Bills 37, Rams 34 (OT): Allen wins his first overtime game
Buffalo survived a late Rams rally and an overtime fumble to beat Los Angeles on Monday Night Football, improving to 4-1.
The Buffalo Bills beat the Los Angeles Rams 37-34 in overtime at SoFi Stadium on Monday Night Football, a game that FOX Sports' timeline shows changing hands six times and being tied four times in regulation.
How it got there
Buffalo led 13-7 at halftime, according to FOX Sports. The Rams' defence had held Josh Allen to 60 passing yards and 21 rushing yards in the first half, per the Rams' own game coverage, and Allen said afterwards that the Bills hadn't thrown it well before the break: "Guys kept chipping away. I don't think we threw it very well in the first half, but guys kept fighting," he said, as quoted by Yahoo Sports.
The second half turned into a shootout. Blake Corum's short touchdown run put Los Angeles back in front, and Keon Coleman answered with a touchdown catch for Buffalo, though the extra point was no good. A Rams two-point try failed, Allen ran in a score and the Bills converted their two-point attempt, then Matthew Stafford found Davante Adams again to tie it. James Cook put Buffalo ahead once more, and Kyren Williams scored in the final seconds of regulation to send the game to overtime, per FOX Sports and Yahoo Sports.
Overtime
Cook fumbled on Buffalo's first overtime possession, handing the Rams a chance to win it. Harrison Mevis' field-goal attempt was then blocked by Gregory Rousseau, and Buffalo's Tyler Bass kicked the winning field goal on a later drive. Sources differ on the distance of the kick (Yahoo Sports and the Rams say 45 yards, FOX Sports says 49), so Torch does not state it here.
The numbers
Yahoo Sports lists Allen at 12 of 19 for 210 yards with a touchdown and an interception, plus 10 carries for 121 yards and a touchdown. Cook ran 25 times for 111 yards and two touchdowns despite two fumbles. Stafford went 40 of 54 for 383 yards and three touchdowns without an interception, per both Yahoo Sports and the Rams. Puka Nacua caught 17 passes for 138 yards, a career high in receptions, according to the Rams.
What it means
Buffalo moves to 4-1 after a Week 4 loss to New England, and travels to Las Vegas in Week 6, Yahoo Sports reports. The Rams drop to 2-3. FOX Sports notes this was Allen's first overtime win; he had lost all seven previous overtime games.
For Los Angeles, head coach Sean McVay pointed to special teams. Speaking to reporters, he called the kicking game, including the extra point and field goal, "not even close to good enough. It cost us the game tonight," but added, "I'm proud of the way that we battled, and I'm sick that we came up short."