The Buffalo Bills beat the Los Angeles Chargers 24-16 on Sunday at Highmark Stadium, and finishing drives decided it. Buffalo turned 3 of 4 red-zone trips into touchdowns. Los Angeles managed 1 touchdown on its 4 trips.

The Chargers won the turnover battle by a wide margin, held the ball longer and finished just 2 yards short of Buffalo in total offense. They still lost because they kept settling for field goals.

How It Happened

Los Angeles struck first. Justin Herbert hit Keaton Mitchell for a 1-yard touchdown at 10:33 of the first quarter. Cameron Dicker added a 31-yard field goal with 34 seconds left in the quarter for a 10-0 lead.

Buffalo answered in the second quarter. Tyler Bass hit a 28-yard field goal at 6:02. Josh Allen then ran in from 1 yard out with 16 seconds left before halftime, tying the game at 10.

The third quarter belonged to Los Angeles, but only barely. Dicker's 21-yard field goal at 6:12 put the Chargers back in front 13-10.

Buffalo took over in the fourth quarter. Allen scored his second 1-yard touchdown at 7:35 to put the Bills in front. James Cook III added a 3-yard run at 3:13 to make it 24-13. Dicker's 33-yard field goal at 1:56 cut into the deficit, and Los Angeles got no closer.

Key Performers

Rushing TDs: Josh Allen – 2 (1 YD, 1 YD)
Rushing TD: James Cook III – 1 (3 YDS)
Field Goals: Cameron Dicker – 3 (31, 21, 33 YDS), 1 PAT
Passing TD: Justin Herbert – 1 (1 YD to Keaton Mitchell)
BUF Rushing: 33 ATT, 176 YDS, 5.3 per carry
LAC Rushing: 28 ATT, 131 YDS, 4.7 per carry
BUF Turnovers: 5 (2 INT, 3 fumbles lost)
LAC Turnovers: 1 (1 INT)

Buffalo's ground game carried the day. The Bills averaged more than 5 yards a carry and picked up 11 first downs on the ground, nearly double the Chargers' 6. That production kept the offense functional on a day when it kept giving the ball away.

Allen accounted for 2 of Buffalo's 3 touchdowns, both from 1 yard out. Dicker supplied 10 of the Chargers' 16 points, which is exactly the problem for Los Angeles.

What It Means

Buffalo is 3-0 and 2-0 at home, but this was not a clean win. The Bills committed 10 penalties for 88 yards, gave up 4 sacks and lost 3 fumbles. Winning anyway says something about their ability to finish. Repeating it every week is not a sustainable plan.

The Bills also went 2 for 2 on fourth down. Those conversions extended drives in a game where possessions were too valuable to waste.

Los Angeles is 0-3. The Chargers did enough between the 20s, converting 6 of 15 third downs and holding the ball for more than 31 minutes. They went 0 for 1 on fourth down and, more costly, came away from 3 red-zone trips without a touchdown.

A team that wins the turnover battle by 4 should win the game. Until the Chargers start scoring touchdowns instead of field goals in close, results like this one will keep piling up.