ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WHEC) \u2013 The Buffalo Bills came back to beat the L.A. Chargers, 24-16, despite turning it over five times. They are now 3-0 on the season.<\/p>\n
The Bills found themselves in a 10-0 hole after the first quarter, but held the Chargers to a pair of field goals the rest of the way, slowly coming back for the win to stay perfect.<\/p>\n
Turnovers were a huge problem, with Josh Allen throwing two interceptions and losing one fumble. James Cook also coughed it up on Buffalo\u2019s first offensive play and Dalton Kincaid lost a fumble trying to pick up extra yards on a big catch. Yet somehow, the Bills defense made stops and the offense rallied late, keeping Buffalo unblemished in the most important statistic \u2013 wins and losses.<\/p>\n
Up next, the Bills will take on division rival New England, who are just 1-2 after going to the Super Bowl last season.<\/p>\n
FIRST QUARTER<\/p>\n
Buffalo\u2019s first drive: The Bills start with the football and give it right to the Chargers on the first play of the game. Running back James Cook gained four yards on a carry but fumbled it with the defense recovering.<\/p>\n
Los Angeles\u2019s first drive: The Chargers picked up Cook\u2019s fumble and started in Bills territory, on the 47-yard-line. They put together a methodical drive, mostly on the ground, but ending in a touchdown rush from Keaton Mitchell, putting L.A. on the board first. CHARGERS LEAD, 7-0.<\/p>\n
Buffalo\u2019s second drive: The Bills began a promising drive with a pass to D.J. Moore and a decent gain from James Cook. Josh Allen also threw a ball that was tipped, caught it, and picked up a yard. But he was also sacked for a loss on third down, with Buffalo forced to punt.<\/p>\n
Los Angeles\u2019s second drive: The Bills got a quick three-and-out after Syracuse alum Oronde Gadsden II dropped a tough pass that would have moved the chains. Buffalo gets it back on their own 34-yard-line.<\/p>\n
Buffalo\u2019s third drive: The Chargers defense came up big again, as the Bills barely converted on a 4th & 1 with an Allen sneak. Then, Josh Allen threw his first interception of the season, giving the Chargers the ball on Buffalo\u2019s 43-yard-line.<\/p>\n
Los Angeles\u2019s third drive: Coming off Allen\u2019s pick, the Chargers got blessed with a second penalty in the quarter for roughing the passer, this time on Greg Rousseau. However, the Bills still held the Chargers out of the endzone, with Cameron Dicker kicking a field goal from 31 yards out. CHARGERS LEAD, 10-0.<\/p>\n
SECOND QUARTER<\/p>\n
Buffalo\u2019s fourth drive: The drive began at the end of the first quarter and ended on the first play of the second quarter. Allen went deep into double coverage to D.J. Moore and the ball bounced off Moore into the hands of Genesis Smith for his SECOND interception of the game. Chargers take back over deep on Bills territory.<\/p>\n
Los Angeles\u2019s fourth drive: Coming off a third Bills turnover, the Chargers went 63 yards in 10 plays, but didn\u2019t convert on a third & 3, setting up a field goal from 45 yards out. However, Dicker, one of the most accurate kickers of all-time, missed left. Bills take over on their own 27.<\/p>\n
Buffalo\u2019s fifth drive: FINALLY, the Bills put together a scoring drive. Josh Allen improvised on some throws and James Cook ran wild, putting the Bills in the red zone for the first time all game. However, the Chargers held strong and Allen was off on a throw to Moore, forcing the Bills to settle for a FG. Tyler Bass connected from 28 yards out. CHARGERS LEAD, 10-3.<\/p>\n
Los Angeles\u2019s fifth drive: The Bills defense came up with a huge third down sack around midfield, forcing a Chargers punt with just over four minutes left in the first half. More importantly, it was Greg Rousseau\u2019s league-leading fifth sack of the season.<\/p>\n
Buffalo\u2019s sixth drive: The Bills put together their first TD drive of the game, with the a couple catches from D.J. Moore and a big 37-yard reception from Keon Coleman, who was marked down at the one-yard-line. Of course, Allen rushed it in for his fifth rushing TD of the season and the 84th of his career, moving him past Jim Taylor for 18th all-time, all alone. GAME TIED, 10-10.<\/p>\n
