INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Josh Allen expects more out of Buffalo’s offense than he saw Sunday at Indianapolis.
He couldn’t have asked for anything more from the Bills' defense.
Taron Johnson picked off 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 beat the Colts 30-20 for their fifth consecutive win.
“We’ve got to have a faster start. We didn’t play our best today, but we’ll take the win,” Allen said. ”Four forced turnovers — we’ve got to hold onto the ball a little bit better. We’ll take them how we can get them, and we’ll 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 at Indianapolis since 1998 with Allen's receiving corps depleted by injuries.
The defense delivered for the Bills this time, logging four sacks, picking off Flacco three times and recovering a fumble by Flacco to put Allen in position to cash in.
“I thought the defense, the takeaways was a big-time 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 while running eight times for 50 yards and his 57th career rushing TD to tie the late O.J. Simpson for No. 2 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 mistakes and negated Jonathan Taylor in the second half after he rushed for more than 100 yards before halftime. Taylor wound up 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 or preventing Flacco from getting booed as he went 26 of 35 for 272 yards, two touchdowns and the three picks. He has six turnovers in his two starts since replacing the benched Anthony Richardson. Flacco is 1-3 as Indy's starter this season, failing to recapture the form he had last year when he led the Browns to the playoffs.
“The first one was just an awful decision,” Flacco said. “The toughest thing about not playing well is just your mentality and having to deal with the fact that you're not playing well and the best way to do that is to go back to work.”
Just seven plays after Johnson's pick-6, Flacco was intercepted again near midfield and the Bills quickly converted 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 field goals by Matt Gay. After Indy's defense stopped the Bills on fourth down, Flacco capitalized with 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 made field goals for Buffalo at the end of the first half and early in the fourth quarter, and Cook sealed the win with a 2-yard TD run early in the fourth.
“I threw two interceptions, can’t do that. We can be cleaner, that’s on me. We’ve got to play better on offense,” Allen said. “The defense played awesome. We gritted it out and that was a team win right there.”
Showing some punch
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 plowed forward for the first down, Colts defensive lineman Dayo Odeyingbo threw three punches in the scrum.
No penalty was called, 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 the recently acquired Amari Cooper. They also lost TE Dalton Kincaid (knee) during the game. RT Spencer Brown left briefly with an ankle injury.
Indy also deactivated its top receiver, Michael Pittman Jr. (back), and wound up playing three rookie offensive linemen after LT Bernhard Raimann left in the first half with a knee injury.
Up next
Bills: Host Kansas City in one of the season's marquee matchups next Sunday.
Colts: Visit the New York Jets next Sunday.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Michael Marot, The Associated Press
