INGLEWOOD, Calif. - One of the themes that has become prevalent in the second half of the NFL season is that the Buffalo Bills have been going up against teams with their collective back pressed against the wall.
That’s the case once again Sunday afternoon when they meet the 6-6 Los Angeles Rams at spectacular SoFi Stadium, a team that dug itself a 1-4 hole to start the year, but has won five of its last seven in an attempt to get back into the playoff race, which it now is.
Since the start of November, the Bills have played desperate teams in the Dolphins, Colts and 49ers and beat them all, and they also threw in a victory over the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs which ended Kansas City’s run at perfection.
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All that great work means the Bills are already AFC East champs, and of the 12 all-time division titles they have earned, this is the earliest clinch they’ve had in terms of games left to be played, five including Sunday.
Still, as needy as the Rams are Sunday as they try to stay alive in the NFC West race, plus the wild-card hunt, the Bills - with a huge and difficult test coming next week against the 12-1 Lions in Detroit - need to win to stay on track in their pursuit of the No. 1 seed on the AFC side of the postseason bracket.
Stay here all afternoon and evening for updates:
Final score: Los Angeles Rams 44, Buffalo Bills 42
Ronnie Rivers recovered the onside kick. The Rams ran three plays and punted as time expired to secure the win.
The game had 86 points, 902 total yards and 12 touchdowns. It was the highest-scoring game of the NFL season and second game in league history with at least five passing touchdowns, five rushing touchdowns and no turnovers.
Josh Allen completed 22 of 37 passes for 342 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 82 yards and three touchdowns on 10 carries. Khalil Shakir had five receptions for 106 yards and a touchdown.
Matthew Stafford went 23 of 30 passes for 320 yards and two touchdowns and Puka Nacua made 12 catches for 162 yards and a touchdown. Kyren Williams had 87 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries.
Buffalo's seven-game winning streak was snapped. The Bills fall to 10-3. Los Angeles is 7-6.
Rams 44, Bills 42: Josh Allen scores sixth touchdown of game
Los Angeles was one play away from locking up the game. Buffalo faced fourth-and-15 from midfield with 1:24 remaining. Josh Allen went deep over the middle for Khalil Shakir. Safety Quentin Lake collided with Shakir and was flagged for a 34-yard pass interference penalty to give the Bills first-and-10 from the Rams' 16. Allen scrambled for 9 yards and cornerback Darious Williams was called for defensive pass interference to put the ball at the Rams' 1-yard line. Allen was stopped on a quarterback sneak on first down but he punched it in on second down. Offensive tackle Dion Dawkins was penalized for unnecessary roughness for shoving defensive tackle Bob Voight after the play.
Rams 44, Bills 35: Matthew Stafford throws TD to Puka Nacua
Los Angeles threw another punch. The Rams went on an 11-play, 71-yard touchdown drive that ate up 6 minutes, 55 seconds. Puka Nacua, who has dominated Buffalo all game, took a short pass 19 yards for a touchdown to beat a blitz on third-and-5. Joshua Karty missed the extra point.
Rams 38, Bills 35: Josh Allen hits Mack Hollins for touchdown
The Bills are only down three points. Josh Allen orchestrated his third straight touchdown drive, tossing a 21-yard touchdown pass to Mack Hollins. Buffalo went 91 yards in 10 plays. It's Allen's fifth total touchdown of the game. Los Angeles had a 17-point lead with 18 seconds left in the third quarter.
Rams go three-and-out - 12:52 4th quarter
The touchdown drive streak is over. Los Angeles went three-and-out, with Matthew Stafford completing to Cooper Kupp for 8 yards on third-and-10. Ethan Evans punted 53 yards to the Bills' 9-yard line.
