The Los Angeles Rams were facing a fourth-and-5 at the Buffalo 35-yard line with a 38-35 lead and just under four minutes left in their high-scoring game with the Bills on Sunday.
Sean McVay is usually a more cautious coach, so it wouldn’t have been surprising if he had tried a long field goal or even punted. But he kept his offense on the field, and Matthew Stafford calmly went through his options before connecting with Tutu Atwell across the middle for an 11-yard gain.
This key play helped the Rams hold on for a 44-42 win over the powerful Bills, a victory that could change their season.
“We felt like we needed to make it a two-possession game,” McVay said Monday. “They were rolling. We talked about aggressively going to win that game. … It was just a reflection of the confidence in that group and what we felt like we needed to do to be able to win the game.”
The Rams offense has earned the trust McVay showed in it at that important moment. While the offense has not been great this season, ranked just 18th in the league before last weekend, it is now mostly healthy and performing well.
Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams are both playing at a Pro Bowl level, like they did last season.
Matthew Stafford and Josh Allen before the game
This was bad news for Buffalo, and it could be a challenge for other NFC teams if the Rams (7-6) continue playing at this high level. Los Angeles will look to keep this offensive rhythm going with a short week as they head to San Francisco for a Thursday night game.
Nacua said it was “fantastic being able to feel like, man, this is what it feels like when the Rams are moving and connecting on all cylinders.”
Los Angeles had six scoring drives of at least 65 yards while gaining 457 total yards against Buffalo. Stafford threw for a season-high 320 yards, and Nacua had another outstanding game with 162 yards receiving, two touchdowns, 16 yards rushing, and another touchdown on five carries.
It was also the Rams’ first 40-point game with Stafford as their quarterback.
Thanks to their impressive offensive performance, the Rams are now above .500 for the first time this season and are just one game behind Seattle (8-5) in the NFC West after winning six of their last eight games. A team that seemed headed for a tough season after a 1-4 start is still very much in the playoff race, also trailing Washington (8-5) by just one game for the final wild-card spot.
“It’s cool to be able to play meaningful football in December,” said McVay, who led the Rams to five playoff appearances in his first seven seasons. “You never take that for granted.”