The Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Rams needed nearly 70 minutes to decide a winner on Monday.
If we’re lucky, they’ll play at least 60 more in February.
The Bills beat the Rams 37-34 in an overtime thriller on “Monday Night Football.” The game, a matchup of championship contenders and the last two NFL MVPs, lived up to its billing as a seismic showdown — and perhaps provided a preview of Super Bowl 61.
Buffalo outlasted Los Angeles in a back-and-forth affair featuring numerous twists, turns, touchdowns, turnovers and game-changing plays. After the teams combined for 33 points through the first three quarters, they combined for a whopping 38 in the fourth quarter and overtime.
Josh Allen, the 2024 NFL MVP, completed 12 of 19 passes for 210 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He was also an absolute bruiser on the ground, running 10 times for 121 yards and a score.
Matthew Stafford, the reigning MVP, was also sensational. He completed 40 of 54 passes for 383 yards and three touchdowns — the third straight game in which he’s attempted at least 50 passes.
Both quarterbacks conducted nearly perfect offenses in the second half.
After scoring a touchdown on their final possession of the third quarter, the Bills entered the fourth leading 19-14. The teams then traded touchdowns on their next five drives. In the second half, the offenses combined for seven touchdowns and only two punts.
After an eight-play, 71-yard jaunt by the Rams tied the game at 27 with seven minutes and 14 seconds to go, the teams traded especially textbook scoring drives.
First, Buffalo went on an 11-play, 71-yard journey that included a 21-yard run by Josh Allen on second-and-17.
Two plays later, the Bills got in the end zone with only 99 seconds left in the game. That’s when Stafford got to work, marching Los Angeles 63 yards in only eight plays for the game-tying score with only five seconds left on the clock.
In overtime, the Rams won the toss and elected to defend first, a decision that soon proved to be genius by coach Sean McVay.
On the third play of overtime, Allen found Khalil Shakir for a 57-yard pass that was incredibly close to being a touchdown. Shakir was streaking down the left sideline when Kam Kinchens dove and just barely was able to swipe at Shakir’s feet, causing the receiver to go down.
The touchdown-saving tackle proved to be massive, because on the very next play, running back James Cook fumbled.
Los Angeles took over needing only a field goal to win, and promptly drove 50 yards down to Buffalo’s 30-yard line, setting up a huge moment in the game. On third-and-5, McVay opted to stay on the ground instead of a more aggressive approach to attempt a closer field goal.
The decision backfired, as Rams kicker Harrison Mevis’s 48-yard game-winning field goal attempt was blocked by defensive end Greg Rousseau — much to the relief of Cook.
“I wish I would have had a better play call and gone for it and got it a lot tighter,” McVay said postgame about his third-down call. “I’m sick right now with myself…I’ll be regretting kicking that and not having a better call…it’s on me.”
He added: “Been a while since I have been this pissed after a game, too.”
After four runs following the missed kick, Bills kicker Tyler Bass drilled home a 45-yard field goal, securing the win for Buffalo.
“It’s football. You can be down and out one play and another play on top of the world,” Allen said of the overtime rollercoaster. “That’s just how it rolled for us today.”
The Bills improved to 4-1 with the victory, remaining in first place in the AFC East.
The Rams, on the other hand, fell to 2-3, including 1-2 at home. Los Angeles has yet to win two straight games this season, alternating losses and wins in each of the first five weeks, putting it in third place in the NFC West.
Monday’s game was an instant classic, and a similar rematch would make for a fantastic Super Bowl. With the loss, though, the Rams will be facing a particularly uphill climb for these two teams to play each other again this season.
