DETROIT, Mich. — The slumping Buffalo Bills avoided the snow and a third-straight loss as they defeated the Cleveland Browns 31-23 on Sunday in Detroit.
Originally scheduled as a home game for Buffalo, the game was moved to the Motor City by the NFL due to several feet of snow blanketing western New York.
Buffalo kicker Tyler Bass made six field goals, matching his career-high and also matched Steve Christie's team record set in 1996.
The Browns (3-7) took the opening kickoff and marched down the field thanks to quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who completed a 17-yard pass to Nick Chubb and a 16-yarder to Amari Cooper, and even scrambled 22 yards on a third-and-11 play to extend the drive.
Brissett hit Amari Cooper for a 25-yard touchdown toss to cap off the 9-play, 75 yard drive and give the Browns a 7-0 with 9:02 in the opening period.
However, the Bills would gradually overtake the Browns as the game played out. Buffalo would take the lead for good with just 0:17 before halftime, as Josh Allen would connect with Stefon Diggs for a five-yard touchdown toss to give the Bills a 17-10 lead at the break.
Buffalo (7-3) would then go on to score on all five of their second half possessions to avoid blowing a third straight halftime lead, as Allen shook off the early game rust thanks in part to the disruption of the winter storm.
Allen finished the day 18 of 27 for 197 yards with a touchdown and no turnovers. It was a night-and-day performance compared to recent weeks, where he threw six of his NFL-high 10 interceptions over the previous three games and fumbled a snap in the end zone during last week's collapse against Minnesota.
Brissett finished 28 of 41 for 324 yards — two shy of his career high — and a season-high three touchdowns.
Cleveland rallied in the fourth quarter to get within eight points, as Brissett threw a second touchdown pass to Amari Cooper and another to Donovan Peoples-Jones to cut the score to 31-23. However, a desperation onside kick in the final seconds was unsuccessful as Bills receiver Gabe Davis failed to grab and teammate Taiwan Jones knocked the ball out of bounds.
The Browns, who have now lost six of seven games, hosts the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
Cleveland 7 3 0 13 = 23
Buffalo 3 10 9 9 = 31
First Quarter CLE—Amari Cooper 25 pass from Jacoby Brissett (Cade York kick), 9:02. BUF—Tyler Bass 42 field goal, 3:32. Second Quarter CLE—Cade York 32 field goal, 14:05. BUF—Tyler Bass 36 field goal, 4:54. BUF—Stefon Diggs 5 pass from Josh Allen (Tyler Bass kick), 0:14. Third Quarter BUF—Tyler Bass 56 field goal, 9:42. BUF—Devin Singletary 5 run (run failed), 4:08. Fourth Quarter BUF—Tyler Bass 49 field goal, 13:20. BUF—Tyler Bass 28 field goal, 6:45. CLE—Amari Cooper 7 pass from Jacoby Brissett (pass failed), 4:11. BUF—Tyler Bass 39 Yd Field Goal, 1:56. CLE—Donovan Peoples-Jones 2 pass from Jacoby Brissett (Cade York kick), 0:19.
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