Bills Beat Rams 37-34 in Overtime in a Monday Night Classic

The Buffalo Bills beat the Los Angeles Rams 37-34 in overtime on Monday night at SoFi Stadium, in a game that swung back and forth until the final two minutes of the extra period. Tyler Bass kicked a 45-yard field goal with 1:55 left in overtime to win it, minutes after Buffalo blocked a Rams kick that would have ended the game the other way.

The lead changed hands eight times. The two teams combined for 71 points and 890 yards of offense. Both were popular Super Bowl picks before the season, and for three quarters they played a tight, defensive game. Then the fourth quarter alone produced 35 points, and overtime produced three possessions that each could have ended it.

A fourth quarter that caught fire

Buffalo led 19-14 after three quarters. James Cook ran in a 5-yard touchdown with 1:39 left in the fourth to give the Bills a 34-27 lead, finishing a drive that burned 5:35 of the final 7:14.

That left Matthew Stafford 1:34 to work with, and he used almost all of it. Stafford drove the Rams 63 yards in eight plays, and Kyren Williams scored from 1 yard out with five seconds left to tie the game 34-34 and force overtime.

Overtime had three endings before the real one

Buffalo got the ball first in overtime and drove straight down the field. Khalil Shakir turned a short catch into a 57-yard gain to the Los Angeles 22. On the next play, linebacker Nate Landman punched the ball out of Cook's hands and Aaron Donald recovered at the 20. It was Cook's second lost fumble of the night. Officials did not flag Landman for removing his helmet on the field after the play, a miss that would have cost Los Angeles 15 yards.

The Rams then drove 50 yards in eight plays to set up the winning kick. Harrison Mevis lined up from 48 yards, and Greg Rousseau blocked it.

Josh Allen took over, scrambled twice for 32 yards to move Buffalo into range, and Bass finished the job from 45 yards.

Key numbers

• Allen threw for 210 yards and a touchdown and ran for 121 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. The win was the first of his career in overtime, in eight tries.
• Stafford finished 40 of 54 for 383 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, and still lost.
• Puka Nacua caught 17 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown. His 24 targets were the most for any player in a game since Brandon Marshall saw 28 in 2009.
• Cook carried 25 times for 111 yards and two touchdowns, but his two lost fumbles nearly cost Buffalo the game.
• Davante Adams caught two touchdown passes. All four of his touchdowns this season have come on Monday Night Football.

What it means

Buffalo is 4-1 and leads the AFC East by a game over New England. Los Angeles falls to 2-3, and the preseason Super Bowl favorites are 1-2 at home. If Monday night proved anything, it is that both of these teams can score on anyone, and neither has much room for mistakes against an opponent its own size.