Buffalo Bills beat Rams 37-34 in dramatic overtime comeback
The Buffalo Bills secured a dramatic 37-34 overtime victory against the Los Angeles Rams, overcoming two fumbles and a last-second touchdown. Josh Allen’s key runs led to a game-winning field goal by Tyler Bass, with Greg Rousseau blocking a crucial Rams kick. The Bills improved to 4-1, while the Rams fell to 2-3.
Photo: Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills survived two costly fumbles, a last-second touchdown and a potential game-winning field goal attempt by the Los Angeles Rams before escaping SoFi Stadium with a 37-34 overtime victory Monday night.
Greg Rousseau blocked a 48-yard field goal attempt by Harrison Mevis in overtime, giving Josh Allen one final opportunity to win the game. The Buffalo quarterback responded with two important runs before Tyler Bass converted a 45-yard field goal with 1:55 remaining.
The Buffalo Bills improved to 4-1, recovering from their first defeat of the season against the New England Patriots. Los Angeles dropped to 2-3 despite a 383-yard, three-touchdown performance from Matthew Stafford.
Allen finished with 331 total yards, including 210 passing and 121 rushing, and accounted for two touchdowns. The result also marked his first career overtime victory.
Buffalo Bills survive late Rams comeback
For much of Monday night, Buffalo struggled to establish an offensive rhythm against Los Angeles. Allen had just 98 passing yards through three quarters, and the Bills were unable to consistently produce the explosive plays that had defined their opening two games of the season.
The quarterback finally found Keon Coleman for a touchdown late in the third quarter, putting Buffalo ahead 19-14. A false-start penalty forced the Bills to abandon a planned two-point conversion attempt, and Bass subsequently missed the extra point.
The Rams responded almost immediately after the fourth quarter began. Puka Nacua caught a touchdown pass from Stafford, putting Los Angeles ahead 20-19 and beginning a series of lead changes that transformed the final period.
Allen answered with a touchdown on a quarterback sneak, and Dalton Kincaid caught the two-point conversion to give Buffalo a 27-20 advantage.
Stafford then found Davante Adams for a touchdown to tie the game. With the score level, the Buffalo Bills turned to Allen’s mobility to create another scoring opportunity.
The quarterback converted a third down with his legs, connected with Khalil Shakir for a 17-yard gain and later scrambled for 21 yards on second-and-17. James Cook finished the possession with a five-yard touchdown run, putting Buffalo ahead 34-27 with 1:39 remaining.
But Los Angeles still had enough time to respond. Stafford moved the Rams downfield, and Kyren Williams scored from one yard out with four seconds left in regulation to force overtime.
Greg Rousseau blocks crucial overtime field goal
The extra period initially appeared to favour Buffalo. Allen connected with Shakir on a 57-yard completion that moved the Bills deep into Rams territory. Los Angeles safety Kamren Kinchens prevented a touchdown with a last-second tackle.
However, Buffalo lost possession on the following play. Rams linebacker Nate Landman forced Cook’s second fumble of the night, and Aaron Donald recovered the ball, giving Los Angeles an opportunity to win.
Stafford moved the Rams into field goal range with completions to Davis Allen and Nacua. Mevis lined up for a 48-yard attempt that could have ended the game, but Rousseau got a hand on the kick and prevented Los Angeles from taking the victory.
The blocked field goal was particularly significant given Buffalo’s earlier offensive mistakes. Rather than allowing the Rams to capitalize on another turnover, the Bills defense created one more possession for Allen.
Rousseau’s intervention also continued his strong opening stretch of the season, following a six-sack performance across Buffalo’s first three games.
Josh Allen delivers first career overtime victory
After Rousseau’s block, Allen needed only a short possession to move the Buffalo Bills into scoring position.
The quarterback used his legs on consecutive scrambles of 19 and 13 yards, placing the offense within Bass’ field goal range.
Bass then converted from 45 yards to secure the 37-34 victory. Allen’s 121 rushing yards were central to Buffalo’s comeback, particularly during the fourth quarter and overtime when the passing offense had struggled to consistently move the ball.
His performance also provided a different ending from the teams’ previous meeting at SoFi Stadium.
In that matchup, Allen became the first NFL player to record three passing touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns in the same game, but Buffalo still lost 44-42.
This time, the Bills found a way to finish the game despite surrendering another late touchdown and committing two overtime-threatening mistakes through Cook’s fumbles.
Buffalo Bills return to winning form
The victory was especially important for a Buffalo team coming off a narrow defeat against New England. The Bills had entered Monday night with questions surrounding their offensive consistency after struggling to sustain drives in consecutive games.
Against Los Angeles, those difficulties continued through the opening three quarters before Allen led the offense through a much stronger finish.
Shakir’s 57-yard overtime reception provided one of Buffalo’s biggest offensive plays, while Cook contributed a crucial fourth-quarter touchdown despite his two fumbles.
Defensively, Rousseau delivered the decisive intervention when Los Angeles appeared positioned to win. For the Rams, Nacua finished with a career-high 17 receptions for 138 yards and a touchdown, while Stafford’s three passing touchdowns helped Los Angeles erase multiple deficits.
Buffalo also dealt with injuries. Right tackle Spencer Brown left the game in the second half because of a back injury, while wide receiver DJ Moore was unavailable with a shoulder injury.
The Buffalo Bills will now travel to Las Vegas for their next game Sunday, while the Rams return home to face the Arizona Cardinals