Rams 38, Bills 28: Josh Allen scores second rushing touchdown
There have been four straight touchdown drives. Josh Allen scrambled for 20 yards and third-and-10 and linebacker Jared Verse was flagged for a questionable horse collar tackle penalty to tack on an extra 15 yards. Allen dropped a perfect pass to Khalil Shakir for 34 yards to the 1-yard line. Allen punched in the touchdown with his second rushing score of the game.
Rams 38, Bills 21: Cooper Kupp leaps for touchdown as Los Angeles responds
Los Angeles went 70 yards for a touchdown to push its lead back to 17 points. Matthew Stafford threw to Cooper Kupp, who leaped for an 18-yard touchdown catch, securing the ball between his hand and knee. Stafford had 21-yard completions to Tutu Atwell and Puka Nacua on the drive.
Rams 31, Bills 21: Khalil Shakir breaks tackles for 51-yard touchdown catch
Khalil Shakir is one of the best receivers in the NFL in yards after the catch. The Rams couldn't stop him on a 51-yard touchdown. Shakir took a short pass over the middle, split Los Angeles defenders, shook another and then pinballed his way into the end zone. The touchdown capped a momentum swing. Buffalo had faced first-and-30 after offensive tackle Spencer Brown was flagged for a face mask. Allen completed to Amari Cooper for 5 yards and then scrambled for 17 yards before Shakir's touchdown on third down.
Rams 31, Bills 14: Kyren Williams scores second TD and Bills defense looks lost
Matthew Stafford threw two straight incompletions to start the drive but hit Puka Nacua for 13 yards on third-and-10. A 56-yard bomb from Stafford to Demarcus Robinson was called back due to offsetting penalties. Robinson beat safety Damar Hamlin for a long reception that would've set up first-and-goal from the Bills' 7-yard line. Robinson and Hamlin were each flagged for pass interference on the play. On the ensuing third down, Stafford completed to Nacua for a first down despite pass interference on cornerback Rasual Douglas. Two plays later, Cooper Kupp beat Douglas, who was again called for pass interference which was declined, and Stafford hit him in stride for 37 yards to the Bills' 14-yard line. Kyren Williams got three straight carries, punchying in the 7-yard touchdown.
Bills go three-and-out to start second half - 13:55 3rd quarter
That wasn't an ideal start to the second half for the Bills. Josh Allen threw incomplete for Curtis Samuel, James Cook ran for 3 yards and Allen couldn't connect with Khalil Shakir on third down. Sam Martin punted 55 yards and Xavier Smith returned it 8 yards to the Rams' 24-yard line.
Halftime score: Los Angeles Rams 24, Buffalo Bills 14
Buffalo's defense hasn't been able to stop Los Angeles. The Rams have 220 total yards, 17 first downs and had the ball for 19 minutes, 55 seconds in the first half.
Josh Allen has completed 10 of 16 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown but the Bills only have 15 yards rushing on six carries.
Matthew Stafford is 10 of 13 for 126 yards. Puka Nacua has seven catches for 83 yards and has rushed for 18 yards and a touchdown on three carries. Kyren Williams has 48 yards rushing on a touchdown on 15 carries.
Bills punt - 1:32 2nd quarter
Buffalo, which gets the ball to start the second half, was unable to double dip. The Bills recorded one first down and faced third-and-2 from their 41-yard line but Allen was pressured and threw complete. Sam Martin punted 46 yards to the Rams' 13-yard line.
Rams 24, Bills 14: Puka Nacua touchdown run adds to Los Angeles lead
The most points the Bills have allowed since their 35-10 loss to Baltimore in Week 4 was the 27 the Dolphins scored in Week 9, but the Rams already have 24 in the first half.
The Bills defense has been lost all day with no answers for anything Matthew Stafford is throwing at them, including a four-yard reverse run for a touchdown by Puka Nacua that extends the Los Angeles lead.
The Rams have had the ball three times and have scored on each possession, totaling 16 first downs and 207 total yards, not to mention the special teams touchdown.
