The Buffalo Bills had to feel tormented by every close win over the Kansas City Chiefs. They couldn’t gain any ground in the race for the AFC’s No. 1 seed despite being 10-2 with a head-to-head win over the Chiefs. It meant that the pressure was constantly high; the Bills couldn’t really afford to lose a game.
The Bills are not yet out of the race for the top seed and the only bye in the AFC, but their path became a lot more difficult on Sunday. The Los Angeles Rams, who started Sunday’s game 6-6, overwhelmed the Bills on Sunday and won 44-42. The Bills lost despite six touchdowns from Josh Allen. He had three passing and three rushing. Fox said during the broadcast that Allen is the first player ever with three passing touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns in a game.
Los Angeles started fast, getting a huge punt block for a touchdown and moving the ball on the Bills defense at ease. Buffalo got back into the game, with an Allen touchdown pass that cut Los Angeles’ lead to 38-35 in the fourth quarter, but the defense couldn’t get a critical stop after that and Puka Nacua’s 19-yard touchdown right after the two. ..A minute warning helped put the match aside. The Bills fell to 10-3 and a game and a half behind the Chiefs, who entered Sunday night’s game with an 11-1 record.
The loss doesn’t say much about the Bills. They went all over the country and lost to a well-coached team that is still in the playoff race. It happens.
But it’s the kind of loss that could mean the Bills have to travel to Arrowhead Stadium in January.
Bills dug a hole for themselves
Buffalo’s defense should be ashamed of themselves. If your quarterback scores six touchdowns, you can’t lose.
It was clear early on that the Bills were in for a tough game. On the Rams’ first possession, they went 70 yards on 12 plays, with Kyren Williams scoring a touchdown. The Rams led 10-7 when they made the move that changed the momentum. Rams linebacker Jacob Hummel came up with a punt through the middle of the Rams line, got a clean block and it was scooped up by tight end Hunter Long and returned for 22 yards and a touchdown.
It took the Bills a while to recover after that. Los Angeles built a 31-14 lead early in the second half. The Rams had an efficient offensive day. Puka Nacua had a big game with 12 catches for 162 yards. Buffalo played well on defense for most of the season, but Sean McVay and the Rams offense had answers for that. Buffalo got back into the game with two rushing touchdowns to start the fourth quarter, but the Rams went on a long drive to eat up most of the clock. The Rams picked up a huge fourth-and-5 conversion with less than four minutes left, with Stafford hitting Tutu Atwell over the middle for a first down.
The Bills then sparked a new scoring drive. They had a failed quarterback sneak, and it was costly because Buffalo then called the first timeout. That gave them just two timeouts after Allen scored, costing them a chance to get the ball back after a failed onside kick.
The Rams needed a win to stay current in the NFC West race, with a slim chance of still clinching a wild-card spot. They played with the urgency of a team that needed to pull off a major upset.
The Bills also had urgency, they just didn’t play well enough against a Rams team that was getting hot.
Chiefs extend lead for No. 1 seed
The Chiefs create a lot of their own luck, but this season they have caught breaks. They lived in close matches and won every match they played in this season, which was decided by one score. The Bills loss on Sunday is another big help for them.
Kansas City doesn’t need the No. 1 seed to make a Super Bowl, as we saw last season, but it can’t hurt. There are still chances for the Bills or even the 10-3 Pittsburgh Steelers to take Kansas City for the No. 1 seed and the bye, but it gets harder with each loss.
The Bills had won seven straight before Sunday, but were still chasing the Chiefs for the best record in the AFC. Buffalo’s bad day in Los Angeles makes that pursuit even more challenging.
