Josh Allen has 3 TDs passing, 3 rushing to outduel Baker Mayfield as Bills beat Buccaneers 44-32

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Josh Allen wasn't in an I-told-you-so mood after he threw three touchdown passes and ran for three scores.

Following a few clunkers, Allen led the Buffalo Bills to a season high in points in Sunday's 44-32 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — and afterward, he refused to fall into the trap of riding emotional peaks and valleys.

“Starting off 4-0 and we're the best team in the world. And we lose two in a row and now we're the worst team in the world,” Allen said. “We don’t want to ride that. We want to stay here, stay consistent.”

Either way, Allen brought the Bills' offense out of a monthlong slump, overcame what he called a “boneheaded” interception on his second snap, and added another extraordinary stat line to a career full of them.

Allen became the first NFL’s first player with two games of three TDs passing and rushing. He did it last year in a 44-42 loss at the Los Angeles Rams. He also upped his career total to 290 touchdowns, the most by a quarterback before turning 30 — passing Peyton Manning’s 288.

The reigning MVP did it this time with a retooled receiving group that featured Gabe Davis and Mecole Hardman making their season debuts. And Allen outdueled fellow 2018 first-round draft pick Baker Mayfield in a back-and-forth game that featured nine lead changes.

“I think at the end of the first quarter, just the way how things were going, I’m just knowing that we’re gonna have to put our hard hats on and go to work,” Allen said. “And I thought we made some plays today.”

A week after Buffalo was blanked through three quarters of a 30-13 loss at Miami, Allen came out firing, even with wind gusts of up to 30 mph (48.28 kph) off nearby Lake Erie. His three TD passes went for 25 yards or longer, including a perfectly placed 43-yard deep ball that Tyrell Shavers hauled in while tumbling into the end zone.

And the dual-threat quarterback used his legs to score three times. The last was a 9-yard run in which Buffalo's offensive linemen shoved him the final 2 yards to seal the victory with 2:35 remaining.

“High-level competition, two great quarterbacks, two great teams,” coach Sean McDermott said.

“Fun, yeah. My heart could have used a little bit different type of game," he added. "This win right here showed me how tough we are.”

McDermott also sent a message to his team by deactivating receiver Keon Coleman for being late to a meeting. It’s the second time this season and third time in Coleman’s career he’s faced team discipline, which was previously limited to him sitting out a quarter or a series.

“Yeah, it is disappointing, but I still believe in the young man,” McDermott said of Buffalo's top pick in the 2024 draft. “I believe he will learn from it.”

Buffalo (7-3) resembled the team that beat Kanas City 28-21 and Carolina 40-9 coming out of its bye week, rather than the one that lost back-to-back games to Atlanta and New England entering its break last month.

Meanwhile, the Buccaneers (6-4) let their NFC South lead dwindle to a half-game after Carolina beat Atlanta.

“We’re in a good place mentally,” Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles said. “Our fight is outstanding. Our execution needs to be cleaned up.”

A week after Mayfield said the Bucs needed more of a killer instinct following a 28-23 loss to New England, Tampa Bay’s offense showed a spark, trading scores with Buffalo through the early part of the fourth quarter.

Mayfield finished 16 of 28 for 173 yards with a 28-yard TD pass to Sean Tucker and a 4-yard TD run. Mayfield also threw an interception and lost a fumble when sacked on Tampa Bay’s final drive.

Tucker finished with 106 yards rushing and scored on runs of 43 and 28 yards.

“The fight was there, the toughness. It just came down to not making enough plays,” Mayfield said. “There was definitely a lot more points out there for us today.”

One opportunity came after Allen’s first interception — a wobbly shovel pass over the middle while he was under pressure at his own goal line — gave Tampa Bay the ball at Buffalo’s 7. Tucker managed just 2 yards on two runs and Mayfield overthrew Emeka Egbuka in the end zone, forcing Tampa Bay to settle for Chase McLaughlin's 23-yard field goal.

Buccaneers: CB Jamel Dean did not return after hurting his hip in the first quarter.

Bills: Hardman did not return after sustaining a calf injury in the second half.

Buccaneers: Play at the Los Angeles Rams next Sunday.

Bills: Visit the Houston Texans on Thursday night.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) celebrates with tight end Dawson Knox, right, after a touchdown by running back Ty Johnson, center, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker SirVocea Dennis (8) intercepts the ball against Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox, top, during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Sean Tucker (44) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Buffalo Bills running back Ty Johnson (26) celebrates with tight end Dawson Knox, second from left, after scoring a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Buffalo Bills running back Ty Johnson (26) celebrates with wide receiver Tyrell Shavers (14) after scoring a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Ta'Niya Latson scored a season-high 32 points and Joyce Edwards 25 as No. 3 South Carolina rolled past North Carolina Central 106-42 on Sunday, despite missing ill starter Tessa Johnson and losing Madina Okot to injury in the first half.

Johnson had 20 points to lead the Gamecocks (9-1) to a 79-77 victory at Louisville this past Thursday, but came down with an illness and was held out. Okot, the 6-foot-6 Mississippi State transfer averaging 15 points and 11 rebounds, came off the floor midway through the second quarter and did not return.

Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley said afterwards that Okot was feeling sick. “It's going around,” she said.

The absences had South Carolina off balance early on and kept the Eagles (1-8) hanging around longer than some in the crowd expected.

North Carolina Central hit three of its first four shots to lead 7-4 before South Carolina got going behind Edwards to close the first quarter with a 22-7 run. Edwards had had two three-point plays and 12 points during that stretch as the Gamecocks outscored North Carolina Central 22-10 in the paint to take control.

The Gamecocks came out with some fire after the break on both sides of the ball. Latson hit a pair of 3-pointers as South Carolina opened with a 25-0 run. The Eagles missed their first 12 shots of the period and ended up getting outscored 28-2.

Tierney Coleman led North Carolina Central with 14 points.

South Carolina's defense forced 36 turnovers and had 10 blocks against the Eagles.

South Carolina's Okot came in leading the country with seven double-doubles. She was not on the bench when the team returned in the second half, coming out of the locker room midway through the third quarter. Okot finished with 10 points and a rebound shy of another double-double in 11 first-half minutes.

South Carolina's roster had just 10 players after expected post players Ashlyn Watkins and Chloe Kitts were lost for the season with injuries. While the attrition has continued in the season's opening month, Staley blocks it out as best she can.

Staley concentrates on who is available to play. “We got eight (players) today. I only see eight. We got reduced to seven, I only see seven,” she said. “We're just going to play the hand that we're dealt to the best of our ability.”

North Carolina Central goes to High Point on Dec. 14.

South Carolina hosts Penn State on Dec. 14.

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball

South Carolina center Madina Okot, left, pulls down an offensive rebound against North Carolina Central forward Dianna Blake during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Columbia, S.C., Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

South Carolina guard Ayla McDowell (24) looks to shoot against North Carolina Central guard Shakiria Foster (10) and forward Dianna Blake during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Columbia, S.C., Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

South Carolina guard Maddy McDaniel (1) drives to the basket against North Carolina Central forward Dianna Blake during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Columbia, S.C., Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

South Carolina forward Joyce Edwards (8) drives to the basket against North Carolina Central forward Aniya Finger (24), guard Tierney Coleman (4) and forward Dianna Blake (15) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Columbia, S.C., Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

South Carolina guard Ta'Niya Latson (00) drives against North Carolina Central guard Najah Lane during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Columbia, S.C., Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)