The Buffalo Bills often take the hard road to victory. Last night, they barely beat the Los Angeles Chargers 24-22. Buffalo dug themselves into a 10-0 hole in the first quarter. However, Josh Allen’s scrambling 57-yard touchdown throw to WR Gabe Davis proved a stroke of magic. Davis caught the pass from Allen, as Davis stiffed-armed a Chargers defender 15 yards into the endzone. The Allen-Davis connection shifted the momentum Buffalo’s way. The team clawed their way back when Allen rushed for a touchdown right before halftime. The Bills walked into the locker room with a 14-10 lead.
Here is how the rest of the roller coaster game shook out.
Josh Allen breaks two quarterback records
Josh Allen rushed for two scores on the day. His long touchdown to Davis helped the gunslinger become the first NFL player to rack up rushing and passing touchdowns for 11 games in one season. The Buffalo Bills’ quarterback also hit 40 total touchdowns this year. Allen is the only quarterback to accomplish this feat 4 seasons in a row.
Despite Allen’s achievements, the signal caller’s day was far from perfect. He threw a bad pick in the third quarter, a ball intended for Stefon Diggs. Diggs and Allen are somewhat out of sync lately. Allen also took a costly sack in the fourth quarter. Fortunately, the Bills’ last offensive drive sealed the deal.
Allen and the offense knocked 5 minutes off the clock, Tyler Bass scoring the game-winning field goal with 28 seconds left. The quarterback’s pass to Diggs to move the chains on 3rd and 8 proved crucial. Khalil Shakir’s negated touchdown with 2:25 left in the game was divine intervention. That was too much time for the Chargers to score a needed touchdown to win the game 29-28.
Buffalo overcomes three turnovers
When a team loses the turnover battle, they usually end up with an “L.” Luck was on Buffalo’s side, with a pair of fumbles by James Cook and Deonte Harty not impacting the result. Add Allen’s interception into the mix and the final 24-22 victory is more impressive. The Bills need to clean up the turnovers.
They will not get this lucky every week, and winning out is necessary to keep their playoff spot.
The Bills’ defense keeps things too close for comfort
The Buffalo Bills defense kept things too close for comfort. They gave up big plays to wide-open receivers, Sean McDermott’s soft zone schemes making it too easy for third-string QB Eason Stick. Kicker Cameron Dicker went 5 for 5 on the day. The final second of regulation was a remnant of the “Music City Miracle” game in 1999, as the Chargers attempted a series of laterals that had Buffalo fans chewing off every fingernail. Ed Oliver has been a force, his two sacks helping the Bills hold off the Chargers. GM Brandon Beane signing the Packers' Rasul Douglas has been a steal; the defensive back is one of the best cornerbacks in the league right now.
Leonard Floyd has also been phenomenal.
Buffalo gets help from the Steelers, Browns and Falcons
The Bills received a lot of help from other AFC teams. Wins by the Steelers, Browns and Falcons propelled Buffalo to the 6th playoff seed. The Bills now control their destiny. If they win the next two games, the Bills are in the post-season. Buffalo faces the New England Patriots at home on New Year’s Eve. A win by the Dallas Cowboys over the Miami Dolphins today will also help Buffalo. The AFC East division winner is still up for grabs, the final game against the Miami Dolphins a must-watch match-up for Buffalo fans. A Miami loss and two Buffalo victories give the Bills the AFC East Division title.
