December 9, 2024

In a game we did not expect, Josh Allen sets records in Buffalo’s crushing loss to the Rams

Cutline: As Chuck Pollock points out, the Buffalo Bills loss wasted one of the most extraordinary QB performances ever, as Josh Allen scored six touchdowns, something only equalled by Otto Graham of the Browns 68 years ago in a playoff game. Ben Green photo, Buffalo Bills.

By CHUCK POLLOCK, Wellsville Sun Senior Sports Columnist

This probably wasn’t exactly what we expected.

Unless, of course, you were anticipating an 86-point game with 12 touchdowns, no turnovers and no sacks and a quarterback performance that has been equaled only once in NFL history .

That’s what happened Sunday afternoon at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium as the Bills put on an extraordinary offensive display as QB Josh Allen dramatically enhanced his credentials as NFL MVP but Buffalo lost to the desperate Rams, 44-42.

Coach Sean McDermott’s team slipped to 10-3 and while their hopes of winning the American Football Conference’s No. 1 seed are still mathematically alive, the Chiefs 19-17 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City last night pretty much decided the issue.

Buffalo has the easier schedule — at Detroit (12-1), New England twice and the Jets in Orchard Park (each being 3-10) — than the Chiefs — at Browns (3-10), home vs. Houston (8-5), at Steelers (10-3), at Broncos (8-5). But the reality is, even if Buffalo goes 3-1 to finish 13-4, Kansas City need only split its last four games to go 13-4 and offset the Bills’ advantage of a head-to-head victory.

MEANWHILE, McDermott has to ponder how this game, which Buffalo trailed 38-21 at the beginning of the fourth quarter and had cut the lead to three 6½ minutes later, wasted one of the most extraordinary QB performances ever.

Allen scored six touchdowns — passes of 51 yards to wide receiver Kahlil Sharir, 41 yards to running back Ty Johnson and 21 yards to wideout Mack Hollins — plus three 1-yard quarterback sneaks. Only the Browns’ Otto Graham equaled that effort 68 years ago … in the playoffs.

He wasn’t intercepted or sacked and Allen’s passing stats were glittering, 22-of-37, 342 yards and a 117.2 passer rating.

But Buffalo had a punt blocked returned for a touchdown and statistics show when that happens, teams win less than half the time.

MEANWHILE, the Rams improved to 7-6 and kept alive their hopes for an NFC wild-card playoff berth as they moved into second place in the West behind Seattle (8-5).

Afterward, despite arguably the best individual effort of his career. Allen was despondent.

“I don’t know the stats, I just know it wasn’t good enough to win the football game,” he said. “We didn’t play up to our standards and it starts with me.

“That was a really good team that we just played with a really good quarterback (Matthew Stafford, 23-of-30, 320 yards, two TDs 132.6 passer rating) and they played with urgency. At this point in the season they’re playing like they’re in the playoffs right now and you saw that and you felt that.

“We’ve got to come out with some urgency and I don’t think in any phase of the game we did that today.”

McDermott was also bothered by his tean’s lack of urgency at the start, “When you come out and aren’t winning the line of scrimmage, that’s not a good way to start the game. Whether we were or weren’t urgent enough, at the end of the day we didn’t come out like we needed to do to win the game.”

He added, “We lost two of the three disciplines (special teams and defense) and that’s not the formula for winning.”

There was a controversy over Buffalo’s time management in the final minute.

Trailing 44-35, the Bills faced first-and-goal from the Rams 1-yard-line with 1:06 to play. Allen was stopped short of the goalline but instead of jumping up and spiking the ball, Buffalo took a timeout, leaving them only two and effectively costing them 40 critical seconds when Buffalo kicked off to the Rams.

It was the wrong decision, but there were other issues.

The blocked punt, though happening in the first half, was a huge factor in deciding the game.

And Buffalo’s defense was a disgrace.

The Bills stubbornly stuck with zone pass coverage as Rams wideouts Puka Nacoa (12 catches for 162 yards and a TD) and Cooper Kupp (five catches, 92 yards, TD) ate it alive.

L.A. also rushed for 137 yards and that combination gave the Rams a staggering 17-minute edge in time of possession.

This game did not come down to botched clock management in the final minute.

NOTES FROM the Bills’ 44-42 loss to the Rams, Sunday afternoon at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium:

— The 86 total points was the most scored in an NFL game this season.

— The NFL has indicated that Buffalo is the first team to have scored six touchdowns and committed no turnovers and lost the game

— Buffalo’s 44 points surrendered was the most since the 2018 season opener, quarterback Josh Allen’s rookie year, when the Ravens hung a 47-3 loss on the Bills in Baltimore.

— The play of the game came early in the second quarter when Rams linebacker Jacob Hummell blocked a Sam Martin punt with tight end Hunter Long picking up the loose ball and motoring 22 yards for a touchdown.

It was the first time a Buffalo punt was blocked for a touchdown since Nov. 2014 when the Jets’ Manny Lawson covered the block in the end zone.

— Allen, for the 23rd time in his career, had at least two touchdown passes (he had three) and at least one rushing touchdown (he had three) in a game.

And the significance of that is the reality that Allen is only the second quarterback in NFL history to have thrown three touchdown passes and run for three scores in the same regular-season game.The other? Browns’ QB Otto Graham did it in the 1956 NFL title game, a 56-10 win over Detroit.

— The screen-pass touchdown scored by Bills running back Ty Johnson, at 41 yards, was the longest of his career.

— Kahlil Shakir’s 51-yard touchdown reception, his third of the year, was one yard short of his longest catch-and-run of the year.

— Wide receiver Mack Hollins caught his team-leading fifth touchdown pass of the campaign from 21 yards out.

— Rapp and Hamlin tied with a game-high 13 tackles and had game bests of eight and seven solos.

— Cornerback Rasul Douglas, who had a tough day, was injured on Cooper Kupp’s touchdown reception, when he collided with safety Taylor Rapp. However, he did return, but then left for good with a knee injury.

— Rams wide receiver Demarcus Robinson left the game after he and Bills safety Damar Hamlin were called for offensive and defensive pass interference, respectively on the same play. He didn’t return.

— Allen’s three 1-yard quarterback sneaks for a touchdown gave him nine rushing scores of the season.

— Inactive for the Bills were tight end Dalton Kincaid (knee), tight end Quintin Morris (wrist), wide receiver Keon Coleman (wrist), cornerback Kaiir Elam, linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio, tackle Will Clapp and defensive tackle Jordan Phillips

(Chuck Pollock, a Wellsville Sun and Olean Star senior sports columnist, can be reached at cpollock@wnynet.net.)

Read more on the Bills and Bonnies from Chuck:

• Will the Bills be motivated against the Rams?

• Schmidt doesn’t want the Bonnies to get caught up in 12-1 talk

• A look at the rise under Sean McDermott

• The snow and the Buffalo Bills were too much for the 49ers

• St. Bonaventure Bonnies put unbeaten hoops record on the line in ESPN Tournament

• Pollock Prediction on San Fran at Buffalo Sunday night game

• A look at Terry Pegula’s beginnings in Olean and his competitive drive to win

• A look at McDermott’s smart play-calling and why aren’t we talking more about James Cook?

• Can the Bills do this to the Chiefs in the playoffs? Josh Allen touchdown run seals victory

• Pollock predicts a one-point Kansas City victory