The LA Rams walked away from Sunday’s Week 3 loss to the undefeated Buffalo Bills pretty upset at a costly pass interference call on 4th down-and-8 that set up a touchdown to seal the game.
The Rams didn’t deserve to win after only scoring a field goal in the entire first half and going down by as much as 25 points before mounting a four-touchdown comeback starting midway through the third quarter and scoring the go-ahead touchdown with four and a half minutes left in the final period.
The Los Angeles defense made Bills quarterback Josh Allen look like a Pro Bowler on Sunday as he went 24-for-33 on 311 passing yards with four touchdowns and an interception.
The Bills opened the second half with a touchdown but the Rams defense eventually woke up, forcing an interception by safety John Johnson III on the second play of the Bills’ second drive of the third quarter, forcing a 3-and-out, then Pro Bowl defensive tackle Aaron Donald forced Allen to fumble on a sack that set up the go-ahead score.
Jared Goff finished the game 23-of-32 on 321 passing yards with two touchdowns and an interception while running back Darrell Henderson Jr. led the team with 114 rushing yards on 20 attempts and a touchdown.
Allen took the field with his offense and got to Rams territory just before the two-minute warning. After a seven-yard run by Devin Singletary and a 15-yard catch by Cole Beasley, they were at the Rams 15-yard line with just under a minute to go.
1st-and-10 was an incomplete pass, 2nd-and-10 turned into 2nd-and-25 after a face mask call on Allen, which should have easily been a 3rd-and-long if the Rams got Allen down on the sack attempt. 3rd-and-25 was a 17-yard pass to Stefon Diggs that set up 4th-and-8, and an incomplete pass to Gabriel Davis was called a defensive pass interference on Rams cornerback Darious Williams that set up a 3-yard pass to tight end Tyler Kroft for the game-winning touchdown.
“Disappointing end to a very resilient effort by our guys. I love this football team — we’re not going to make any excuses. We’re going to use this opportunity to move forward. Congratulations to the Bills, and we’re on to next week,” head coach Sean McVay said after the game.
John Johnson III said after the game that it was the “wrong call” while wide receiver Robert Woods said “the ball wasn’t even catchable” though there was contact by both the receiver and the defensive back.
It’s a tough blow to the Rams as they are now 2-1 and sitting in a three-way tie for second with the hot Arizona Cardinals and the injured San Francisco 49ers.
They fly back to Los Angeles to prepare for Week 4 at home against the winless New York Giants.
Buffalo Bills Stadium. Photo Credit: Mike Cardus | Under Creative Commons License