Josh Allen’s Heroics Not Enough as Bills Fall to Rams 44-42
Rams 44, Bills 42 | Final score, stats to know + game highlights
Location: SoFi Stadium
Final score: Rams 44, Bills 42
Records: Bills (10-3), Rams (7-6)
Next opponent: Bills at Lions on Sunday, December 15 at 4:25 pm ET
QB Josh Allen orchestrated the offense, leading the unit in both rushing and passing. Allen ran for 82 yards and 3 touchdowns, while also passing for 342 yards and 3 touchdowns. WR Khalil Shakir led the Bills in receiving with 106 yards and 1 touchdown.
On defense, S Taylor Rapp led the way with 13 tackles. Behind him were S Damar Hamlin and LB Terrel Bernard with 12 tackles and 10 tackles respectively.
🏈🏈1. TD for TD
The Bills won the toss and elected to defer to the second half. After receiving the opening kickoff, the Rams offense took the ball all the way down field, utilizing their run game for 41 yards, including the three-yard rushing touchdown from RB Kyren Williams for the opening score of the game.
Immediately after, the Bills offense took the field and matched the Rams. After a roughing the passer call that converted a third down, QB Josh Allen threw darts that were completed, two of which were 16 yards and one of 14 yards to WR Khalil Shakir, WR Mack Hollins and RB Ty Johnson on a screen pass. The Bills then lined up in a heavy formation and Allen snuck into the end zone for the tying score.
The Bills second drive was not as successful as they were forced to punt after an initial 18-yard reception by WR Amari Cooper.
P Sam Martin’s punt was blocked by Jacob Hummel and returned for a touchdown Hunter Long, putting the Bills down by 10.
Allen and the offense lined up again, this time finding the end zone. Allen found Johnson, who waited for his blockers to set up and ran behind the wall into the end zone to shrink the lead back to 3.
⌛3. Rams Control the Clock
The Bills struggled to move the ball after their touchdown drive, being forced to punt right before halftime. The Rams ran out the clock to take their 24-14 lead into the locker room.
The Bills received the ball to start the second half, but were forced into a three-and-out, giving the Rams the ball once again. The Rams then ran an 11-play drive that ended in a touchdown and utilized 5:29 of the clock. RB Kyren Williams punched it in from seven yards out to give the Rams the 31-14 lead.
💨4. Shakir catch and run crib call
The Bills offense found their footing midway through the third quarter.
After being pushed back to a first-and-30, Allen put the offense on his back, scrambling to his left, avoiding a defender and faking another to gain 17 yards on second down.
On the very next play, the Rams sent pressure and Allen threw a quick pass to Shakir, who split through the Rams defense and ran into the end zone for 51 yards, bringing the score to 31-21.
➡️5. Closing in
The Rams took possession and scored a touchdown to expand their lead back to 17 points. QB Matthew Stafford found WR Cooper Kupp for the 17-yard touchdown.
When Allen and the offense regained possession, Allen took it upon himself with a quick, five-play drive to bring the Bills back within 10 again.
On third-and-10 to close out the third quarter, Allen scrambled for 20 yards and picked up a first down and picked up an additional 15 yards due to a horse collar tackle flag. Allen then threaded the needle to Shakir once again, as he absorbed contact and fell down at the Rams one-yard line. At the one, Allen ran it in to bring the score to 38-28.
🔒6. Locked in
The Bills chipped away at the Rams lead, shrinking it to three when Allen found Hollins for a 21-yard touchdown on the right side of the end zone.
Starting at their own nine-yard line, Allen completed the 10-play drive that included a 30-yard scramble to his right for 30 yards. Five plays later, he found Hollins for the touchdown to bring the score to 38-35.
😠7. Rams separate
Continuing the excitement in the fourth quarter, the Rams took over with 8:41 to go in the fourth quarter. The Bills nearly stopped the Rams on third-and-nine, but a pass interference gave the Rams a fresh set of downs. Five plays later, facing a fourth-and-five, Stafford completed a pass to WR Tutu Atwell to get the first down.
Following the two-minute warning, Stafford found WR Puka Nacua for his second touchdown of the day. After a missed extra point, the Rams had a nine-point lead.
😮8. Adding to the record books
The Bills closed in within two with a record touchdown by Allen. On the drive, aided by two pass interference penalties that put them at the Rams one-yard line, Allen snuck into the endzone, becoming the first player in NFL history with three rushing touchdowns and three passing touchdowns.
The Bills were unable to recover the onside kick attempt and the Rams ran the last two timeouts of the Bills, ending the game.
Lineup Notes: DT DeWayne Carter made his return to the lineup after missing five games with a wrist injury; S Lewis Cine made his Bills debut; CB Rasul Douglas left the game with a knee injury in the fourth quarter
