Josh Allen's six touchdowns too much for Tampa Bay In a seesaw battle at Highmark Stadium, the Buffalo Bills pulled out a 44-32 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, bouncing back in style after a Week 10 loss to the Miami Dolphins. Josh Allen had a volatile start, tossing two interceptions before halftime. But the league's reigning MVP balanced it in the first half with a rushing score and two passing touchdowns. After the break, Allen was unstoppable, finishing the game 19-of-30 for 317 yards with three passing touchdowns, the two interceptions and three rushing touchdowns. With that performance, Allen became the first player in NFL history with multiple games featuring three or more passing and rushing touchdowns. He also tied Cam Newton's all-time record for most rushing touchdowns in regular-season games by a quarterback (75). On the other side, Tampa Bay stayed competitive thanks to a breakout showing from Sean Tucker. The third-year running back totaled 140 yards from scrimmage and scored three touchdowns. Baker Mayfield, an MVP candidate himself, threw for 173 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Next up, the Bills (7-3) head to Houston to take on the Texans (5-5). The Buccaneers (6-4), losers of three of their last four, will look to rebound on the road against the red-hot Los Angeles Rams (7-2). Bills' offense shines Allen shook off a brutal error on his second snap to produce an effort otherwise good enough to win and potentially wake up Buffalo's sleepwalking offense. Allen threw a two-handed chest pass from his own end zone to give Tampa Bay a free 3-0 lead. Then the reigning MVP accounted for six touchdowns, three through the air and three on the ground, the first in NFL history to do so twice over a career. Bills coach Sean McDermott made two big personnel changes at wideout, and offensive coordinator Joe Brady got several unusual contributors involved in the passing game. Healthy scratches included 2024 second-round pick Keon Coleman for showing up late to a meeting on Friday, and Elijah Moore. They were replaced by old friend Gabriel Davis and newcomer Mecole Hardman, but the real impact players were fringe receiver Shavers and tailback James Cook. Shavers caught four passes for 90 yards, both team-highs, and scored on a 43-yard strike in the second quarter. Deep-ball TDs have been rare for Buffalo this year. Cook entered Sunday averaging two catches and 18 yards, but he grabbed three passes for 66 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown late in the third quarter. The aerial explosion happened despite top target Dalton Kincaid being sidelined by a hamstring injury and slot receiver Khalil Shakir finishing with one reception for minus-3 yards, one of nine Bills with at least one catch. Buffalo's defense survives The offense found traction and needed every bit of its production to outlast Mayfield's relentlessness and backup running back Tucker's career day. The Bills' run defense remains a serious concern. Tucker gashed them repeatedly, while Mayfield scrambled for first downs all afternoon. Buffalo's decimated defensive line looked as porous as ever, and not having linebacker Shaq Thompson also hurt the cause. Linebacker and captain Terrel Bernard made 11 tackles, two for losses, and broke up a couple of passes, but he still appears bothered by the ankle injury he suffered in Buffalo's Week 6 loss to the Falcons. The Bills recorded zero sacks and only two QB hits until prior to the two-minute warning. Sophomore safety Cole Bishop continued to shine with an acrobatic interception, that makes two straight games with a pick for Bishop. Three games ago, Bishop racked up four pass breakups. Is the NFC South up for grabs? The Buccaneers hit their first two-game losing streak of the season, and after the Carolina Panthers eked out a win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Tampa Bay's cushion atop the NFC South is down to only half a game. The loss at Buffalo will raise plenty of questions for the Bucs, as the defense allowed Allen to account for six total touchdowns. To make matters worse, top cornerback Jamel Dean left the contest with a hip injury, as the injury bug has continued to hamper a Tampa Bay squad that has lost important players all season long. Tampa Bay has a whopper of a matchup in Week 12 on the road against the Los Angeles Rams, and to contend with that dynamic offense, the defense will have to answer a lot of difficult questions this week at practice. Bucs run all over Buffalo The Buccaneers had some encouraging news during the week, as top running back Bucky Irving resumed practicing after a multi-week layoff with injuries, but they didn't need him to have an incredibly efficient offense on Sunday. Tucker, who went to college a few hours down the road from Buffalo at Syracuse, put together a three-touchdown game and gained 140 total yards against the Bills. Buffalo struggled to contain Tucker and really, the entire Tampa Bay rushing unit throughout the game. Tucker, Rachaad White and Mayfield combined for 196 of the Buccaneers' 202 total rushing yards on Sunday. It wound up not mattering, as Tampa Bay's defense allowed the Bills to get back on track, scoring 44 points. The Athletic, published 17 November 2025