Rams 17, Bills 14: Ty Johnson takes catch-and-run 41 yards for touchdown
It took all of 2:06 for the Bills to answer their special teams breakdown as Ty Johnson took a short pass from Josh Allen and raced 41 yards for a touchdown.
Allen completed all three of his passes for 67 yards, and on the TD, he executed a beautiful fake to the right before throwing into the left flat to Johnson, and then Connor McGovern got out and made a clearing block to spring Johnson.
Rams 17, Bills 7: Los Angeles blocks punt, Hunter Long returns it for touchdown
Well, now the Bills have a problem. Sam Martin’s punt was blocked by Jaco Hummel as the Rams blew right through the middle of Buffalo’s protection unit and Hunter Long scooped it and ran 22 yards for a touchdown.
All in all, this has been a brutal start for the Bills who have not trailed by double digits in a game since their loss to Houston.
Rams 10, Bills 7: Joshua Karty makes short field goal
It looked like it was going to be two possessions and two touchdowns for the Rams, but the Bills defense finally came up with some resistance after the Rams moved to a first-and-goal at the 5, stopping three straight plays to force a 22-yard field goal by Joshua Karty.
On the third-down play from the 3, Rasul Douglas had tight coverage on Puka Nacua and forced the incompletion. The Rams drove 67 yards on 10 plays to regain the lead.
Rams 7, Bills 7: Josh Allen scores rushing touchdown as Buffalo answers
The Bills had an immediate answer to the Rams touchdown with one of their own, though they caught a huge break along the way. They would have gone three-and-out, but Rams edge rusher Byron Young committed a stupid roughing penalty when Josh Allen was out of bounds which gave the Bills a fresh set of downs.
And the Bills took full advantage as Allen completed four of five passes for 51 yards, then finished the 70-yard drive with a one-yard TD sneak.
Rams 7, Bills 0: Kyren Williams runs for touchdown on opening drive
The Bills had three chances to get off the field on third down, including one that was a third-and-9 situation, but they weren’t able to do it. Puka Nacua converted the third-and-9 with a 17, then converted a third-and-1 with a reverse for nine yards, and on the next play, Kyren Williams scored from the 3.
Just a bad first drive for the Bills in every respect as they had no answers for a Rams offense that has a chance to be explosive. This could be a high-scoring game today.
Bills inactives: Dalton Kincaid, Keon Coleman out again
Once again, the Bills will not have the second-year tight end for the third straight game, while the rookie receiver is down for the fourth straight. Both did participate on a limited basis in practice, and it seems like the Bills are giving them each one more week to be as healthy as possible for next week’s huge game against the Lions in Detroit.
The Bills are really depleted at tight end because Quintin Morris is also out with a shoulder injury, so that means only Dawson Knox and Zach Davidson are available, though fullback Reggie Gilliam can also play tight end in a pinch.
The rest of the inactive list is offensive lineman Will Clapp, linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio, cornerback Kaiir Elam and defensive tackle Jordan Phillips. Phillips, who just rejoined the Bills a few weeks ago, loses his spot to rookie DeWayne Carter who was activated from injured reserve on Saturday.
For the Rams, outstanding rookie edge rusher Jared Verse, who was listed as questionable with an ankle injury, is active, and we’ll see if he’s slowed down by the injury. Verse has been a dominant pass rusher and is the frontrunner to be named the NFL’s defensive rookie of the year.
Roster moves indicate Dalton Kincaid won’t play
The Bills made a flurry of moves Saturday, and the one that impacts the game the most is the practice squad elevation of Zach Davidson for the third consecutive week, a good sign that Kincaid’s knee injury will keep him out of action once again.
The Bills also activated defensive tackle DeWayne Carter from injured reserve and to make room on the roster, they waived linebacker Nicholas Morrow. Morrow signed as a free agent in the offseason and played only 44 snaps on defense, all of that in mop-up duty, though he was a core special teamer.
