The Buffalo Bills beat the Los Angeles Rams 37-34 in overtime Monday night, winning on a 45-yard Tyler Bass field goal with 1:55 left in the extra period. Buffalo averaged more than 6 yards a carry and scored 3 of its 4 touchdowns on the ground.
The Rams did plenty right and still lost. They didn't turn the ball over and scored touchdowns on all 5 of their red zone trips. But they had no answer for a Bills offense that gained nearly 8 yards a play.
How It Happened
Bass opened the scoring with a 49-yard field goal early in the first quarter. He added a 23-yarder with 10 seconds left in the period for a 6-0 lead.
Matthew Stafford answered in the second quarter with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Davante Adams, putting the Rams ahead 7-6. James Cook III took the lead back at 5:09 with a 17-yard touchdown run, and Buffalo led 13-7 at halftime.
Blake Corum's 1-yard run gave Los Angeles a 14-13 lead at 10:11 of the third quarter. Josh Allen hit Keon Coleman for a 7-yard score late in the period, but Bass missed the extra point, leaving Buffalo up 19-14.
The fourth quarter produced 5 touchdowns. Stafford found Puka Nacua from 2 yards out at 14:16, but the two-point pass failed, so the Rams led by just 1. Allen responded with a 1-yard touchdown run, then threw to Dalton Kincaid for the two-point conversion and a 7-point lead.
Stafford tied it at 7:14 with his second touchdown pass to Adams, this one from 5 yards. Cook's 5-yard run with 1:39 left put Buffalo back on top by 7. The Rams answered again: Kyren Williams scored from 1 yard out with 5 seconds left, and the extra point sent the game to overtime tied at 34.
Overtime
Bass ended it from 45 yards out. He finished with 3 field goals, accounting for the first points of the night and the last.
Key Performers
James Cook III, BUF: 2 rushing TD (17 YDS, 5 YDS)
Josh Allen, BUF: 1 passing TD, 1 rushing TD, 1 two-point conversion pass
Tyler Bass, BUF: 3 FG (49, 23, 45 YDS), 1 missed PAT
Matthew Stafford, LAR: 3 passing TD
Davante Adams, LAR: 2 receiving TD (4 YDS, 5 YDS)
Cook's two scores both put Buffalo back in front after a Rams touchdown. The second came with under 2 minutes to play and should have been the winner.
What It Means
Buffalo improves to 4-1 and stays perfect on the road at 2-0. The win came despite 13 penalties for 112 yards and 2 turnovers. A cleaner Bills team doesn't need overtime here.
The difference on the ground was stark. Buffalo picked up 14 first downs rushing to the Rams' 6, and Los Angeles managed only 77 rushing yards at just over 3 a carry. Stafford's offense threw 54 times.
The Rams fall to 2-3 and 1-2 at home. They converted both fourth-down tries and half their third downs, but each lead they took was erased within the same quarter.