Game recap
Bills @ Rams
2026 Wk 5 · LA 34, BUF 37
Puka Nacua drew 24 targets, but a blocked overtime kick let Buffalo win it at SoFi.
Puka Nacua drew 24 targets. Only one receiver since 1999 has seen more in a regular season game.
RareMost targets by one player in a regular season game since 1999
| Player | Season | Week | Team | Opp | Targets | Rec | Yards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Marshall | 2009 | 14 | DEN | IND | 28 | 21 | 200 |
| Puka Nacua | 2026 | 5 | LA | BUF | 24 | 17 | 138 |
| Jason Witten | 2012 | 8 | DAL | NYG | 23 | 18 | 167 |
| Antonio Brown | 2015 | 9 | PIT | LV | 23 | 17 | 284 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | 2025 | 7 | CIN | PIT | 23 | 16 | 161 |
| Roddy White | 2010 | 1 | ATL | PIT | 23 | 13 | 111 |
| Garrett Wilson | 2024 | 5 | NYJ | MIN | 23 | 13 | 101 |
Matthew Stafford threw 54 passes and 24 of them went to Nacua, who caught 17 for 138 yards and a touchdown. His previous career high was 20 targets, against San Francisco in 2023 Week 2. Brandon Marshall's 28 in 2009 is the only regular season game since 1999 with a higher count.
Why it matters. A 24 target game means the Rams' passing plan ran through one receiver almost every other dropback. Nacua turned that volume into 17 catches but only 138 yards, 5.75 yards per target, so Buffalo conceded the short throws and kept him in front of them. The concentration also made the Rams easy to read late, when every possession had to score.
Stafford completed 40 passes with 3 touchdowns and no interceptions, and lost. Four other passers have done that since 1999.
RareEvery regular season game since 1999 with 40+ completions, 3+ TD passes and 0 interceptions
| Passer | Season | Week | Team | Opp | Comp/Att | Yards | TD | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Romo | 2009 | 13 | DAL | NYG | 41/55 | 392 | 3 | L 24-31 |
| Peyton Manning | 2010 | 1 | IND | HOU | 40/57 | 433 | 3 | L 24-34 |
| Ben Roethlisberger | 2014 | 8 | PIT | IND | 40/49 | 522 | 6 | W 51-34 |
| Derek Carr | 2016 | 8 | LV | TB | 40/59 | 513 | 4 | W 30-24 |
| Kirk Cousins | 2016 | 12 | WAS | DAL | 41/53 | 449 | 3 | L 26-31 |
| Andrew Luck | 2018 | 4 | IND | HOU | 40/62 | 464 | 4 | L 34-37 |
| Matt Ryan | 2022 | 6 | IND | JAX | 42/58 | 389 | 3 | W 34-27 |
| Justin Herbert | 2023 | 3 | LAC | MIN | 40/47 | 405 | 3 | W 28-24 |
| Matthew Stafford | 2026 | 5 | LA | BUF | 40/54 | 383 | 3 | L 34-37 |
Nine games qualify, and five of them ended in a loss. Andrew Luck's 2018 game against Houston also finished 37-34 in overtime. Stafford went 40 of 54 for 383 yards and was sacked once.
Why it matters. A clean 40 completion day usually means the passer carried the offense, and that only wins when the defense holds up. Here the Rams' defense gave up 7.55 yards a play, so Stafford's volume was matching Buffalo's scoring rather than building a lead. Five losses in nine such games show how often that pattern ends this way.
Six lead changes, two ties in the last 7:18, and a game tying touchdown with 8 seconds left.
TrendEvery scoring drive, with the score after the try
| Qtr | Clock | Team | Score | BUF | LA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13:28 | BUF | Tyler Bass 49 yd FG | 3 | 0 |
| 1 | 0:13 | BUF | Bass 23 yd FG | 6 | 0 |
| 2 | 8:04 | LA | Davante Adams 4 yd pass | 6 | 7 |
| 2 | 5:16 | BUF | James Cook 17 yd run | 13 | 7 |
| 3 | 10:14 | LA | Blake Corum 1 yd run | 13 | 14 |
| 3 | 2:49 | BUF | Keon Coleman 7 yd pass, PAT missed | 19 | 14 |
| 4 | 14:20 | LA | Puka Nacua 2 yd pass, 2 pt failed | 19 | 20 |
| 4 | 11:33 | BUF | Josh Allen 1 yd run, 2 pt good | 27 | 20 |
| 4 | 7:18 | LA | Adams 5 yd pass | 27 | 27 |
| 4 | 1:44 | BUF | Cook 5 yd run | 34 | 27 |
| 4 | 0:08 | LA | Kyren Williams 1 yd run | 34 | 34 |
| OT | 2:00 | BUF | Bass 45 yd FG | 37 | 34 |
The lead changed hands six times between the second and fourth quarters. Each team then failed on one try after a touchdown: Bass missed an extra point in the third quarter and Stafford was sacked on a two point try in the fourth. Buffalo then converted its own 2 point try at 11:33 to go up 27-20.
Why it matters. Neither team led by more than 7 points at any stage, so every failed try carried real weight. Buffalo's successful 2 point conversion meant both later Rams touchdowns could only tie the game, never take the lead. The Rams tied it twice late but never led again after 11:33.
Greg Rousseau blocked a 48 yard try in overtime. It was the first blocked overtime field goal since 2018.