One interesting practice squad elevation was that of Lewis Cine who was signed at the end of training camp. The 2022 first-round pick of the Vikings was originally a safety, but he suffered a knee injury his rookie season and he wound up appearing in just 10 games for Minnesota, most of his action coming on special teams.
The 200-pounder has been working as a coverage linebacker in practice, and could be an option for the Bills when they play their dime defense package, a sole that has been filled mostly by Cam Lewis this season.
Sal’s prediction: Bills 31, Ram 17
It’s tough to see a situation where the Rams’ defense - one that ranks 21st in points allowed per game at 24.2, and 25th in yards per game (359.5) - will be able to slow down the Bills’ offensive machine. The Bills rank second at 29.6 points per game, tied for third in red zone TD percentage (66.7%), 10th in yards per game (347.5), and eighth in third-down percentage (42.6%, but No. 1 in the last three games at 53.3%).
LA’s defense is stout up front with Turner and home run rookies Verse and Fiske who have combined for 15.5 sacks, five forced fumbles and four recoveries, but the Bills’ veteran offensive line is playing as well as it has ever played in the McDermott era, and Allen is simply a nightmare for any defense to control.
Bills vs Rams preview stories
What time is the Buffalo Bills vs Los Angeles Rams game?
∎ Date: Sunday, Dec. 8
∎ Time: 4:25 p.m.
∎ Place: SoFi Stadium
Who is favored to win Bills vs. Rams game
∎ Betting line: Bills -3.5
∎ Over-under: 49.5
∎ Money line: Bills minus-190 (bet $190 to win $100) and Rams plus-155 (bet $100 to win $155).
Who is announcing the Bills vs. Rams game
∎ Play-by-play: Kevin Burkhardt
∎ Analyst: Tom Brady
∎ Sideline reporter: Erin Andrews, Tom Rinaldi
How to watch Bills vs Rams game on TV, streaming
∎ Cable/Network TV: FOX. The game will be available locally via the following stations: WUHF channel 7 (Rochester area), WUTV channel 29 (Buffalo area), WSYT channel 68 (Syracuse area), WFXV channel 33 (Utica area), WYDC channel 48 (Elmira area), WXXA channel 23 (Albany area), and WICZ (Binghamton area).
∎ Online streaming services: You can watch games on NFL.com and the NFL mobile app, and you can subscribe to NFL+, the league’s own streaming service, though you can’t cast the games to your TV - you must watch on your phone or tablet.
∎ TV streaming: You can also stream if you have subscriptions to Spectrum, DirecTV, fuboTV, NFL+, Sling, Vidgo, Hulu + Live TV, and YouTube TV.
On the radio: How to listen to the Bills vs Rams game
You can listen on SiriusXM satellite radio on channel 381 (Bills feed) and channel 226 (Rams feed), and on traditional radio, the Bills Radio Network has stations all across the state. Chris Brown has the play-by-play, Eric Wood is the analyst, and Sal Capaccio is the sideline reporter. The network includes:
- Rochester (WCMF 96.5 and WROC 950 AM)
- Buffalo (WGR550, 550 AM)
- Syracuse (WTKW 99.5/WTKV 105.5)
- Binghamton (WDRE 100.5FM)
- Ithaca (WIII 99.9/100.3 FM)
- Bath (WVIN 98.3 FM)
- Newark (WACK 1420 AM)
- Dansville (WDNY 93.9 FM)
- Elmira (WNGZ 1490 AM)
- Auburn (WAUB 98.1 FM/1590 AM)
- Geneva (WGVA 95.9 FM, 1240 AM)
Sal Maiorana has covered the Buffalo Bills for four decades including 35 years as the full-time beat writer for the D&C, and he has written numerous books about the history of the team. He can be reached at maiorana@gannett.com, and you can follow him on X @salmaiorana and on Bluesky @salmaiorana.bsky.social. Sign up for his Bills Blast newsletter here: https://profile.democratandchronicle.com/newsletters/bills-blast
