Late Field Goal Lifts Bills Over Chargers
If you are a Los Angeles Chargers fan by this point in the season it is time to look forward to next year. With this loss to the Chargers fell to 5-10 on the season and have been officially eliminated from playoff contention. While head coach Brandon Staley may no longer be a part of this team, it seems as if losing still is, as an incredibly lackluster year for Los Angeles continues. Meanwhile, the Buffalo Bills have not been eliminated from playoff contention quite yet and they got a much-needed win in this one. They improved to 9-6 on the season with this win and now sit sixth in the AFC for the time being, praying every day that they will be playing in the postseason come January. They will hope to get another much-needed win as they head back to Buffalo to take on their divisional rival New England Patriots next week on New Year’s Eve. Let’s take a look at how Buffalo got this win.
The Los Angeles Chargers started this game by scoring on their first drive as their offense set up a 20-yard field goal attempt for kicker Cameron Dicker. After Dicker knocked down the field goal the score was 3-0 Los Angeles. The Chargers' offense would score again a few drives later as quarterback Easton Stick ran in the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown to make the score of the game 10-0 after Dicker made the extra point. However, Buffalo would have the last laugh in the first half as their offense would score two touchdowns later in the second quarter. The first touchdown was a 57-yard one scored by wide receiver Gabe Davis and the second was scored as quarterback Josh Allen ran 2-yards into the end zone. These two touchdowns, plus two made extra points by kicker Tyler Bass would put the Bills up 14-10 as both teams headed into the locker room.
The first Buffalo possession in the second half would not go as planned as Allen threw an interception, a pass intended for wide receiver Stefon Diggs, into the hands of Los Angeles safety Alohi Gilman. The Chargers offense was able to turn this great play by their defense into points as they set up a field goal for Dicker from 40 yards out, which he made to make the score of the game 14-13. The Bills would make up for their previous mistake on their next drive as Allen ran in the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown to put Buffalo up 21-13. Dicker would knock down field goals on both of the Chargers' next two drives, one from 47 yards out and one from 45 yards out, to make the score of the game 21-19 with nearly seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. When the Bills got the ball back running back James Cook would make a huge error as he fumbled. The fumble was forced by Gilman and recovered by Los Angeles defensive tackle Nick Williams. The Chargers offense was able to set up a 53-yard field for Dicker off of this turnover, which he made to give Los Angeles the lead 22-21 as the five minutes remaining mark approached. Unfortunately for Chargers fans though, the Bills offense was able to set up a 29-yard field goal for Bass, which he knocked down to win this one late in the fourth quarter on Saturday night 24-22.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen missed six pass attempts in the game going fifteen for twenty-one and throwing for 237 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Running back James Cook had twenty carries for 70 yards, but Allen had the Bills only two rushing touchdowns in the game. Wide receiver Gabe Davis had four catches for 130 yards and one touchdown. Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Easton Stick completed twenty-three of the thirty-three passes he threw in the game; finishing having thrown for 215 yards. Running back Austin Ekeler had fifteen carries for 65 yards. However, Stick had Los Angeles’s only rushing touchdown in the game. Wide receiver Joshua Palmer led the Chargers in receiving yards on Saturday night with five receptions for 47 yards.