RareEvery blocked field goal in overtime since 1999
| Season | Week | Final | Kicking team | Distance | Kicking team result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 6 | LV 34, SF 28 | SF | 29 | L |
| 2000 | 16 | NE 13, BUF 10 | BUF | 30 | L |
| 2002 | 4 | PIT 16, CLE 13 | PIT | 24 | W |
| 2002 | 10 | ATL 34, PIT 34 | PIT | 48 | T |
| 2002 | 10 | ATL 34, PIT 34 | ATL | 56 | T |
| 2002 | 13 | LAC 30, DEN 27 | LAC | 38 | W |
| 2003 | 9 | NYG 31, NYJ 28 | NYJ | 51 | L |
| 2003 | 12 | NE 23, HOU 20 | NE | 37 | W |
| 2005 | 16 | TB 27, ATL 24 | ATL | 28 | L |
| 2015 | 17 | SF 19, LA 16 | LA | 48 | L |
| 2018 | 1 | PIT 21, CLE 21 | CLE | 43 | T |
| 2026 | 5 | BUF 37, LA 34 | LA | 48 | L |
Harrison Mevis lined up from 48 yards with 4:16 left in overtime and the score tied at 34. That came after James Cook fumbled at the Los Angeles 22 on Buffalo's first overtime drive. Tyler Bass then made a 45 yarder with 2:00 left. Three overtime blocks have come since 2006, and the Rams were the kicking team in two of them.
Why it matters. A made kick would have put the Rams ahead 37-34 with 4:16 left in overtime, after Buffalo had already used its first possession. Instead the block gave Buffalo the ball back, and it drove into field goal range. It also canceled out Cook's fumble, the only turnover of the extra period.
Los Angeles ran 79 plays to Buffalo's 58 and still gained only 16 more yards.
ComparisonOffense on pass and run plays, this game versus 2026 Weeks 1 to 4
| Team | Plays | Yards | Yds/play | EPA/play | Wk 1-4 Yds/play | Wk 1-4 EPA/play |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BUF | 58 | 438 | 7.55 | 0.291 | 6.6 | 0.191 |
| LA | 79 | 454 | 5.75 | 0.231 | 6.24 | 0.026 |
Buffalo gained 7.55 yards a play, up from 6.6 across its first four games. Los Angeles fell to 5.75 from 6.24, but its EPA per play rose to 0.231 from 0.026, because its short completions kept drives alive. The Rams threw on 56 of their 79 plays.
Why it matters. The two offenses won in different ways. Buffalo was explosive and needed fewer snaps, while the Rams moved the ball in small pieces and stayed on schedule. That second approach costs clock and leaves less margin for a failed try or a blocked kick, which is how this game was decided.
Josh Allen ran for 121 yards on 10 carries, the second most of his regular season career.
MilestoneJosh Allen's 100 yard rushing games, regular season
| Season | Week | Opp | Carries | Rush yds | Rush TD | Pass att | Pass yds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 13 | MIA | 9 | 135 | 0 | 33 | 231 |
| 2026 | 5 | LA | 10 | 121 | 1 | 19 | 210 |
| 2021 | 14 | TB | 12 | 109 | 1 | 54 | 308 |
| 2018 | 14 | NYJ | 9 | 101 | 1 | 36 | 206 |
Eight of the 10 carries were scrambles, worth 107 yards, and four of those went for 15 yards or more. The 19 pass attempts were the fewest of any game on this list. His 21 yard scramble to the Los Angeles 5 set up Cook's go ahead touchdown at 1:44.
Why it matters. Allen's scrambles were the release valve against a defense that kept his throws in check at 12 of 19. Each long scramble came on a passing play that would otherwise have been a throwaway or a sack, so the rushing total is really part of the passing game. It is the profile of a quarterback who wins when the pocket breaks down.
Three of the last four Bills and Rams games were decided by 3 points or fewer, with 67 or more points in each.
MilestoneEvery Bills versus Rams game in the database
| Season | Week | Away | Home | Result | Margin | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 11 | LA | BUF | BUF 37, LA 17 | 20 | 54 |
| 2008 | 4 | BUF | LA | BUF 31, LA 14 | 17 | 45 |
| 2012 | 14 | LA | BUF | LA 15, BUF 12 | 3 | 27 |
| 2016 | 5 | BUF | LA | BUF 30, LA 19 | 11 | 49 |
| 2020 | 3 | LA | BUF | BUF 35, LA 32 | 3 | 67 |
| 2022 | 1 | BUF | LA | BUF 31, LA 10 | 21 | 41 |
| 2024 | 14 | BUF | LA | LA 44, BUF 42 | 2 | 86 |
| 2026 | 5 | BUF | LA | BUF 37, LA 34 | 3 | 71 |
Buffalo leads the series 6 to 2 in these eight meetings. The only exception in the last four was the 2022 opener, a 21 point Buffalo win. The 2020, 2024 and 2026 games finished by 3, 2 and 3 points, and the 2024 game at 86 points is the highest scoring of the eight.
Why it matters. These teams meet once every four years, so the series is less a rivalry than a recurring test of two passing offenses. The recent results point the same way: when both quarterbacks are healthy and the game is close, neither defense has found a way to slow the other down.
FanIQ answers any NFL stats question with receipts, on your phone.
Get FanIQ freeGet it on Google Play