The Buffalo Bills secured a hard-fought victory on Saturday night, claiming a 24-22 win over the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium in a game that went down to the final minutes.
Tyler Bass clinched the victory with a 29-yard field goal in the closing seconds, ensuring the Bills remained in the playoff race. Ed Oliver contributed to the triumph by sacking Easton Stick for the second time of the night, creating significant pressure on the Chargers’ offense as the clock ran down.
Josh Allen wrapped up the game with 237 passing yards, one passing touchdown, and an interception. Additionally, he made a significant impact on the ground with 15 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. This marked his 11th game with both a passing and rushing touchdown in a single season, setting an NFL record he established just last week against the Dallas Cowboys.
The defensive performance was spearheaded by Taylor Rapp, who tallied 9 total tackles, while the front four, alongside cornerback Rasul Douglas, contributed to a total of three sacks.
After a sluggish start with two stalled drives, the Bills found themselves trailing by 10 early in the second quarter. A fumble by Deonte Harty on a punt return set up the Chargers for a quick touchdown drive following their opening field goal.
The Buffalo Bills are still very much alive in the race to the postseason after Saturday night’s 24-22 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
— Crissy Froyd (@crissy_froyd) December 24, 2023
How that affects the AFC East standings heading into Sunday:https://t.co/FWo96NOuVh
In the second quarter, the Buffalo defense forced a three-and-out, and the offense seized the opportunity, taking a lead they maintained for the rest of the game. Allen’s quick connection with Gabe Davis resulted in a 57-yard touchdown, significantly shifting the momentum.
Davis, who had been without a reception in the Bills’ previous two games, delivered a standout performance with four catches for 130 yards and a touchdown. His impactful plays, including a deep reception that set up Buffalo’s third touchdown, played a pivotal role in securing the victory for the Bills.
Buffalo Bill’s newcomer, running back Leonard Fournette, had his debut carry as he ran up the middle for a 3-yard gain. The former LSU Tiger wrapped up the evening with five carries for 15 yards, marking his first appearance since joining the Bills’ practice squad.
Despite significant errors throughout the game, the Bills managed to do sufficient damage control towards the end to secure the victory.
In the middle of the fourth quarter, a fumble by Cook on the Bills’ 31-yard line granted the Chargers an opportunity to score, trailing by just two points.
Before Harty’s fumble in the first quarter, Christian Benford intercepted deep in Chargers territory. Unfortunately, a defensive holding call nullified the turnover.
Allen’s interception led to a successful field goal for L.A., narrowing Buffalo’s lead to just one point in the middle of the third quarter.
On the ensuing drive, defensive tackle Poona Ford secured his first sack of the season at a crucial moment, forcing the Chargers to settle for a field goal after reaching the Buffalo 16-yard line. Buffalo answered with a 75-yard touchdown drive, finalized by Allen’s second touchdown of the game, providing a more comfortable lead for the Bills.
Throughout the game, penalties consistently disrupted positive plays. In the initial moments of the fourth quarter, successive penalties against Spencer Brown and Mitch Morse negated potential first-down plays. Instead of advancing towards the Chargers’ end zone, the Bills found themselves moving backward towards their own.
Confronted with a third-and-23 situation, Allen faced his first sack of the night, leading to their fourth punt. This turnover granted the Chargers an opportunity to seize the lead. Another penalty compelled Sam Martin to punt from the back of the Bills’ end zone.
Nevertheless, Martin mitigated the impact of offensive penalties by delivering an impressive 58-yard punt. The punter played a pivotal role in the Bills’ field control for a substantial portion of the game, strategically placing the Chargers inside their own 10-yard line twice and inside their 15-yard line once out of his four punts.
With this victory, the Bills now boast a 9-6 record for the season and currently hold the sixth position in the AFC. This places them in a favorable position ahead of a full slate of crucial games involving the rest of the conference on Sunday.
In the second half, Josh Allen’s rushing touchdown marked a significant milestone, as it was the quarterback’s 50th in his six-year career. This achievement positions him just behind O.J. Simpson for the second-most rushing touchdowns in team history. Additionally, Allen’s touchdown pass in that game brought his season total to 27, ranking as the fifth-highest in a single season by a Bills quarterback.
By notching three total touchdowns, Allen reached a historic milestone, becoming the first player in NFL history to achieve 40 or more total touchdowns in four consecutive seasons. Furthermore, he extended an impressive streak of games with two or more offensive touchdowns to 14 straight games.
Stefon Diggs’ five receptions surpassed Eric Moulds and Peerless Price, securing the fourth-highest number of catches by a Bill in a single season.
With 70 rushing yards, James Cook achieved a career milestone by surpassing 1,000 rushing yards for the first time. Cook is now the first Bill to achieve 1,000 or more rushing yards in a single season since LeSean McCoy in 2017.
Ed Oliver’s two sacks in the fourth quarter extended his career season-high to 8.5 sacks.
SCORING PLAYS
- 6:32 1Q | BUF 0 LAC 3 | Cameron Dicker executes a successful 20-yard field goal.
- 13:49 2Q | BUF 0 LAC 10 | Easton Stick achieves a touchdown with a 1-yard run to the right.
- 9:02 2Q | BUF 7 LAC 10 | Josh Allen links up with Gabe Davis on a 57-yard pass, resulting in a touchdown.
- 0:38 2Q | BUF 14 LAC 10 | Josh Allen makes a 2-yard rush to the short right, scoring a touchdown.
- 7:22 3Q | BUF 14 LAC 13 | Cameron Dicker successfully completes a 40-yard field goal.
- 1:28 3Q | BUF 21 LAC 13 | Josh Allen secures a touchdown with a 1-yard run up the middle.
- 12:36 4Q | BUF 21 LAC 16 | Cameron Dicker converts a 47-yard field goal.
- 7:19 4Q | BUF 21 LAC 19 | Cameron Dicker adeptly kicks a 45-yard field goal.
- 5:26 4Q | BUF 21 LAC 22 | Cameron Dicker executes a 53-yard field goal.
- 0:28 4Q | BUF 24 LAC 22 | Tyler Bass successfully completes a 29-yard field goal.
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