Buffalo gives playoff hopes a jolt in close win

Allen’s big day, late kick by Bass stop Bolts

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Josh Allen continues to reach milestones in his sixth NFL season, but he’s more concerned about getting the Buffalo Bills back into the playoffs.

Allen did his part Saturday night by rushing for two TDs and throwing for one, but it took a 29-yard field goal by Tyler Bass with 28 seconds remaining for the Bills to escape with a 24-22 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.

Allen became the first player in NFL history with four consecutive seasons of 40 combined touchdowns and the second quarterback to reach 50 career rushing scores.

“It’s tough because when you’re playing a team with nothing to lose, that’s a dangerous team. We gutted it out and we found a way,” said Allen, who completed 15 of 21 passes for 237 yards with an interception. “This is our playoffs. It didn’t matter how we get them done, just get them done.”

The Bills (9-6) have won four of their last five. Buffalo’s playoff chances got help earlier in the day when Pittsburgh beat Cincinnati.

Buffalo fell behind 10-0 early in the second quarter but rallied from a double-digit deficit to win for the fourth time since William & Mary alum Sean McDermott became coach in 2017.

The Bills turned the ball over three times to keep the shorthanded Chargers in the game in their first outing under interim coach Giff Smith. Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco were fired on Dec. 15, one day after the Chargers were pummeled 63-21 in Las Vegas.

“(The Chargers) were doing some things that they hadn’t shown (this season). They came in well-prepared,” McDermott said. “I thought our guys settled in and responded. We did a good job in the red zone and had some big plays on third down to help us out.”

Cameron Dicker kicked a career-high five field goals and Easton Stick passed for 210 yards for Los Angeles (5-10), which has lost six of seven.

“I think we went into this game thinking it was going to be a heavyweight fight, and we wanted to have a chance at the end for a knockout,” Smith said.

Allen had four completions on the 13-play, 64-yard winning drive, including a 15-yard reception by Khalil Shakir on thirdand-4 at the LA 28 with 2:29 remaining. Shakir got up after making the catch and ran to the end zone, and officials signaled a touchdown, but a replay review determined he was down by contact.

“As an offense, we want to score a touchdown and put them in an even more difficult situation. Obviously not scoring there allowed us to run down the clock down,” Allen said.

Allen leads the league with 40 total touchdowns (27 passing, 13 rushing). His 2-yard run off right tackle with 38 seconds remaining in the second quarter gave the Bills a 14-10 lead.

Allen had a 1-yard sneak late in the third quarter — his 51st career rushing TD — to make it 21-13.

Sticking with it: Stick, making his second NFL start in place of the injured Justin Herbert, completed 23 of 33 and rushed for a touchdown.

The fifth-year quarterback from North Dakota State directed the Chargers to scores on two of their first three drives.

“We just have to consistently execute better so that we feel better at the end,” Stick said.

That’s grand: James Cook finished with 70 yards on 20 carries and became the first Bills running back to reach 1,000 yards since LeSean McCoy in 2017.