This is a completed-match recap, not a preview. The Buffalo Bills and the Los Angeles Rams last met on Monday night, 12 October 2026, in Week 5 of the NFL season, and the Bills won 37–34 in overtime at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. It was a game of nine lead changes, 35 fourth-quarter points, a blocked field goal in overtime, and a winning kick with 1:55 left — and it settled nothing about which of these two teams is better, because the previous meeting, on 8 December 2024, was an even wilder 44–42 Rams win. Together, the two games produced 157 points and two of the most entertaining regular-season shootouts of the decade. Josh Allen ran for 121 yards and the decisive late yardage in overtime; Matthew Stafford threw for 383 yards in a losing effort; and Puka Nacua caught 17 passes, the most by any player in a single game in more than a decade.
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| Latest result | Bills 37, Rams 34 (OT) — 12 October 2026, Week 5, SoFi Stadium, Inglewood |
| Bills stars | Josh Allen (210 passing yards, 1 TD; 121 rushing yards, 1 TD), James Cook (111 rushing yards, 2 TD), Tyler Bass (game-winning 45-yard field goal in OT) |
| Rams stars | Matthew Stafford (383 passing yards, 3 TD), Puka Nacua (17 catches, 138 yards, 1 TD), Davante Adams (2 TD catches) |
| What decided it | Greg Rousseau’s blocked 48-yard field-goal attempt in overtime, then Allen’s two scrambles to set up Bass |
| Previous meeting | Rams 44, Bills 42 — 8 December 2024, also at SoFi Stadium; Allen scored six touchdowns and still lost |
| Series record | Bills lead 10–6 all time (after the October 2026 game) |
| Last five meetings | 2016: Bills 30–19; 2020: Bills 35–32; 2022: Bills 31–10; 2024: Rams 44–42; 2026: Bills 37–34 (OT) |
Table of Contents
- The Latest Game at a Glance: 12 October 2026
- How the 2026 Game Unfolded, Quarter by Quarter
- Overtime: The Block, the Scrambles, the Kick
- Quarterbacks in 2026: Allen’s Legs Against Stafford’s Arm
- Rushing and Receiving in 2026
- Team Numbers That Explain the 2026 Result
- 8 December 2024: The 44–42 Shootout
- 8 September 2022: The Season-Opening Statement
- Earlier Meetings: 2020 and 2016
- Who Played Best in Each Game?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
The Latest Game at a Glance: 12 October 2026
Both teams arrived at SoFi Stadium with something to prove. Buffalo, at 3–1, had just lost to New England and needed a statement win; Los Angeles, at 2–2, had lost a home game to Philadelphia and was trying to stay in touch in the NFC West. What followed was the highest-scoring game of Week 5 and, by the fourth quarter, one of the wildest finishes of the season: five touchdowns in the final quarter alone, a tie with five seconds left, and an overtime decided by a blocked kick.
| Quarter | Bills | Rams |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 6 | 0 |
| 2nd | 7 | 7 |
| 3rd | 6 | 7 |
| 4th | 15 | 20 |
| OT | 3 | 0 |
| Final | 37 | 34 |
The headline numbers show two offences that could hardly be separated and two defences that could hardly stop anybody when it mattered. Stafford threw 54 passes; Allen threw only 19 but ran 10 times for 121 yards. Buffalo committed 13 penalties for 112 yards and turned the ball over twice — and still won, because its defence produced the single biggest play of the night when it blocked a kick in overtime. The win moved Buffalo to 4–1 and dropped Los Angeles to 2–3.
How the 2026 Game Unfolded, Quarter by Quarter
The first half belonged to kickers and running backs. Tyler Bass opened the scoring with a 49-yard field goal at 13:23 of the first quarter, Harrison Mevis pushed a 50-yard attempt wide left, and Bass added a 23-yarder with ten seconds left in the quarter for a 6–0 Buffalo lead. Stafford found Davante Adams from four yards out at 8:00 of the second quarter for the Rams’ first points, and James Cook III answered with a 17-yard touchdown run at 5:09. Jaylen Watson intercepted an Allen deep ball late in the half, but the Rams could not turn it into points, and Buffalo led 13–7 at the break.
The second half was a different game. Blake Corum’s 1-yard run at 10:11 of the third quarter put Los Angeles ahead 14–13, then Allen found Keon Coleman for a 7-yard score at 2:45 — Bass missed the extra point, leaving Buffalo ahead 19–14. The fourth quarter then exploded: Nacua caught a 2-yard touchdown at 14:16 for a 20–19 Rams lead after a failed two-point try; Allen scored from the 1 at 11:28 and threw to Dalton Kincaid for two, making it 27–20; Adams caught his second touchdown at 7:14 to tie it at 27; Cook scored again from five yards at 1:39 for a 34–27 lead; and Stafford drove 63 yards in 1:34 before Kyren Williams plunged in from the 1 with five seconds left to send it to overtime at 34–34.
Overtime: The Block, the Scrambles, the Kick
Buffalo received the ball first in overtime and moved quickly — Allen connected with Khalil Shakir on a 57-yard pass that put the Bills in deep scoring position. But the Rams’ defence produced a massive play: Nate Landman forced Cook to fumble for the second time in the game, and the Rams recovered at their own 20-yard line. Los Angeles drove into field-goal range, and head coach Sean McVay sent Mevis on to attempt what would have been a game-winning 48-yard field goal. Greg Rousseau blocked it with 4:11 remaining, and McVay afterwards took the blame for the decision to kick on third down rather than try to gain more yards first — Mevis had already missed from 50 yards earlier in the night.
Buffalo needed only a handful of snaps once it got the ball back. Allen scrambled twice, for 19 and 13 yards, to move the Bills to the Rams’ 27, and Bass drilled a 45-yard kick with 1:55 remaining in overtime to seal the 37–34 victory. It was the first overtime win of Allen’s career after he entered the night 0–7 in overtime games. After the game, attention also turned to a postgame incident in which Rams left tackle Alaric Jackson threw a punch at Bills linebacker Bradley Chubb during the jersey exchange; Chubb did not retaliate, and reports afterwards said Jackson could face league discipline — that part of the story was reported, not confirmed, at the time of writing.
Quarterbacks in 2026: Allen’s Legs Against Stafford’s Arm
The quarterback comparison is the simplest summary of the game — and it shows two completely different ways to dominate. Stafford was the better passer by a wide margin; Allen was the better runner by a wider one, and his running won the game in overtime.
| Player | Team | Completions / attempts | Yards | TD | INT | Rushing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Allen | Bills | 12 / 19 | 210 | 1 | 1 | 10 carries, 121 yards, 1 TD |
| Matthew Stafford | Rams | 40 / 54 | 383 | 3 | 0 | — |
Stafford’s 111.9 passer rating and zero interceptions tell the story of a quarterback who did almost everything right and still lost. Allen’s night was messier — one interception, two team turnovers from his running back, 13 team penalties — but his 121 rushing yards included the two overtime scrambles that set up the winning kick. As one recap put it, Stafford threw for 383 yards and still went home with a loss; Allen ran for 121 and went home with the win.
Rushing and Receiving in 2026
James Cook III was Buffalo’s workhorse and its biggest risk in equal measure: 25 carries for 111 yards and two touchdowns, but two fumbles lost, the second of which nearly cost Buffalo the game in overtime. Keon Coleman added the third-quarter touchdown catch, and Dalton Kincaid caught the two-point conversion that briefly gave Buffalo a seven-point fourth-quarter lead.
| Player | Team | Rushing | Receiving |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Cook III | Bills | 25 carries, 111 yards, 2 TD | 1 catch, 7 yards |
| Josh Allen | Bills | 10 carries, 121 yards, 1 TD | — |
| Puka Nacua | Rams | 2 carries, 9 yards | 17 catches, 138 yards, 1 TD |
| Davante Adams | Rams | — | 5 catches, 51 yards, 2 TD |
Nacua’s 17 receptions on 24 targets were the most by a player in a single game since Brandon Marshall’s 28 targets in 2009, and fell one short of the Rams’ franchise record of 18 held by Tom Fears since 1950. His longest catch went for only 24 yards — this was a performance built on volume and reliability, not on one broken play. Adams, by contrast, needed only five catches to score twice, including the 5-yard touchdown that tied the game at 27 in the fourth quarter. Blake Corum added a 1-yard touchdown run, and Kyren Williams scored the tying touchdown from the 1 with five seconds left.
Team Numbers That Explain the 2026 Result
Buffalo’s 13 penalties for 112 yards should have been fatal; the Rams still found a way to lose, which is why the game stung so much in Los Angeles. The Rams’ kicking operation was the other decisive factor: Mevis missed a 50-yarder in the first quarter and had the potential winner blocked in overtime, while Bass, after missing an extra point in the third quarter, made the kick that mattered. Buffalo’s defence also produced the game’s defining sequence — the forced fumble in overtime, the blocked kick, and then the discipline to stop Stafford from answering. The teams combined for 35 fourth-quarter points, nine lead changes in total, and a finish that needed extra time to separate them.
8 December 2024: The 44–42 Shootout
If the 2026 game was wild, the previous meeting was wilder. On 8 December 2024, also at SoFi Stadium, the Rams beat the Bills 44–42, snapping Buffalo’s seven-game winning streak and handing the Bills their first loss since 6 October. The Rams led 38–21 at the end of the third quarter before Allen dragged Buffalo back into it with three fourth-quarter touchdown drives, cutting the gap to 38–35 with 8:49 to play and then scoring on a 1-yard dive with one minute left — only for Ronnie Rivers to recover the onside kick and let Los Angeles run out the clock.
