INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams had to pile up a veritable mountain of points, yards and time-of-possession advantage early on to give themselves even a chance against the Buffalo Bills' ferocious fourth-quarter rally and a historic six-touchdown performance by Josh Allen.
The Rams (7-6) just barely had enough to hang on for a victory that might change their season.
Recommended Videos
Stafford passed for 320 yards and hit Puka Nacua for a 19-yard touchdown with 1:54 to play, and the Rams overcame Allen's three TD passes and three TD runs to snap the Bills' seven-game winning streak with a 44-42 victory Sunday.
Allen passed for 342 yards and rushed for 82 yards for the Bills (10-3), who hadn't lost since Oct. 6 in Houston. He became the first player in NFL history with three passing TDs and three rushing TDs in a game during his league-record fifth career outing with at least two of each — but it wasn't enough to overcome Buffalo's 17-point deficit entering the fourth.
“Josh Allen is an alien,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “Some of the stuff that he can do and the things that he can create, we knew he was capable of that. He’s shown that. That’s why he’s as well-respected and well-regarded in this league as he is.
"But our guys made just enough plays to be able to come out on top.”
Allen capped his third long touchdown drive of the fourth quarter by scoring on a 1-yard dive with 1:00 left, but Ronnie Rivers recovered the onside kick and Los Angeles ran out the clock on its first win over Buffalo since 2012 and its first at home since 1983.
This game was monumental for both teams: The Rams and Bills combined for 902 yards of offense without a turnover or a quarterback sack. Los Angeles had the ball for 17 more minutes and ran 18 more plays than Buffalo — and the Rams needed every bit of it to survive.
Nacua, who had 12 catches for 162 yards and also scored his first career rushing TD in another monster game, called it “fantastic being able to feel like, man, this is what it feels like when the Rams are moving and connecting on all cylinders.”
Hunter Long returned a blocked punt 22 yards for a touchdown for the Rams, who have won six of eight to stay in the NFC West race. Kyren Williams rushed for 87 yards and two TDs as LA moved above .500 for the first time this season.
Allen and the Bills ran out of time after they struggled through the first three quarters, which ended with the Rams leading 38-21 before Buffalo stirred from its post-division title-clinching hangover.
“Hate losing,” Allen said. “If you lose by two or lose by 100, it doesn’t matter, you are still losing. Offensively, we have to find ways to score before and after the half. We didn’t do our part.”
Allen dismissed his historic six TDs: “I have to make one more play than they do. It was a total team loss in three phases. We didn’t play up to our standards.”
Ty Johnson and Khalil Shakir caught long scoring passes for the Bills, who became the first NFL team to score six touchdowns without a turnover in a loss. Buffalo’s 42 points were the most scored in defeat in franchise history.
“They did a great job controlling the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball," Bills coach Sean McDermott said. “Defensively and special teams, neither were good enough to help us win this game.”
One week after Buffalo secured the AFC East title by trouncing San Francisco in the snow, the Bills started dismally at SoFi Stadium, giving up 24 points in the first half and Cooper Kupp’s 17-yard TD catch with 18 seconds left in the third quarter.
“Obviously, offensively, what those guys have been doing is very impressive,” Kupp said. “Seeing it firsthand, they’re a really good football team, so we needed everything we had as a team today.”
Allen ran for a score early in the fourth before Buffalo forced LA's first punt. But after Mack Hollins' 21-yard TD catch for Buffalo with 8:49 to play, Stafford led Los Angeles on a clock-consuming drive that included a gritty 11-yard pass to Tutu Atwell on fourth-and-5 near midfield with less than four minutes left.
After Nacua's catch-and-run TD on a pick play, Buffalo drew a 34-yard pass interference penalty against Quentin Lake on fourth-and-15. Buffalo got to the Rams 1 with 1:06 left — but Omar Speights stuffed Allen on his first attempt to score, forcing the Bills to burn a timeout that ultimately cost them dearly.
Scoop and score
Los Angeles went up 17-7 early in the second quarter when Jacob Hummel blocked Sam Martin’s punt. Long scooped and scored the first NFL touchdown for the tight end acquired from Miami last year in the Rams’ cost-cutting trade of All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
The Rams hadn’t blocked a punt since 2018, while the Bills hadn’t given up a blocked punt TD since the 2021 season opener against Pittsburgh.
Injuries
Bills: CB Rasul Douglas injured his back and knee in the second half. ... DE Casey Toohill injured his ribs.
Rams: WR Demarcus Robinson injured his shoulder in the third quarter.
Up next
Bills: At Lions on Sunday.
Rams: At 49ers on Thursday night.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL