with a 2-yard TD run early in the fourth quarter.

“I threw two interceptions, that’s not possible. We can be cleaner, that’s up to me. We have to play better on offense,” Allen said. “The defense played great. We gave it our all and it was a team win straight away.”

Shows some clout

When the Bills needed a fourth-down conversion in the fourth quarter, Allen took matters into his own hands with a 5-yard run. But as Allen rushed forward for the first down, Colts defensive lineman Dayo Odeyingbo threw three punts into the huddle.

No penalty was assessed, but Odeyingbo could hear from the league office this week.

Injury report

The Bills opened the game without two injured receivers, rookie Keon Coleman and recently signed Amari Cooper. They also lost TE Dalton Kincaid (knee) during the game. RT Spencer Brown briefly left the team with an ankle injury.

Indy also disabled its top receiver, Michael Pittman Jr. (back), and ended up playing three rookie offensive linemen after LT Bernhard Raimann left in the first half with a knee injury.

Next

Bills: Host Kansas City next Sunday in one of the most important games of the season.

Colts: Visit the New York Jets next Sunday.

——

AP NFL: