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Rams hold off Bills in NFL's highest-scoring game of 2024 season
By Scott Thompson
Published December 08, 2024
A slew of scoring came between the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on Sunday, but it was the home team, led by the combination of Matthew Stafford and Puka Nacua, that came away victorious.
It was a massive win for the Rams, as they’re now 7-6 in a tight NFC West race after the 44-42 win. Meanwhile, the Bills, now 10-3, hurt their chances at the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC.
The most points in an NFL game all season came from these two high-octane offenses, and it began immediately on the opening drives for both of those teams.
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Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua runs with the ball against Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin during the first half at SoFi Stadium. (Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images)
Stafford and the Rams went 12 plays and 70 yards when Kyren Williams rushed in from three yards out to start the scoring.
Then Josh Allen, who was phenomenal despite the loss, responded with a nine-play drive that went 70 yards as he ultimately snuck his way into the end zone from one yard out to make it 7-7.
Los Angeles, though, created a gap with a perfectly executed special teams play that ultimately helped the victory. After a field goal made it 10-7 in favor of the Rams, the defense forced the Bills to punt, but that ball never made it in the air as it was blocked and Hunter Long recovered the ball for the scoop-and-score touchdown.
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At 17-7, the Rams never trailed again in this game. Allen tried his best to keep scoring, but Stafford was always coming right back.
And a lot of that had to do with Nacua, who had a game-high 162 yards on 12 receptions with a touchdown both on the ground and through the air.
There was also Cooper Kupp accounting for 92 of Stafford’s 320 yards and his second passing touchdown of the game.
In the fourth quarter, Allen was pulling out all the stops to try to win the game, and he managed to lead three scoring drives, including one with a minute left to play.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen throws against the Los Angeles Rams during the first half at SoFi Stadium. (Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images)
However, a failed quarterback sneak resulted in Bills head coach Sean McDermott using the first of three timeouts for the half, which was crucial because it meant an onside kick had to be performed instead of kicking it deep and giving the defense a chance to make stops.
The onside kick from Tyler Bass was recovered by Ronnie Rivers, and the Rams held on for the victory.
Looking more into the box score, there wasn’t much else Allen could’ve done. He scored three times on the ground while leading the Bills with 82 rushing yards on 10 carries, while going 22-for-37 through the air for 342 yards with three passing scores.
Khalil Shakir was once again his top target with 106 yards on five catches, including a 51-yard catch-and-run that went for six points. Amari Cooper also had 95 yards on six catches, while Mack Hollins and Ty Johnson collected touchdowns through the air.
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford throws against the Buffalo Bills during the first half at SoFi Stadium. (Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images)
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For the Rams, Williams would find the end zone twice on the ground and lead the team with 87 rushing yards on 29 carries.
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