Josh Allen set his career record with a rushing TD in the Bills’ win

By WILL GRAVES

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills came to Pittsburgh looking for something — anything, actually — to get out of a midseason hiatus that has robbed them of their swagger, not to mention their usual grip on first place in the AFC East.

The Bills found it during three hours of very simple and very effective football in a 26-7 win on Sunday that made up for their lack of style.

Allen threw a touchdown and ran for another, Joey Bosa sacked Aaron Rodgers to throw Christian Benford for a slant, scoop and 17-yard score, and the Bills (8-4) set an Acrisure Stadium record by piling up 249 rushing yards while whipping the reeling Steelers.

“Finding a way to win, that’s the most important thing,” said Allen, last season’s MVP.

Maybe, but the bill may also have found something that could be effective in the long term.

Playing without a starting offensive tackle and coming off a loss at Houston in which Allen was sacked eight times, Buffalo responded by electing to blitz the Steelers. James Cook rushed for 144 yards, Ray Davis added 62 and Allen threw for 38, including his 76th career rushing touchdown, the most by a quarterback.

Allen demurred when asked about breaking the 75 mark previously held by Cam Newton, saying that’s not why he plays. However, his bulldozing 8-yard score early in the fourth quarter that put the game out of reach was emblematic of a day when Buffalo absorbed several hits from the Steelers and kept on running.

Allen got past one defender, then fought off three others while his teammates dragged him across the goal line.

“The line that came to throw me out there was pretty cool,” Allen said.

And quite worrying for Pittsburgh (6-6). On a windy day that made passing dangerous, the Steelers knew they would be tested by one of the NFL’s best rushing teams. They failed over and over again. Buffalo held the ball for nearly 42 minutes and might have taken control early if not for several turnovers in the first half.

“It was a bad performance by us,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said.

The Steelers have lost five of seven since a 4-1 start. While they remain tied with Baltimore at the top of the AFC North, they haven’t looked competitive against quality opponents during a game that shows no signs of letting up.

Rodgers, playing with two touchdowns protecting his broken left wrist, was largely ineffective and missed a drive early in the second half after getting drilled by Bosa on the first play of the third quarter.

The four-time MVP fumbled on the play, and Benford picked up the loose ball and ran into the end zone to turn a 7-3 halftime deficit into a 10-7 lead. The 41-year-old quarterback left the field with a bloody nose.

Mason Rudolph replaced Rodgers for a series and threw an interception that ended up in the hands of Benford. Buffalo went 56 yards in eight plays, and Allen’s fourth down to Coleman gave the Bills firm control.

Rodgers returned but finished 10 of 21 for 117 yards as the Steelers lost for the fifth time in seven games to frequent boos.

“We’ve got to get rid of this one,” Rodgers said.

The swirling winds at one of the toughest venues in the league made it almost impossible for both teams to pass. Allen finished 15 of 23 for 123 yards with an interception and a 3-yard scoring throw to Keon Coleman, who returned to the active roster after appearing healthy the past two weeks due to disciplinary issues.

Coleman said he knows he needs to “go professional” in the future. The Bills hope he can help a passing game that hasn’t been able to produce much on the field.

“We’re going to need it,” Allen said. “We will need his abilities.”

True, but what Coleman and Buffalo’s other receivers did most of on Sunday was blocks for Cook, whose 32 carries were a career high. Pittsburgh knew he was coming and still couldn’t stop him.

Asked how it felt, Cook laughed.

“It was a little scary, because I knew they were coming,” he said.

Cook hardly looked afraid as he repeatedly ran through holes opened by backup tackles Alec Anderson and Ryan Van Demark.

“I’ve never seen a team run as many plays as they did tonight and have as much success as they had,” Pittsburgh quarterback TJ Watt said. “I’m out of words for that.”

Injury

Bills: Bosa suffered a hamstring injury in the fourth quarter and did not return with Buffalo leading comfortably.

Steelers: LB Patrick Queen left late in the first half with a right hip injury and did not return. … CB James Pierre left in the second half after entering concussion protocol.

Furthermore

Bills: Host Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals next Sunday.

Steelers: Visit Baltimore next Sunday, hoping to bounce back and take control of the division.

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