If you turned off the TV when the Los Angeles Rams went up by 17 points in the third quarter, you missed arguably the wildest game of the entire season. Honestly, the Rams vs Bills 2024 matchup on December 8 was less of a football game and more of a track meet with pads on.
It ended 44-42.
No turnovers. No sacks. Just 86 points and over 900 yards of total offense.
The Josh Allen History Lesson (That Came in a Loss)
Josh Allen did something that literally no one else in the history of the NFL has ever done. He threw for three touchdowns and ran for three more in a single game. Six touchdowns. Think about that for a second. Usually, when a quarterback accounts for six scores, they’re holding a trophy or at least wearing a post-game hat that says "Division Champs."
Instead, Allen became the eighth player ever to lose a game despite accounting for six touchdowns. The last guy to feel that specific type of pain was Drew Brees back in 2019.
Allen was basically a one-man army. He put up 342 passing yards and 82 rushing yards. He was jumping over people, stiff-arming linebackers, and threading needles to Khalil Shakir, who finished with 106 yards. But the Bills' defense? Kinda nowhere to be found.
Why the Rams vs Bills 2024 Score Was So High
Matthew Stafford was surgical. That’s the only word for it. He didn't have the "superhero" stats that Allen did, but he was incredibly efficient, completing over 76% of his passes. Tom Brady, who was calling the game for FOX, kept pointing out how Stafford was using his eyes to manipulate the Buffalo safeties.
Stafford would look right, hold the safety for an extra heartbeat, and then "rip a dot" to Cooper Kupp or Puka Nacua on the other side.
Speaking of Nacua, the kid was unstoppable. He had 12 catches for 162 yards and a touchdown. The Bills moved from man coverage to zone, and it didn't matter. The Rams just kept finding the "soft spots."
Key Stats That Look Like Typos
- Total Combined Yards: 902
- Sacks: 0 (This is almost impossible in the modern NFL)
- Turnovers: 0
- Third Down Success: The Rams converted 73.3% of their third downs. For context, they entered the game as one of the worst third-down teams in the league.
The Turning Point Nobody Talks About
While everyone focuses on the touchdowns, the game actually turned on a weird officiating/coaching sequence in the fourth quarter. The Bills had the Rams in a third-and-9 situation. There was a holding penalty.
Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott had a choice: decline the penalty and make the Rams face a fourth-and-6, or accept it and push them back to third-and-19. He took the penalty.
It backfired.
The Rams gained some yardage back, faced a fourth-and-5, and Sean McVay—being the gambler he is—went for it. Stafford found Tutu Atwell for the first down. That drive eventually ended in a Puka Nacua touchdown that made it 44-35.
If Buffalo declines that penalty, maybe the Rams kick a field goal. Maybe they punt. Instead, L.A. got seven points and essentially iced the game.
Coaching Blunders and Special Teams Chaos
The end of the game was a mess for Buffalo's staff. After Allen scored his final historic touchdown to make it 42-44, the Bills had to try an onside kick because they had wasted a timeout earlier.
Why did they waste the timeout?
Because they tried a "tush push" on the goal line that failed, and they weren't prepared for the next play.
Then, on the final Rams punt of the game, the Bills only had nine men on the field. Nine! You can't block a punt or set up a return with nine guys. McDermott admitted as much after the game, calling it a major communication breakdown.
Real Takeaways for the Post-Season
The Rams vs Bills 2024 game showed that the Rams are a nightmare matchup for any team that relies on a "bend-but-don't-break" zone defense. If Stafford has time, he will carve you up.
For the Bills, it was a wake-up call. You can have the best player on the planet in Josh Allen, but if you can't generate a single sack or a single turnover, you're playing a dangerous game. They dropped to 10-3 after this loss, while the Rams clawed their way to 7-6 to stay in the hunt.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Bettors:
👉 See also: MLB Home Run Derby Odds: Why Betting the Favorites Usually Backfires
- Watch the Rams' Offensive Line: When they don't give up sacks (like they didn't in this game), Stafford is arguably a top-3 QB in the league.
- Josh Allen’s Volume: In games where the defense struggles, Allen’s rushing attempts skyrocket. He becomes the primary goal-line "back," which is great for fantasy but risky for his longevity.
- Puka Nacua vs. Man Coverage: Teams are going to stop playing man-to-man against the Rams because Nacua and Kupp are simply too good at winning the initial 5 yards of the route.
If you’re looking back at the 2024 season, this is the "Tape Study" game. It’s the one that proves offense has almost completely overtaken defense in the modern era when two elite play-callers like McVay and Joe Brady are involved.