If you were watching football on December 8, 2024, you probably didn't have time to blink. The Buffalo Bills vs Los Angeles Rams game at SoFi Stadium wasn't just another regular-season matchup. It was a glitch in the matrix. Honestly, the final score of 44-42 in favor of the Rams barely tells the story of how weird and historic that afternoon actually was.
Think about this: zero turnovers. Zero. In a game where 86 points were scored and both teams moved the ball like it was a 7-on-7 drill in July.
The Record-Breaking Reality of the Bills-Rams Shootout
Usually, when a team scores 42 points and doesn't turn the ball over a single time, they win. Every. Single. Time. Before this specific game, NFL teams were 245-0 in the Super Bowl era when they hit those benchmarks (six touchdowns and zero turnovers). The Bills became the first team in the history of the league to do everything right on offense and still go home with a loss.
It's sorta tragic if you're a Buffalo fan.
Josh Allen was a human highlight reel, but in a way we’ve never seen. He became the first player in NFL history to throw for three touchdowns and run for three more in the same game. That’s six total touchdowns. Usually, that’s enough to blow a team out. But Matthew Stafford and the Rams' offensive line had other plans. Stafford was surgical, completing 23 of 30 passes for 320 yards. No sacks. Not even one. The Rams' protection was so good it felt like Stafford was playing from a lawn chair.
Why Puka Nacua is Basically a Cheat Code
While everyone focuses on the quarterbacks, what Puka Nacua did in that Buffalo Bills vs Los Angeles Rams showdown was ridiculous. He caught 12 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown. Then, just for fun, he added a rushing touchdown.
- He joined Jerry Rice and Lance Alworth as the only receivers with 160+ receiving yards, a receiving TD, and a rushing TD in one game.
- He tied Randy Moss and Jerry Rice for the most 150-yard scrimmage games in a player's first two seasons.
- He basically broke the Bills' secondary by being everywhere at once.
Buffalo's defense, led by Taylor Rapp (13 tackles) and Damar Hamlin (12 tackles), spent the whole day chasing shadows. When they weren't chasing Nacua, they were trying to tackle Kyren Williams, who hammered away for 29 carries and two scores. It was a relentless, grinding efficiency that wore the Bills down even as Allen was busy making "superhuman" plays.
What People Get Wrong About the History
Most people think of these two teams as distant strangers because they play in different conferences. But the Buffalo Bills vs Los Angeles Rams history is surprisingly back-and-forth. Before the 2024 shootout, Buffalo had actually won three in a row. They humiliated the Rams 31-10 in the 2022 season opener—the night the Rams hung their Super Bowl banner.
People forget that.
They also forget the 2020 game where Buffalo blew a massive lead, fell behind, and then won on a last-second touchdown pass to Tyler Kroft. This "rivalry"—if you can call it that for non-divisional teams—always seems to produce chaos. The 2024 game was just the peak of that chaos. It was the highest-scoring game of the entire 2024 season.
The Stafford vs Allen Debate in 2026
Fast forward to right now, January 2026. Both these guys are still at the top of their game. Stafford is 37 and coming off a season where he led the league in passing yards (4,707) and touchdowns (46). He’s the MVP favorite for a reason.
Josh Allen, meanwhile, is still the "do-it-all" king. Even in an "uneven" year by his standards, he still accounted for 39 total touchdowns. The crazy part? When these two teams met in 2024, Stafford’s EPA (Expected Points Added) was +25.0, one of the highest marks of the year. He wasn't just lucky; he was perfect.
The Strategy That Won (and Lost) the Game
If you look at the "Time of Possession," it’s staggering. The Rams had the ball for 38 minutes and 30 seconds. Buffalo had it for 21 minutes and 30 seconds.
That is a massive gap.
Basically, the Rams' strategy was to keep Josh Allen on the sideline. If he doesn't have the ball, he can't hurt you. Sean McVay ran the ball 42 times—the most the Rams had run it in a single game since 2018. It was "keep away" at its finest. Buffalo’s defense couldn't get off the field on third down, and that eventually led to the Rams outlasting them in a game that felt like it should have gone to whoever had the ball last.
Defensive Meltdowns or Offensive Brilliance?
It’s easy to say both defenses sucked that day. But looking closer, there were almost no penalties for the first three quarters. No turnovers. No sacks. It wasn't that the defenders were playing poorly; it was that the offensive execution was at a level that shouldn't be possible in the NFL.
- The Blocked Punt: Jacob Hummel blocked a Buffalo punt, which Hunter Long returned for a TD. Without that special teams play, Buffalo likely wins this game.
- The 4th and 15: Down late, Buffalo converted a 4th and 15 via a pass interference call. It gave them a chance, but they ran out of time.
- The Missed Extra Point: The Rams missed a late PAT that would have made it a two-score game. It kept the door open for Buffalo, making the ending even more stressful.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
If you're looking back at the Buffalo Bills vs Los Angeles Rams matchup to predict future games, here is what actually matters:
- Don't ignore the run game: The Rams didn't win because Stafford out-dueled Allen; they won because they ran the ball 42 times and controlled the clock.
- Josh Allen is a unicorn: Even in a loss, he proved that his rushing ability is a primary weapon, not a backup plan. Defenses in 2026 are still struggling to account for a QB who is essentially a 240-pound fullback with a cannon arm.
- The "SoFi Factor": The Rams play differently at home. The speed of their receivers (Nacua and Kupp) on that fast turf is a nightmare for older or slower secondaries.
The next time these two meet, don't expect a defensive struggle. Their philosophies are diametrically opposed in some ways but identical in their aggression. Buffalo wants to overwhelm you with Allen's talent. The Rams want to overwhelm you with McVay's scheme.
Watch the line of scrimmage next time. In 2024, the Rams' offensive line didn't allow a single sack against a very good Buffalo front. That was the secret sauce. If Buffalo can't get home with four pass rushers, they can't beat the Rams. It’s that simple.
Keep an eye on the 2026 playoff bracket too. Both teams are currently pushing deep into the postseason, and a rematch on the biggest stage would be the only way to top what we saw in 2024.