If there’s one thing we can say about the 2023 Buffalo Bills, it’s that they’re exactly like Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates — you never know what you’re going to get.
Six days after thrashing the Dallas Cowboys with a run game nobody had seen from offensive coordinator Joe Brady, the 8-6 Bills rolled into SoFi Stadium to face a 5-9 Los Angeles Chargers team with a new interim head coach (Giff Smith) following the firing of head coach Brandon Staley, and a backup quarterback (Easton Stick) who had been up and down in his two previous starts in relief of Justin Herbert, who’s out for the rest of the season with a right index finger injury.
So, this should have been a blowout on paper in Buffalo’s favor, but they don’t play football games on paper, do they? The Chargers gave the favorites everything they could handle, right up to the end of a 24-22 win that was only good for the Bills in that they now control their postseason destiny. If they beat the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins in the final two weeks of the regular season, they are in the tournament. As it was, this moved Sean McDermott’s team from 10th to sixth in the AFC playoff race, and there’s no way of knowing which Bills team will show up at any given time.
The Bills team that showed up for this game was dependent on Josh Allen to pull it out, and that was more as a runner than as a passer. Against one of the NFL’s worst run defenses, last weeks hero James Cook gained just 70 yards on 20 carries, and fumbled twice.
Austin Johnson was feeling it pic.twitter.com/oKyIl3fcWF
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) December 24, 2023
Allen completed just 15 of 27 passes for 237 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, but he also had two rushing touchdowns on five carries. Outside of receiver Gabe Davis’ annual big game (four catches on six targets for 130 yards and a touchdown), Allen’s targets were mostly nonexistent. And though the Chargers’ plan to spy Allen didn’t work as well as they’d have liked, they did keep Cook under wraps.
The Chargers, who were mathematically eliminated from the postseason in this game, probably should have won it… but they’re the Chargers, and sometimes, Chargering is a thing.
Chargers had:
• more first downs
• more time of possession
• fewer penalties
• 0 turnoversBills had 3 turnovers. Bills won the game. pic.twitter.com/w5zeFWNTK7
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 24, 2023
The Chargers were 1-of-3 in the red zone, and the Bills were 2-of-3. Cameron Dicker (the kicker) had five field goals in this game, including three in the fourth quarter. While that’s great for Dicker, you’re still going to want to score touchdowns to beat the Bills even when they’re having an off night. Stick completed 23 of 33 passes for 215 yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions. It was a safe game plan for the most part, though Stick was also let down by his receivers a couple times on more potentially explosive plays. Rookie Quentin Johnston struggled in particular — he wasn’t going at full speed on one potential deep pass, and another potential important play was negated bo an illegal shift penalty when Johnston wasn’t lined up correctly.
With all that said, the Chargers still had a chance as time was running low. Allen’s touchdown pass to receiver Khalil Shakir with 2:34 left in the game was overturned on review, and that was actually bad news for Buffalo’s opponent, because the Bills could then run the clock down before Tyler Bass’ 29-yard field goal with 28 seconds left in the game.
How close he was to getting back up 👀#BUFvsLAC on Peacock
Also available on #NFLPlus https://t.co/eeNRIfK0VS pic.twitter.com/bvwDjvG16i— NFL (@NFL) December 24, 2023
On Los Angeles’ last play, they set up a series of laterals against Buffalo’s 9-DB Hail Mary defense, and they may have had a shot if receiver Alex Erickson had taken the lane he was given.
Bunch of laterals to end the game. Bills win! #BUFvsLAC pic.twitter.com/5FSahB4WLs
— NFL (@NFL) December 24, 2023
Alex Erickson may have had a lane on the final play. pic.twitter.com/nsXmWBcLzM
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 24, 2023
So. The Bills got the win they needed, though it was hardly a statement, unless the desired statement was “WTF?” As for the Chargers, they have now lost six games this season by three or fewer points, one game away from the NFL single-season record set by the 1994 Houston Oilers.
When it comes to Chargering, there are some things that transcend time, space, and the interim head coach bump.
