CINCINNATI — Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow threw for 348 yards with two touchdowns, while Tee Higgins posted 110 yards receiving on eight catches, as Cincinnati knocked off AFC rival Buffalo 24-18 at Paycor Stadium on Sunday Night Football.

“It’s about time,” Higgins said after the win. “About time.”

Cincinnati took the opening drive and marched 76 yards in nine plays — and ended with a TD when Burrow found tight end Irv Smith in the end zone for the 7-0 lead.

“I always prefer to take the ball,” Burrow said, about receiving the opening kickoff. “I guess depending on the opponent and how they play, but I was feeling good about that today.”

Buffalo countered and scored when quarterback Josh Allen ran into the end zone from two yards out to tie the game at 7-7.

But the Bengals responded and drove 11 plays that included a perfectly-timed Burrow feed to Tyler Boyd for a 15-yard gain.

Running back Joe Mixon plowed into the end zone toward the end of the first quarter for the 14-7 lead.

Mixon rushed for 37 yards on 14 carries.

“It’s a great way to start,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said. “Put pressure on the team in a road environment. I trusted our offense to go down and score.”

With 1:37 left in the second quarter, Burrow connected with tight end Drew Sample for a 22-yard touchdown for the 21-7 lead.

Sample had three catches for 30 yards on the night.

“It’s proven if we can start fast and get a lead, our defense pins their ears back and gets after the quarterback. And they create turnovers. It’s easier to call the game with a lead as well,” said Taylor. “Our guys responded the right way to that.”

The Bengals defense picked off Allen and forced a fumble that stopped a Bills drive at the Cincinnati 13-yard line.

Defensive back Cam Taylor-Britt had one interception, and linebacker Germaine Pratt forced a fumble that Nick Scott recovered for Cincinnati.

“We preach it nonstop,” Taylor added. “Our guys that have been here know that how you win these close games. Germaine Pratt is a big driving force in that, and he forced the fumble there. No surprise there. That’s just one of many things he does well for this team.”

The forced fumble at the Cincinnati 13 ignited a lengthy drive that ended when kicker Evan McPherson nailed a 20-yard field goal to increase the Bengals’ lead to 24-10.

Allen finished the game with 258 yards in the air, and completed 26 of 38 passes with one TD and one interception.

“We’ve got to find a way to get into rhythm,” Allen said. “We had opportunities. We didn’t score before half. Didn’t get six (points) on the first drive of the second half. That’s not complimentary football. You’ve got to double dip and we needed the points there and give yourself a chance. It’s the old cliché, in order to win you have to stop yourself from losing and we didn’t do that tonight.”

Burrow connected with eight different receivers on the night.

Boyd had three catches for 56 yards, while Ja’Marr Chase added four receptions for 41 yards.

The win extends the Bengals’ (5-3) winning streak to four.

Cincinnati will host the Houston Texans on Sunday.