Josh Allen Accounts For 3 Touchdowns As Bills Escape With 24-22 Victory Over Chargers

INGLEWOOD, California – Josh Allen is still setting records in his sixth NFL season but is more focused on helping the Buffalo Bills back into the playoffs.

Allen contributed two touchdowns on the ground and one on the ground on Saturday night, but it took a 29-yard field goal by Tyler Bass with 28 seconds remaining for the Bills to escape with a 24-22 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.

Allen became the first player in NFL history to have four straight seasons with at least 40 total touchdowns and the second quarterback with 50 career rushing touchdowns.

“It’s difficult because playing a team with nothing to lose is a dangerous team.” “We gutted it out and found a way,” Allen said after completing 15 of 21 passes for 237 yards and an interception. “These are our playoffs. It didn’t matter how we did it, just that we did it.”

Josh Allen Accounts For 3 Touchdowns As Bills Escape With 24-22 Victory Over Chargers

The Bills (9-6) have won four straight games. Buffalo’s playoff hopes were boosted earlier when Pittsburgh defeated Cincinnati.

Indianapolis and Houston are 8-6 and have a better conference record than the Bills. If either team loses, Buffalo will have one of the AFC’s final two places entering the season’s final two weeks.

Buffalo went behind 10-0 early in the second quarter but fought back to win for the fourth time since Sean McDermott took over as coach in 2017.

In their first game under interim coach Giff Smith, the Bills turned the ball over three times to keep the Chargers in the game. Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco were sacked on December 15, just one day after the Chargers were defeated 63-21 in Las Vegas.

“(The Chargers) were doing some things they hadn’t done all season.” “They came prepared,” McDermott added. “I believed our men were settling in and responding. We fared well in the red zone and had some big third-down plays to help us out.”

Los Angeles (5-10), which has lost six of seven games, got five field goals from Cameron Dicker and 210 yards from Easton Stick.

Josh Allen Accounts For 3 Touchdowns As Bills Escape With 24-22 Victory Over Chargers

“I think we went into this game thinking it was going to be a heavyweight fight, and we wanted to have a chance at the end for a knockout,” Smith said. “We were planning to play it close to the vest. Get some points on the board and give us a chance to win, and that’s exactly what happened. “I came up a little short.”

Allen completed four passes on the game-winning 13-play, 64-yard drive, including a 15-yard reception by Khalil Shakir on third-and-4 at the LA 28 with 2:29 remaining. Shakir rushed to the end zone after making the catch, and officials announced a touchdown, but a replay review determined he was down by contact.

“As an offense, we want to score a touchdown and put them in a tougher situation.” “Obviously, not scoring there allowed us to run down the clock, and they squandered their third and final timeout,” Allen explained.

Allen has the most overall touchdowns in the league with 40 (27 passing, 13 rushing). With 38 seconds left in the second quarter, his 2-yard rush off right tackle gave the Bills a 14-10 lead.

Allen made it 21-13 with a 1-yard sneak late in the third quarter, his 51st career rushing touchdown. Allen benefited from a late surge by Latavius Murray.

Josh Allen Accounts For 3 Touchdowns As Bills Escape With 24-22 Victory Over Chargers

Gabe Davis, who had not caught a ball in the previous two games after catching six for 105 yards against Philadelphia, had four receptions for 130 yards, including a 57-yard touchdown early in the second quarter to get the Bills within 10-7.

Allen darted to the right and found Davis wide downfield. Davis caught the ball at the Chargers’ 19-yard line and beat linebacker Kenneth Murray to the end zone. Allen had his second-longest completion of the season.

Stick was 23 of 33 passing and rushed for a touchdown in his second NFL start in place of the injured Justin Herbert.

Thanks to the fifth-year quarterback, the Chargers scored on two of their opening three drives. Early in the second quarter, he rolled right and scored from one yard out, giving Los Angeles a 10-0 lead.

Stick took advantage of a short field after Amen Ogbongbemiga recovered Deonte Harty’s mishandled punt for the Bills.

“We were able to get the ball into the end zone and take the lead, which is how you want to play the game.” “All we have to do is consistently execute better so that we can feel better at the end,” Stick explained.

James Cook ended with 70 yards on 20 carries to become the Bills’ first 1,000-yard rushing back since LeSean McCoy in 2017.

LB for the Bills, Terrel Bernard, sat out the first quarter with a non-contact foot injury. S Damar Hamlin (shoulder) left the game early but was cleared to return. Ty Johnson (shoulder), Micah Hyde (neck), and A.J. Epensesa (ribs) were all ruled out.

WR for the Chargers: Due to heel problems, Keenan Allen missed his second straight game, and DB Deane Leonard missed his fourth in a row.

SOURCE – (AP)