The Buffalo Bills needed a win to keep their playoff hopes alive and they did just that against the Los Angeles Chargers. However, the win was more hard-fought than anyone expected as the Bills needed a Tyler Bass in the final minute to secure a 24-22 victory.
These are some of the initial reactions from the Buffalo Bills Week 16 performance against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Buffalo Bills make the surprising choice to have Leonard Fournette return kicks
The Buffalo Bills had Leonard Fournette active for the first time this season after elevating him from the practice squad. The Bills had Fournette available because Ty Johnson was inactive due to a shoulder injury.
The team didn't waste any time getting him on the field as he would be the returner for the opening kickoff. It was surprising to see Fournette back there because he has never returned a kickoff in his NFL career. In fact, he had only four special team snaps in his career prior to that.
However, during the broadcast Mike Tirico did mention that Fournette offered to the coaching staff to return kicks and certainly was a factor in the decision tonight.
The Chargers rightfully tested Fournette on the next kickoff by kicking a squib kick to force him try to field the kick. The move didn't really hurt the team in this game but Fournette's time as a returner should be over.
Buffalo Bills made too many mistakes to give Chargers the early lead
The Buffalo Bills were coming off one of their most impressive wins of the season and were playing a Los Angeles Chargers team that just fired their head coach and had lost six of their last seven games. However, the Bills came out flat and made mistakes in all three phases that helped the Chargers build a double digit lead early in the game.
In the opening drive, Josh Allen missed a wide open Gabe Davis that would have extended the drive and the Bills were forced to punt. For the defense, they had a chance to set up the offense after Christian Benford picked off Easton Stick.
Unfortunately, Benford was called for defensive holding that not only took away the interception but gave the Chargers a first down when they needed 15 yards for a first down. The defense would be able to force a punt but Deonte Harty would fumble on the return and the Chargers capitalized with a touchdown a few plays later.
Josh Allen to Gabe Davis gives the Bills the spark they need
While it was a slow start, the Buffalo Bills finished the first half great with 14 straight points to take a 14-10 lead into halftime. The play that really turned everything around was Josh Allen finding Gabe Davis on a 57-yard pass for a touchdown and the Bills' first points of the game.
Gabe Davis didn't have a single reception in the past two games but in the first half had three receptions for 94 yards on five targets. He was the only player with more than three targets and the only receiver with more than 15 yards in the first half.
Gabe Davis continued to be involved in the second half and finished the game with 130 receiving yards and was the only player with more than 50 receiving yards.
Run game follows after the big touchdown to end the first half
The Gabe Davis touchdown was the spark but it was the run game that kept the Bills offense on track as James Cook and Leonard Fournette finished the first half with 54 rushing yards and an average of 4.9 yards per rush attempt.
The run game was the big storyline against the Dallas Cowboys last week and the Bills were able to get back on track before halftime. However, it wasn't as much of a factor in the second half as the Bills just broke 105 rushing yards.
Buffalo Bills pass rush was almost non-existent
The Buffalo Bills had only one sack through the first three quarters of the game with Poona Ford recording the sack and due in large part to pressure from Ed Oliver on the play. However, that was really the extent of the Bills pass rush in this game against the Chargers for most of the game.
The second half of the fourth quarter the pass rush finally came alive and the Buffalo Bills finished the game with five sacks. Leonard Floyd had one sack and Terrel Bernard added one as well on a key third down.
However, Ed Oliver was really the player that turned the corner as he finished with two sacks, including one on the Chargers final drive that disrupted the entire drive.
The Buffalo Bills are dealing with too many injuries in the secondary for them to be effective and they need the defensive line to pressure the opposing quarterback to continue playing at the high level they were the few weeks prior to the Chargers game.
Sean McDermott shows confidence in James Cook after his fumble
James Cook had a career game last week against the Dallas Cowboys and didn't have nearly the same level of success against the Chargers. He did finish the game with 70 rushing yards but no receiving yards and no targets.
However, in the second half James Cook had what was almost a disasterous mistake with a fumble at their own 25 yard line. The defense was able to keep the Chargers out of the end zone but they did kick a field goal for the lead.
In the past when James Cook would have a mistake like that, he would end up in the doghouse. That was the case the last time Cook was at SoFi Stadium as he fumbled his first career carry last year in the opening game against the Rams.
This time around, the Bills stuck with James Cook on the final drive and was heavily involved with five carries on the 13 play drive. It was the right move by the Buffalo Bills coaching staff as they need to just stay committed to the second-year back.
Buffalo Bills didn't play their best football but got the win
It was an ugly game for the Buffalo Bills and a number of the stats that typically are good indicators of who will win all went the Chargers way. The Chargers won the time of possession battle and the turnover battle as the Bills had three turnovers and the Chargers had none.
However, the Buffalo Bills found a way to win in a game they absolutely needed for their playoff chances. It is not a game that many will want to remember but the good news is that the Buffalo Bills found a way to win a game that they typically lost earlier in the season.
The Buffalo Bills have seemingly played to the level of their opponent as they play their best games against some of the top teams in the NFL (Dolphins, Chiefs, Cowboys) while their losses have been against some of the worst (Patriots and Jets). In the end, the Buffalo Bills got the win and they now turn their attention to the New England Patriots and try to extend their win streak to four next week.