| Player | Team | Passing | Rushing | Receiving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Allen | Bills | 22/37, 342 yards, 3 TD | 10 carries, 82 yards, 3 TD | — |
| Matthew Stafford | Rams | 23/30, 320 yards, 2 TD | — | — |
| Puka Nacua | Rams | — | 16 yards, 1 TD | 12 catches, 162 yards, 1 TD |
| Kyren Williams | Rams | — | 87 yards, 2 TD | — |
| Cooper Kupp | Rams | — | — | 5 catches, 92 yards, 1 TD |
Allen became the first player in NFL history to pass for three touchdowns and rush for three touchdowns in a single game, finishing with 424 total yards and six touchdowns — and losing. The teams combined for 902 yards of offence with no turnovers and no quarterback sacks, and the Rams possessed the ball for 38 minutes to Buffalo’s 22. Hunter Long even returned a blocked punt for a Rams touchdown. Stafford’s 19-yard touchdown pass to Nacua with 1:54 left made it 44–35 and proved to be the winner. “Josh Allen is an alien,” Rams coach Sean McVay said afterwards. “But our guys made just enough plays to be able to come out on top.”
8 September 2022: The Season-Opening Statement
The 2022 meeting was the season opener for the whole NFL, played at SoFi Stadium on the night the Rams raised their Super Bowl banner. Buffalo spoiled the party, winning 31–10 in a performance that announced the Bills as the team to beat in the AFC. The result is sometimes forgotten between the two shootouts that followed, but it set the tone for the rivalry’s modern chapter: Buffalo has now won three of the last four meetings, with the 2024 shootout as the exception.
Earlier Meetings: 2020 and 2016
On 27 September 2020, Buffalo beat the Rams 35–32 in Orchard Park, a back-and-forth game that the Bills won late. On 9 October 2016, Buffalo won 30–19 in Los Angeles. Those two results, with the 2022 opener, give Buffalo three straight wins before the Rams’ 2024 answer — and the 2026 overtime win restored Buffalo’s edge in the recent series. All time, the Bills lead the series 10–6, with 437 points scored to the Rams’ 359.
Who Played Best in Each Game?
| Game | Best player | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 12 Oct 2026 — Bills 37, Rams 34 (OT) | Josh Allen | 121 rushing yards and the two overtime scrambles that won it, after a quiet passing night |
| 8 Dec 2024 — Rams 44, Bills 42 | Josh Allen (in defeat) | First 3-passing-TD, 3-rushing-TD game in NFL history — 424 total yards, six touchdowns |
| 8 Sep 2022 — Bills 31, Rams 10 | Buffalo’s defence and Allen | A complete team win on the night the Rams raised their banner |
| 27 Sep 2020 — Bills 35, Rams 32 | Buffalo’s offence | Won a shootout in Orchard Park before the rivalry’s modern classics |
| 9 Oct 2016 — Bills 30, Rams 19 | Buffalo | A comfortable road win in Los Angeles |
The honest answer across the two classics is that Allen has been the best player in both of them — and has a 1–1 record to show for it. Stafford’s 2026 performance (383 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions) would have won most games; it lost this one because Buffalo’s defence made two plays — the fumble and the block — at the only moments when they were worth more than all the yardage that came before.
For fan reaction to the overtime finish, see the Footballguys forum thread on the Monday night game: Footballguys forum thread: Bills 37, Rams 34 (OT). And for another Bills recap from this site, see our breakdown of the Titans game: Tennessee Titans vs Buffalo Bills match player stats.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the score of the last Bills vs Rams game?
Buffalo won 37–34 in overtime on 12 October 2026 at SoFi Stadium. Tyler Bass kicked the winning 45-yard field goal with 1:55 left in overtime after Greg Rousseau blocked a Rams field-goal attempt.
How many touchdowns did Josh Allen score against the Rams in 2024?
Six — three passing and three rushing — in the Rams’ 44–42 win on 8 December 2024. He was the first player in NFL history to record three passing touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns in a single game.
How many catches did Puka Nacua have against the Bills in 2026?
Seventeen catches for 138 yards and one touchdown on 24 targets — the most targets by a player in a single game since Brandon Marshall’s 28 in 2009, and one short of the Rams’ franchise record.
Who leads the Bills vs Rams series all time?
Buffalo leads 10–6, with 437 points scored to the Rams’ 359, after the October 2026 overtime win.
When did the Bills last beat the Rams before 2026?
On 8 September 2022, when Buffalo won the NFL season opener 31–10 at SoFi Stadium on the night Los Angeles raised its Super Bowl banner.
What happened after the 2026 game between Alaric Jackson and Bradley Chubb?
Reports after the game said Rams tackle Alaric Jackson threw a punch at Bills linebacker Bradley Chubb during the postgame jersey exchange. Chubb did not retaliate, and reports said Jackson could face league discipline; that disciplinary outcome was reported, not confirmed, at the time of writing.
Conclusion
Two meetings, 157 points, two finishes that needed the final minute — or extra time — to decide. The Bills vs Rams rivalry has become one of the NFL’s most reliable entertainments, and the October 2026 overtime game belongs with the December 2024 shootout as its twin classic. Buffalo leads the series 10–6 and has won three of the last four, but the margins — two points in 2024, three points in overtime in 2026 — say these teams are almost perfectly matched. The next meeting, whenever the schedule-makers arrange it, will be appointment viewing for exactly that reason.