A game full of swings and self-inflicted wounds came down to a single hand in the air. Buffalo edge rusher Greg Rousseau got a piece of Harrison Mevis’ 48-yard try in overtime, and moments later Tyler Bass kicked the Bills to a 37-34 win over the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on Monday night. It was Josh Allen’s first overtime victory as a pro.
Buffalo looked to have the game won in regulation. James Cook scored from 5 yards out to put Buffalo seven points clear with 99 seconds left, but that was enough time for Matthew Stafford. The Rams moved down the field and Kyren Williams plunged in from a yard out with only seconds on the clock to force the extra period.
Overtime delivered more chaos. Khalil Shakir turned a short throw into a 57-yard gain on the first play, only for Cook to fumble on the next snap and Aaron Donald to pounce on the loose ball. Los Angeles crept into range, but Mevis, who had already missed from 50 yards in the first quarter, had his second attempt swatted down. Allen then scrambled for big gains on back-to-back plays, and Bass finished it from 45 yards.
The numbers reflected two very different plans. Puka Nacua caught a career-high 17 passes for 138 yards, and Stafford completed 40 of 54 attempts, threw for 383 yards and had three touchdown passes. Buffalo leaned on the ground instead, piling up 234 rushing yards, with Cook gaining 108 and two touchdowns and Allen running for 121. Officials threw 24 penalty flags over the night.
At 4-1, Buffalo leads the AFC East; Los Angeles falls to 2-3.
