Josh Allen finished 26 of 31 for 297 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions in the win, while also rushing for 56 yards on 10 carries and a touchdown. Allen’s four-yard run on third-and-goal at the 4-yard line early in the fourth quarter gave the Bills a commanding 24-10 lead that set them up for the win. The touchdown was Allen’s 32nd of his career, tying him with Fran Tarkenton, Kordell Stewart and Terry Bradshaw for 14th in NFL history. Allen had his seventh game with three passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown, moving him into sole possession of third place in that category in NFL history (Drew Brees has nine and Tom Brady has eight). The Bills defense forced three fumbles (all interceptions) and had seven sacks on the night, holding the Rams to just 3.7 per game. Stefon Diggs caught a 53-yard touchdown pass from Allen in the fourth quarter to put Buffalo up 31-10, capping a night in which he finished with eight catches for 122 yards with a touchdown. Cooper Kupp had a strong night in a lackluster offensive game for the Rams, finishing with 13 catches for 128 yards and a touchdown. Matthew Stafford had three interceptions in the loss (his second three-interception game against the Rams) and finished 29 of 41 for 240 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions. Rams manager Sean McVay is under .500 in a season for the first time in his career. Falls to 5-1 in season openers.
Because the bills won
The Bills weren’t perfect Thursday night, but they were certainly better than the Super Bowl champions. Buffalo’s defense has been very, very impressive — from the pass rush to the overall play of the secondary. But what stood out equally was Allen’s work. The Bills franchise QB completed 26 of 31 passes for 297 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. The first interception wasn’t his fault, as Isaiah McKenzie essentially gave the ball to a linebacker, but the second was an underthrow. For 99 percent of the game, though, Allen was great. He spread the ball to seven different receivers and felt like he was always above where the open pick would be. Allen had just one layup in the first half, going 17 of 20 for 153 yards, a touchdown and two picks. The NBC broadcast pointed out that Allen was pulling the ball 2.2 seconds per down entering the fourth quarter — which is above average. He looked comfortable both relying on his receivers to make plays in the flat and waiting in the pocket for a development downfield. Everyone would probably agree that Allen is a star, but Thursday night he built on the fact that he is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL and proved why the Bills are the favorites to lift the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the year.
Why the Rams lost
There are a lot of responsibilities to go around on the LA side. Jalen Ramsey had a rough night, Stafford missed several throws and Allen Robinson wasn’t a part of the offense at all. But one thing that made life tough for the Rams as a whole was the play of the offensive line. LA is replacing two starters on the offensive front this season, and it certainly showed. Stafford was sacked six times for a 43-yard loss in just the first three quarters. According to the Associated Press, those six sacks are the most the Rams have allowed in any game under Sean McVay. Stafford was sacked once again in the final stanza. While the play of the offensive line affected Stafford, it also hurt the LA fans. The Rams rushed for a total of 52 yards on 18 carries, averaging 2.9 yards per carry.
Turning point
Down 14 points early in the fourth quarter, the Rams had to do something. Instead, Stafford threw his second interception of the night. Just three plays later, Allen found Diggs running down the right side of the field for a 53-yard touchdown that extended Buffalo’s lead to 21 points.
The game of the game
This was either the moment you jumped for joy or felt your stomach sink. Down by 21 points after a Rams interception and a Bills touchdown, Stafford had his third interception of the night — an impressive play to Boogie Basham.
Josh Allen stiff arm
As a defensive back, it must be difficult to bring down a tall, athletic quarterback like Allen in the open field. Nick Scott found out firsthand that it wasn’t a pleasant experience as he ended up on the wrong end of that stiff arm from the Bills quarterback.
What’s next
The Bills return to Buffalo for another primetime matchup as they host the Tennessee Titans next Monday night. As for the Rams, they will stay home and host Marcus Mariota and the Atlanta Falcons next Sunday afternoon.