Los Angeles\u2019s sixth drive: With 16 seconds left in the first half, the Chargers ran a few plays put couldn\u2019t get any points out of it.<\/p>\n
HALFTIME STATS<\/p>\n
BUFFALO BILLS<\/p>\n
Josh Allen: 10-for-17, 112 yards, 2 interceptions, 1 rushing touchdown<\/p>\n
James Cook: 10 rushes, 59 yards<\/p>\n
D.J. Moore: 4 receptions, 39 yards<\/p>\n
Keon Coleman: 1 reception, 37 yards<\/p>\n
Greg Rousseau: 5 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 sack<\/p>\n
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS<\/p>\n
Justin Herbert: 9-for-16, 85 yards, 1 touchdown<\/p>\n
Quentin Johnston: 3 receptions, 40 yards<\/p>\n
Genesis Smith: 2 interceptions, 1 total tackle<\/p>\n
Tuli Tuipulotu: 1 sack, 4 total tackles<\/p>\n
THIRD QUARTER<\/p>\n
Los Angeles\u2019s seventh drive: What started as best drive of the day, Los Angeles took over half of the time off the clock in the third quarter. However, the nearly nine minute drive only ended in three points, with penalties on Los Angeles moving them back and the Bills defense coming up clutch. Dicker was good from just 21 yards out. CHARGERS LEAD, 13-10.<\/p>\n
Buffalo\u2019s seventh drive: Facing a 3rd & long, Josh Allen connected with Dalton Kincaid, who dragged defenders along for a huge gain. However, Kincaid had the ball punched out for the FOURTH Bills turnover of the game. Chargers take over on their own 17-yard-line.<\/p>\n
Los Angeles\u2019s eighth drive: The Chargers moved the chains once, but then were forced to punt, keeping it as a one score game.<\/p>\n
FOURTH QUARTER<\/p>\n
Buffalo\u2019s eighth drive: The Bills went nowhere, with Allen getting sacked on second and third down. The second sack was by Khalil Mack, as he passed J.J. Watt on the all-time leaderboard. Plus, upon review, Allen fumbled, giving the Chargers the ball well within Bills territory. It was the FIFTH turnover of the game for Buffalo.<\/p>\n
Los Angeles\u2019s ninth drive: On a day where turnovers became the story for the Bills, the worst of them may have come from Los Angeles. Within scoring position, Justin Herbert threw a pick and C.J. Gardner-Johnson returned it from the 1-yard-line to Buffalo\u2019s 41-yard-line. Buffalo is now in business, down three, close to field goal range.<\/p>\n
Buffalo\u2019s ninth drive: The Bills moved the chains once, crossing midfield, but were stopped to a 4th & 7. The Bills went for it and Allen made an MVP play \u2013 finding Ty Johnson while being pressure for a sack, for a touchdown. Penalties brought the TD back, for the first down conversion stood. Penalties continued to pile up on the Bills during the rest of the drive, but the Bills caught a break when a Chargers penalty helped them get a first down. They drove the rest of the way, finished off by Allen\u2019s second rushing TD on the game. BILLS LEAD, 17-13.<\/p>\n
Los Angeles\u2019s 10th drive: Down four points late in the fourth, the Chargers got to their own 45-yard line, but gained zero yards on the next four plays, going for it on 4th & 10 despite having three timeouts with over five minutes to go. <\/p>\n
Buffalo\u2019s 10th drive: Starting with the ball on the Chargers\u2019 45-yard-line, the Bills made them pay with a touchdown \u2013 James Cook rushing it in. BILLS LEAD, 24-13.<\/p>\n
Los Angeles\u2019s 11th drive: The Chargers drove the ball well into Bills territory, but short of the endzone, getting a field goal from 32 yards out. But recovering an onside kick is the next task. BILLS LEAD, 24-16.<\/p>\n
Buffalo\u2019s 11th drive: The Chargers would have needed a three-and-out to get the ball back with minimal time, but James Cook rushed for a first down on 3rd & 6, icing the game for the Bills. BILLS WIN, 24-16.<\/p>\n
FINAL STATS<\/p>\n
BUFFALO BILLS<\/p>\n
Josh Allen: 16-for-26, 204 yards, 2 interceptions, 1 fumble lost, 8 rushes, 22 yards, 2 rushing touchdowns<\/p>\n
James Cook: 24 rushes, 154 yards, 1 touchdown<\/p>\n
D.J. Moore: 6 receptions, 67 yards<\/p>\n
Greg Rousseau: 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 8 total tackles<\/p>\n
C.J. Gardner-Johnson: 1 interception, 2 passes defended, 5 total tackles<\/p>\n
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS<\/p>\n
Justin Herbert: 20-for-34, 226 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception, 4 rushes, 17 yards<\/p>\n
Omarion Hampton: 15 rushes, 56 yards<\/p>\n
