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CINCINNATI -- The Buffalo Bills paid a steep price for Sunday's win over the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. The 16-12 victory at Paul Brown Stadium got the Bills back to .500 and kept alive their playoff hopes. In the process, Buffalo lost leading rusher LeSean McCoy and top receiver Robert Woods to injury. Their status moving forward is not yet determined.
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"I feel a little deflated about the injuries because I know what this team can do if we're healthy," Bills coach Rex Ryan said. "I feel great. We needed a win desperately. We'll see where we go from here."
McCoy suffered a left thumb injury while being tackled late in the first half after rushing for 33 yards on five carries and a touchdown. He did not return.
"They couldn't pop the thumb back in, that's where he is," Ryan said of McCoy. "Don't really know the extent of those injuries yet. But obviously those are big ones."
McCoy came into the game with 683 rushing yards and six touchdowns.
Woods left in the first quarter when he injured his left knee after making a catch. His knee appeared to bend awkwardly underneath him while being tackled. He walked to the locker room under his own power but did not return.
"The production those guys have had this season for us has been great," Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor said. "It's the nature of the game. Hopefully, they can get those guys back on the field as soon as possible."
Woods leads the team with 42 catches for 493 yards, including the three catches for 41 yards he had Sunday before the injury. He has one touchdown catch this season.
"He's a heck of a receiver," Ryan said. "I feel badly for Robert. It's like we're a little snakebit this year. Seems like these injuries are hurting us."
Mike Gillislee rushed for 72 yards on 14 carries in the place of McCoy and Taylor passed for 166 yards and rushed for 39 to spark the offense. The Buffalo defense held Cincinnati to 110 second-half yards to secure a huge victory.
"We got everything they got," Ryan said of his team stepping up amid the injuries. "That was good enough today."
Cincinnati also suffered a significant injury when Pro Bowl receiver A.J. Green injured his right hamstring on the third play from scrimmage while attempting to make a catch along the sideline. Green limped off the field before being carted off to the locker room and didn't return.
Rookie Tyler Boyd had six catches for 54 yards in Green's place and his first career touchdown catch.
Through nine games, Green has 66 catches for 964 yards and four touchdowns. He entered Sunday's game needing just 36 receiving yards to join Randy Moss as the only players in NFL history with 1,000 or more receiving yards in their first six seasons.
"You never want to lose a guy like that," Dalton said. "He's the best receiver in the league, so when you lose him, it hurts you."
Sunday's loss further derailed any playoff hopes for Cincinnati (3-6-1), although the Bengals still have three games against AFC North rivals Baltimore and Pittsburgh remaining.
Buffalo (5-5) hosts Jacksonville next Sunday, with the status of two of its top offensive contributors up in the air.
"Nobody is going to feel sorry for us," Ryan said. "I know Jacksonville's not."
