ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (Interstat) — Josh Allen accounted for three touchdowns and the Buffalo Bills’ defense forced two critical second-half turnovers to pull away from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a 44-32 victory on a brisk Sunday afternoon at a sold-out Highmark Stadium.

A crowd of 71,005 watched as the Bills improved their record to 7-3, while the Buccaneers fell to 6-4 in a game that was a back-and-forth affair until the final quarter.

Allen, the Bills’ quarterback from Firebaugh, California, was efficient and explosive, completing 19 of 30 passes for 317 yards and three touchdowns while adding 40 yards on six carries. His performance outdueled that of Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield, who threw for 173 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score but was intercepted once.

The game began as a defensive struggle. After trading punts, the Buccaneers capitalized on an early interception by SirVocea Dennis, who picked off an Allen pass intended for Joshua Palmer. The takeaway set up a 23-yard Chase McLaughlin field goal to give Tampa Bay a 3-0 lead.

Buffalo responded with a methodical 11-play, 64-yard drive that Allen capped himself with a 2-yard touchdown run, putting the Bills ahead 7-3 late in the opening quarter.

Tampa Bay reclaimed the momentum in the second quarter. A 13-play, 65-yard drive was finished by Mayfield, who scrambled for a 4-yard touchdown to put the Buccaneers back in front. After the Bills were forced to punt on their next possession, Tampa Bay running back Sean Tucker broke the game open with a 43-yard touchdown sprint, extending the Buccaneers’ lead to 17-7.

Tucker, from Owings Mills, Maryland, was a bright spot for Tampa Bay, rushing for 106 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries.

The Bills, however, answered swiftly. On the ensuing drive, Allen connected with Tyrell Shavers on a deep 43-yard touchdown pass, cutting the deficit to 17-14. Shavers finished with four receptions for 90 yards.

Just before halftime, Buffalo’s defense came up with a pivotal stop, forcing a Tampa Bay punt with just over a minute remaining. Allen then engineered a lightning-fast 72-yard drive in just 32 seconds, culminating in a 52-yard touchdown pass to Ty Johnson. That score sent the Bills into the locker room with a 21-17 lead.

The third quarter saw the Buccaneers mount a determined response. They orchestrated a 14-play, 96-yard drive that consumed over seven minutes, with Tucker plunging in from 6 yards out. A failed two-point conversion attempt kept the Tampa Bay lead at 23-21.

Buffalo’s next drive stalled, resulting in a 39-yard Matt Prater field goal to put the Bills back ahead 24-23.

The game’s turning point came on Tampa Bay’s next offensive snap. Mayfield’s pass intended for Emeka Egbuka was intercepted by Bills safety Cole Bishop, who returned it 12 yards to the Tampa Bay 25. On the very next play, Allen found James Cook III for a 25-yard touchdown strike, extending Buffalo’s lead to 31-23.

Cook, from Miami, Florida, was a versatile weapon for the Bills, rushing for 48 yards and catching three passes for 66 yards and the score.

Undaunted, the Buccaneers mounted another long drive to open the fourth quarter. Mayfield hit Tucker on a 28-yard screen pass for a touchdown, but another failed two-point conversion left Tampa Bay trailing 31-29.

Buffalo then delivered the decisive blow. Allen led the Bills on a 10-play, 81-yard drive, which he finished with a 5-yard touchdown run to make it 37-29. The drive was kept alive by a key 23-yard completion from Allen to tight end Dawson Knox.

After a Tampa Bay three-and-out, the Bills put the game away with another scoring drive. Allen’s third touchdown run, a 9-yard scamper with 2:35 remaining, sealed the 44-32 victory. The Bills’ defense, led by linebacker Terrel Bernard’s 11 tackles and safety Jordan Poyer’s game-high 15 tackles, stifled Tampa Bay’s final desperate attempts to close the gap.

The Bills now look ahead to a short week, traveling to face the Houston Texans on Thursday. The Buccaneers will continue their road trip with a game against the Los Angeles Rams next Sunday.