Keaton Mitchell: 8 rushes, 52 yards, 3 receptions, -5 yards, 1 receiving touchdown<\/p>\n
Tre\u2019 Harris: 6 receptions, 76 yards<\/p>\n
Ladd McConkey: 4 receptions, 66 yards<\/p>\n
Genesis Smith: 2 interceptions, 5 total tackles<\/p>\n
Daiyan Henley: 2 fumbles recovered, 9 total tackles<\/p>\n
Tuli Tuipulotu: 1.5 sacks, 6 total tackles<\/p>\n
Tony Jefferson: 1 fumble recovered, 1 pass defended, 2 total tackles<\/p>\n
Khalil Mack: 1 sack, 3 total tackles<\/p>\n
PREGAMEBuffalo Bills gameday basics:Teams: Buffalo Bills (2-0) and Los Angeles Chargers (0-2)Date: Sun., Sept. 27Time: 1 p.m.Location: Highmark Stadium | Orchard Park, N.Y.Network: FOXGame preview<\/p>\n
The Buffalo Bills have been unstoppable on offense, averaging the most points per game in the NFL with 38.5. Now, on an extended week, they\u2019ll play host to the winless L.A. Chargers, a team many thought would compete at the top of the conference.<\/p>\n
For the Chargers, this signals the time to GO. While a season is 17 games long, the percentage of making the NFL Playoffs after starting 0-3 is next to none. The Bills will be on high alert, with a team coming into its building already playing with its backs against the wall.<\/p>\n
For Buffalo, it\u2019ll be about keeping up the high-level of play. Through two games, the offense is humming, and the defense has had its moments. The Chargers boast an offense that can score points \u2013 something the Bills have to work on. All of that leads us to an important game for the Buffalo Bills to continue momentum and the Chargers to find some.<\/p>\n
Years past<\/p>\n
In 38 meetings, the Chargers have dominated the head-to-head series, 25-14-2. However, in the Josh Allen era, the Bills are 2-1, with their first meeting coming in Allen\u2019s first-ever NFL start. That game ended in a 31-20 win for L.A., but the Bills won the games played in 2020 and 2023.<\/p>\n
Obviously, the series has historically sided with the Chargers, but one thing to remember is how dominant Buffalo has been since Allen came to town. They are on the winning side in most series since, and this is no exception.<\/p>\n
Players to watch: Joshua Palmer<\/p>\n
With a touchdown in each of Buffalo\u2019s games this season, can Palmer make it three-for-three? It\u2019s a much better start to the season than last year \u2013 one where Palmer could never get a footing, amidst injuries and no clear role. This year, the field seems to have opened up a bit more, with both touchdowns being deep balls thrown by Allen. In the case of D.J. Moore not being available, Palmer\u2019s workload becomes that much more, so that is also a crucial situation to monitor.<\/p>\n
One other thing to take into consideration is Palmer going against his old team. The wideout represented the Chargers from 2021-24, hauling in nearly 200 catches in his time there. Things haven\u2019t gone nearly as well with the Bills, but he\u2019s begun to break out a bit and may play with something to prove against his former teammates who are still in town.<\/p>\n
Predictions<\/p>\n
Cailey Thalman, Sports (2-0): Bills \u2013 28, Chargers \u2013 14<\/p>\n
Ian Mills, Sports, (1-1): Bills \u2013 24, Chargers \u2013 20<\/p>\n
Mat Mlodzinski, Sports (1-1): Bills \u2013 38, Chargers \u2013 30<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WHEC) \u2013 The Buffalo Bills came back to beat the L.A. Chargers, 24-16, despite turning…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1001003,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2064],"tags":[241,7,1014,262,2444,2443,6],"class_list":["post-1012749","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-los-angeles-chargers","tag-chargers","tag-football","tag-los-angeles","tag-los-angeles-chargers","tag-losangeles","tag-losangeleschargers","tag-nfl"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/117347073626014139","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1012749","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1012749"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1012749\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1001003"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1012749"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1012749"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1012749"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}