Despite a record-setting performance from Josh Allen, the Buffalo Bills saw their seven-game winning streak come to an end with a 44-42 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. Allen became the first player in NFL history to throw for three touchdowns and rush for three touchdowns in a single game, yet it was a pivotal play in the final minutes that drew the most attention.
Trailing by nine points late in the fourth quarter, Allen was stopped for no gain on a quarterback sneak on first-and-goal from the Rams’ 1-yard line. The Bills used their first timeout with just over a minute remaining. “I have to find a way to get in,” said Allen, who finished the game with 324 passing yards and 82 rushing yards. “I don’t know the stats, but I know it wasn’t good enough to win the game.”
On the following play, Allen successfully rushed left for his ninth touchdown of the season, bringing the Bills within two points. However, Buffalo was forced to attempt an onside kick with under a minute left. The Rams’ Ronnie Rivers recovered Tyler Bass’ kick at the Bills’ 45-yard line, allowing Los Angeles to run out the clock.
With the loss, the Bills fell to 10-3 and now share the second seed in the AFC with the Pittsburgh Steelers, losing ground in their pursuit of the Kansas City Chiefs for the top spot. Allen’s short-yardage sneaks have been effective this season, but he was stopped on two of three attempts from the opponents’ 1-yard line.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott defended the decision to call the sneak and the use of the timeout. He noted that an additional 15 to 20 seconds would have elapsed if they had opted to spike the ball instead. “You have two options and neither are great,” McDermott said. “We ran what we thought was our best play all year. If we had recovered the onside kick, we would have had a legitimate chance to win.”
The Bills were unable to recover an onside kick, a feat that has proven difficult this season, with only three successful recoveries out of 41 attempts league-wide. Although Buffalo scored on their final four possessions, Allen lamented missed opportunities earlier in the game, particularly before halftime and on their first drive of the second half.
“We have to find ways to score before and after the half. We didn’t do our part,” said Allen, who completed 22 of 37 passes. “It was a total team loss in three phases. We didn’t play up to our standards.” Notably, Allen had nearly all of his rushing yards in the second half as the Bills attempted to overcome a 38-21 deficit late in the third quarter.
Allen’s performance placed him alongside Kordell Stewart as the only players in NFL history with multiple games featuring at least three touchdown passes and two rushing scores. This was also Allen’s fifth game with at least two rushing and passing touchdowns, surpassing Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Young for the most in NFL history.
Rams coach Sean McVay praised Allen’s dual-threat ability, stating, “He’s a nightmare to defend… That’s why he’s a legitimate MVP candidate.” Despite Allen’s efforts, the Bills struggled defensively, forcing the Rams to punt only twice and allowing a blocked punt that led to a touchdown.
McDermott acknowledged Allen’s “incredible” performance but emphasized the need for the team to support him better, especially with a challenging road game against the 12-1 Detroit Lions on the horizon. “We have our work cut out for us this week,” he said.
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