10/13/2026
Our pick for the six most crucial plays from the Buffalo Bills victory over the Rams.
#1 Kincaid’s Catch for 2
We’re going to jump right to the 4th quarter for our first pivotal play. The Bills went up 25-20 early in the frame on an Allen touchdown run. Of course, it made sense to go for two points, and Joe Brady made the call. Stepping back to pass, Allen had trouble finding an open receiver for nearly five seconds before serving up a jump ball for Dalton Kincaid who used his body position to make the play. Buffalo has had trouble with 2-point conversions, but getting this one shaped the rest of the game.
#2 Shakir Tripped Up
Now we’re going to jump right to overtime. The Rams won the toss and chose to give Buffalo the ball first. After a holding penalty set Buffalo back, Khalil Shakir was able to break free over the middle and run away from the defender for a 57-yard gain. It appeared he was going to be able to spring down the sideline for the score, but the Rams defender was just able to trip him up. Instead of a touchdown, the Bills had to continue their drive from the Rams 22-yard line.
#3 Cook Fumbles
On the very next play, James Cook fumbled for the second time in the game. Unlike the fumble, however, this fumble was lost. Cook looked devastated on the sidelines as it appeared he had given the game to the Rams. They marched down the field quite quickly, but Greg Rousseau got in Stafford’s face causing him to miss a wide-open receiver down the middle and the Bills were then able to force a fourth down. Sean McVay elected to try for a winning 48-yard field goal.
#4 Rousseau’s Block
It turned out that the sideline celebration after the Cook fumble was premature. Greg Rousseau was able to use his length to block the field goal attempt. Buffalo’s special teams had a good night. Ray Davis had started the game with a 70-yard kickoff return. Doman’s lone punt went 52 yards and pinned the Rams deep. It was this block, however, the proved most pivotal and gave Buffalo surprising new life in LA. Groot continued his great start to the season.
#5 Allen Runs Wild
Against the Patriots, Allen appeared, at times, unwilling to run with the football. In this game, he was far more reluctant to throw it. He was just 12 for 19 passing but ran the ball 10 times for 121 yards and a touchdown. Truth be told, there were a number of clutch runs from Allen in this game, but we’ll focus on what turned out to be the game winning drive. Early in the drive, Allen avoided two Rams defenders and scampered for nearly twenty yards. On the next play, a designed roll-out run for Allen, the Bills star QB was able to outrun Aaron Donald for another first down, putting Buffalo in field goal range. It was a great call from Joe Brady and well-executed by Allen.
#6 Bass Nails the Kick
Joe Brady then decided to turn to his kicker. It was only 2nd down, but Brady had confidence that Tyler Bass could deliver a 45-yard game winning field goal. Despite the Rams getting a running start on the block attempt, Bass was able to send the ball straight through the uprights to win the game. Earlier, he’d missed an extra point which played a part in creating a myriad of coaching decisions after subsequent touchdowns, but Bass delivered in the clutch moment.
Extra Point
It has been rare, in the Josh Allen era, for the Bills to go into a game as an underdog. After a poor performance against the Patriots in the previous game, expectations were low in Buffalo. To be clear, there were plenty of problems. The defense couldn’t stop Puka Nacua. Cook continues to have fumbling issues. The passing game was extremely limited. And Joe Brady made several questionable coaching decisions. Nevertheless, the Bills found a way to win. It was an entertaining football game with many lead changes and several surprising twists and turns. In the end, Buffalo moves to 4-1, a very satisfying record given their early season schedule. We’re betting most fans would have gladly taken that record to Vegas at the start of the season.
