Buffalo Bills wide receiver Gabe Davis (13) catches a touchdown and celebrates against the Los Angeles Chargers in an NFL football game, Saturday Dec. 23, 2023, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Jeff Lewis)AP
NFL : Buffalo Bills wide receiver Gabe Davis (13) catches a touchdown and celebrates against the…
Inglewood, Calif — One of the biggest storylines of the week around the Buffalo Bills vs. Los Angeles Chargers matchup was whether the Bills were facing a trap game on the road in Week 16.
That question was answered early in Saturday’s game as the Chargers jumped out to a 10-0 lead and panic set in for Bills fans. Josh Allen struggled for most of the first half and the defense couldn’t get off the field on third down in the first quarter.
The Bills eventually figured things out and took the lead before halftime but that’s when things got interesting. The offense couldn’t pull away and the Chargers kept hanging around. They took the lead on a late field goal and the Bills needed to drive and score to take the lead back late.
With 30 seconds on the clock and no timeouts, Ed Oliver clinched the game for the Bills with a sack on 1st down. He finished with two in the game and Buffalo escaped with a 24-22 road win to improve to 9-6 on the knocked off the Cincinnati Bengals in the early game, dropping both teams to eight wins on the year. If the Bills win their final two games, they’ll earn at least a Wild Card spot and the division could be on the line in Week 18 with one Dolphins loss over their next two games.
The Bills offense needed a spark in the first half and Davis provided it with a 57-yard touchdown from Josh Allen. The Bills quarterback was under pressure early in the play and had to evade the rush and buy some time. As he did that, Davis worked his way open in the scramble drill and found himself 1-on-1 with Chargers linebacker Kenneth Murray. And Davis burned him.
Davis went over 100 yards in a game for only the third time this season. He’s had zero catches in three of his last four games. Davis showed off his excellent sideline footwork on a catch in the third quarter. Stefon Diggs made a big catch on a third and long in the fourth quarter but was mostly held in check for most of the game. Davis found a way to make big plays to help get the Bills’ passing game going in a must-win game.
Allen looked off early in the game and was missing the mark on several throws. He underthrew a wide-open Diggs on one throw and it was intercepted by Alohi Gilman. As is the case in most of Allen’s games, the Bills quarterback also made some sensational plays. His throw to Davis was on the money and a connection with Khalil Shakir late in the fourth quarter helped set up the game-winning score.
Allen rushed for two touchdowns in the game and went over 40 total touchdowns for the season in the game. He’s the first player in NFL history to have four consecutive seasons of 40 or more touchdowns.
Stick’s final numbers won’t blow you away, but he made some big-time throws in the game to set up the Chargers for scores at the end of drives. The Bills played a lot of soft zone and Stick patiently waited to find an open man in the coverage on several plays – including a few impressive third-down conversions.
The Chargers were without star wide receiver Keenan Allen and it showed in the end. Los Angeles only managed 268 yards of offense but the Bills’ three turnovers kept L.A. in the game. Punt returner Deonte Harty fumbled a punt in the first half that led to Chargers points. Los Angeles scored 16 of their 22 points off Buffalo’s offensive turnovers.
Cook had 70 yards on 20 carries and continues to get a heavy workload for the Bills. Sean McDermott stuck with him after a pair of fumbles in the game, including a fourth-quarter fumble that gave the Chargers the ball deep in Buffalo territory. The Chargers scored a field goal and took the late lead.
Fournette was elevated off the team’s practice squad before the game and had five carries for 20 yards. He was used as a fullback on a few snaps and even returned kickoffs.
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Buffalo Bills wide receiver Gabe Davis (13) catches a touchdown and celebrates against the Los Angeles Chargers in an NFL football game, Saturday Dec. 23, 2023, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Jeff Lewis)AP
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By Matt Parrino | mparrino@nyup.com
Inglewood, Calif — One of the biggest storylines of the week around the Buffalo Bills vs. Los Angeles Chargers matchup was whether the Bills were facing a trap game on the road in Week 16.
That question was answered early in Saturday’s game as the Chargers jumped out to a 10-0 lead and panic set in for Bills fans. Josh Allen struggled for most of the first half and the defense couldn’t get off the field on third down in the first quarter.
The Bills eventually figured things out and took the lead before halftime but that’s when things got interesting. The offense couldn’t pull away and the Chargers kept hanging around. They took the lead on a late field goal and the Bills needed to drive and score to take the lead back late.
With 30 seconds on the clock and no timeouts, Ed Oliver clinched the game for the Bills with a sack on 1st down. He finished with two in the game and Buffalo escaped with a 24-22 road win to improve to 9-6 on the season.
The Pittsburgh Steelers knocked off the Cincinnati Bengals in the early game, dropping both teams to eight wins on the year. If the Bills win their final two games, they’ll earn at least a Wild Card spot and the division could be on the line in Week 18 with one Dolphins loss over their next two games.
Explosive play Gabe Davis shows up in Cali
The Bills offense needed a spark in the first half and Davis provided it with a 57-yard touchdown from Josh Allen. The Bills quarterback was under pressure early in the play and had to evade the rush and buy some time. As he did that, Davis worked his way open in the scramble drill and found himself 1-on-1 with Chargers linebacker Kenneth Murray. And Davis burned him.
Davis went over 100 yards in a game for only the third time this season. He’s had zero catches in three of his last four games. Davis showed off his excellent sideline footwork on a catch in the third quarter. Stefon Diggs made a big catch on a third and long in the fourth quarter but was mostly held in check for most of the game. Davis found a way to make big plays to help get the Bills’ passing game going in a must-win game.
Josh Allen has an up and down game
Allen looked off early in the game and was missing the mark on several throws. He underthrew a wide-open Diggs on one throw and it was intercepted by Alohi Gilman. As is the case in most of Allen’s games, the Bills quarterback also made some sensational plays. His throw to Davis was on the money and a connection with Khalil Shakir late in the fourth quarter helped set up the game-winning score.
Allen rushed for two touchdowns in the game and went over 40 total touchdowns for the season in the game. He’s the first player in NFL history to have four consecutive seasons of 40 or more touchdowns.
Easton Stick found soft spots in Bills zone
Stick’s final numbers won’t blow you away, but he made some big-time throws in the game to set up the Chargers for scores at the end of drives. The Bills played a lot of soft zone and Stick patiently waited to find an open man in the coverage on several plays – including a few impressive third-down conversions.
The Chargers were without star wide receiver Keenan Allen and it showed in the end. Los Angeles only managed 268 yards of offense but the Bills’ three turnovers kept L.A. in the game. Punt returner Deonte Harty fumbled a punt in the first half that led to Chargers points. Los Angeles scored 16 of their 22 points off Buffalo’s offensive turnovers.
James Cook fumbling issue; Leonard Fournette makes his season debut
Cook had 70 yards on 20 carries and continues to get a heavy workload for the Bills. Sean McDermott stuck with him after a pair of fumbles in the game, including a fourth-quarter fumble that gave the Chargers the ball deep in Buffalo territory. The Chargers scored a field goal and took the late lead.
Fournette was elevated off the team’s practice squad before the game and had five carries for 20 yards. He was used as a fullback on a few snaps and even returned kickoffs.If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
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