Cook’s 117-yard, 2-TD performance propels Bills closer to playoff berth with 23-20 win over Browns

CLEVELAND (AP) — James Cook rushed for 117 yards and two touchdowns, Josh Allen played through a foot injury and the Buffalo Bills drew closer to a playoff berth with a 23-20 victory over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

Ty Johnson also had a rushing score for the Bills (11-4), who have won four straight and five of six.

Allen played the second half despite injuring his right foot during the second quarter.

The reigning NFL MVP was favoring the foot after being sacked by Cleveland’s Myles Garrett and Alex Wright for a 22-yard loss to Buffalo’s 1-yard line with 60 seconds remaining in the first half. The half-sack gave Garrett 22 on the season. He needs one more sack in the final two games for the Browns (3-12) to pass Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt for the single-season mark.

Allen was 12 of 19 for 130 yards and also rushed for 17 yards on seven carries.

Shedeur Sanders completed 20 of 29 passes for 157 yards and a touchdown. He also was the Browns’ leading rusher with four carries for 49 yards. The fifth-round pick also threw two interceptions which accounted for 10 of Buffalo’s points.

Tight end Harold Fannin Jr. scored both Browns’ touchdowns, including a 1-yard run in the third quarter to get them within 23-17.

Raheim Sanders rushed for 42 yards on 11 carries. He was pressed into action when Quinshon Judkins was carted off with a potentially season-ending leg injury late in the second quarter. NFL Network reported that Judkins had a broken leg.

It was the ninth 100-yard rushing game this season for Cook, tied with Thurman Thomas for second in franchise history. OJ Simpson holds the single-season mark with 11. The four-year veteran also took over the NFL rushing lead with 1,532 yards. Indianapolis’ Jonathan Taylor is second with 1,443 with the Colts facing San Francisco on Monday night.

Cook tied it at 7 midway through the first quarter on a 44-yard run up the middle where he eluded tackle attempts by Cleveland’s Mohamoud Diabate and Adin Huntington at the line of scrimmage. Grant Delpit had a chance to make a stop at the 27, but was spun around and unable to make the tackle.

Cook then extended Buffalo’s lead to 20-10 with 2:23 remaining on a 3-yard carry up the middle.

Buffalo converted both of Sanders’ interceptions into points — Johnson’s 2-yard TD run early in the second quarter and a 41-yard field by Michael Badgley in the third quarter.

Quick start for Browns

Cleveland got the opening kickoff and scored when Sanders rolled right and connected with Fannin for a 13-yard TD. Sanders was 5 of 5 for 58 yards on the drive. It was also the first time in five starts that Sanders directed Cleveland to points on its first possession.

It was the seventh straight game in which the Bills’ opponent opened the scoring.

Injuries

Bills LB Shaq Thompson (neck) was injured in the first quarter and did not return.

Up next

Buffalo: Hosts Philadelphia next Sunday.

Cleveland: Hosts Pittsburgh next Sunday.

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