If the Los Angeles Rams want to play with the big guys in the postseason, they have to show they can compete with them in the regular season. And on Sunday afternoon, they did just that.
They went toe-to-toe with the Buffalo Bills, a team unanimously believed to be one of the best in the league. Not only did they battle the Bills for 60 minutes, but they pulled out a win.
For the first time all year, the Rams got back above .500, notching their seventh win of the season. It was by far their best win of 2024, too.
From start to finish, the Rams and Bills threw haymaker after haymaker. Big plays happened left and right, there was a blocked punt for a touchdown and the two offenses combined for more than 900 yards and 86 total points were put up on the board.
Yet, it was the Rams – a team that had scored 30 points once all year – that outlasted Buffalo in an epic shootout at SoFi Stadium.
Final score: Rams 44, Bills 42
Game notes
- The Rams came out and set the tone right away, running it seven times for 27 yards on the opening drive – a possession that was capped off by a Kyren Williams touchdown to give the Rams a 7-0 lead.
- The Bills hit back with a touchdown of their own on the next drive, going 70 yards in nine plays. Josh Allen snuck in from 1 yard out to tie the game at seven.
- On their second possession, the Rams marched down the field once again but the offense stalled in the red zone after Blake Corum was stuffed twice inside the 5-yard line. They had to settle for a field goal to take a 10-7 lead.
- The Rams defense got a stop and forced a punt on the Bills’ second drive, and it was Jake Hummel who blocked that punt in what was a game-changing play. Hunter Long scooped it up and returned it 22 yards for a touchdown, putting the Rams up 17-7.
- A key play before the blocked punt was a pass breakup deep down the field by Kamren Kinchens, saving a touchdown after Mack Hollins got behind the defense.
- The Bills consistently created big plays in the passing game, with the first long one coming on a 41-yard touchdown to Ty Johnson on a screen pass. Johnson went untouched to the end zone, putting the Bills right back in it, 17-14.
- Once again, the Rams responded with another touchdown, going 76 yards in 12 plays to take a 24-14 lead. It was Puka Nacua who capped off the drive with a 4-yard rushing touchdown, and that was after he made one of the best toe-tapping catches you’ll see.
- There was a sequence at the end of the third quarter that was really costly by the Rams defense. They had the Bills in first-and-30, and a few plays later, they were in the end zone after a 17-yard scramble by Josh Allen and 51-yard touchdown pass to Khalil Shakir.
- At one point, the Rams led 38-21 but the Bills came storming back with consecutive touchdown drives totaling 161 yards on 15 plays. The second of the two was a 21-yard touchdown pass to Mack Hollins, who beat Quentin Lake in man coverage.
- The Rams were aggressive on fourth down in the fourth quarter, going for it on fourth-and-5 from the Bills’ 35-yard line and they converted with an 11-yard pass to Tutu Atwell. Two plays later, Nacua was in the end zone with his second touchdown, taking a screen pass 19 yards for a score to put the Rams up 44-35.
- The Bills still wouldn’t go away, even after the Rams led 44-35. They marched down the field and scored a touchdown to make it 44-42, helped by a pass interference penalty on Quentin Lake on fourth-and-15. Allen eventually snuck in for his third rushing touchdown of the game.
- Kyren Williams and Blake Corum once again combined to rush for 100 yards in this one, the second straight week they were highly productive in the backfield together.
- Puka Nacua had arguably his best game of the season, catching 12 passes for 162 yards and scoring two total touchdowns, one of which was on the ground.
- Cooper Kupp made big play after big play, just as Nacua did. He caught five passes for 92 yards and also scored a touchdown.
It was over when…
…the Rams recovered the Bills’ onside kick to ice the game and seal the victory. All Los Angeles needed to do was run the clock out without fumbling, which is exactly what they did.
3 stars of the game
No. 3 star: Cooper Kupp – 5 catches, 92 yards, 1 TD
No. 2 star: Matthew Stafford – 23-for-30, 320 yards, 2 TDs
No. 1 star: Puka Nacua – 12 catches, 162 yards, 1 TD. 5 carries, 16 yards, 1 TD
Plays of the game
It’s hard to pick just one, so we’ll highlight a few. The blocked punt that resulted in a touchdown was huge for the Rams, giving them momentum after already leading 10-7.
PUNT BLOCKED! TO THE HOUSE FOR SIX!
📺: @NFLonFox | #RamsHouse pic.twitter.com/862Na3qyim
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) December 8, 2024
Nacua’s 19-yard reception along the sideline wasn’t a scoring play, but it did keep the drive alive on third down and he later scored a touchdown on the drive.
PUKA NACUA! ABSOLUTELY UNREAL!
📺: @NFLonFOX | #RamsHouse pic.twitter.com/QQQNDqo0FC
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) December 8, 2024
And then Kupp scored his touchdown, making the catch with the help of his knee.
NINE TO DIME! TOUCHDOWN!
📺: @NFLonFOX | #RamsHouse pic.twitter.com/2s3zEXZ5jJ
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) December 8, 2024
What’s next?
The Rams won’t have much time to celebrate this win as they’ll turn right around and face the 49ers on Thursday night. The 49ers are also coming off a win, crushing the Bears on Sunday afternoon to keep their playoff hopes alive. They’ll surely be exhausted and worn down after running more than 70 plays on offense and getting gashed on defense, but Sean McVay will have his guys ready to roll.
