INGLEWOOD, Calif. – The Los Angeles Rams hit the gas pedal early and didn’t let up against the Buffalo Bills in their Week 14 matchup.
The Rams scored 24 first-half points, converted 11 of 15 third-down attempts and outscored the Bills 31-14 in the second and third quarters to pull out a 44-42 win.
“Great win by our team. I’m really proud of these guys,” Rams head coach Sean McVay said. “They did a good job of continuing to make plays. I thought (QB) Matthew (Stafford) had great command offensively. I thought we were able to run the football. Our offensive line did an excellent job. For us to be able to maintain possession the way that we did and our defense got enough stops.”

In recording their seventh win of the season, the Rams (7-6) had to do something they had not previously done and that’s get out in front of the other team early. They did that and still had something left in the tank to finish off the Bills, thanks to Puka Nacua’s second touchdown of the game.
Nacua caught 12 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 16 yards and another score. His 19-yard touchdown run-and-catch just under two minutes in the fourth quarter sealed the game for the Rams.
“That’s just kind of who he is,” Stafford said of Nacua. “He’s a physical player and made some big plays in the pass game, obviously a big touchdown there late to help give us the lead again. I love the way that he played.”
The Rams have struggled all season to get up on their opponents early. Putting points on the scoreboard has been like pulling teeth for the Rams. Slow and painful. How bad has it been?
The Rams have averaged just 7.5 points in the first half per game. Sean McVay’s team took a different approach against the Bills. They got out of the gates quickly and it made a difference.

“The guys executed well,” McVay remarked during his postgame press conference. We’ve talked about that a lot and it boils down to execution.”
“And then really, I thought, it was unbelievable… you go off-schedule. You had a third down and nine, Matthew [Stafford] gets flushed, things weren’t necessarily there in the timing and rhythm. He escapes the rush, ends up keeping his eyes down the field and he and Nacua connect,” McVay added.
The contributions for the Rams were spread out. Running back Kyren Williams rushed for two touchdowns and went over the 1,000-yard mark for the second straight season. Stafford was clutch all game, completing 23 of 30 passes for 320 yards and a pair of TD passes.
The Rams even got a blocked punt (Jacob Hummel) that was returned for a touchdown (Hunter Long).
“Obviously, the punt block for a touchdown was huge,” McVay said. “It was a great job by (Special Teams Coordinator) Chase Blackburn. (LB) Jake Hummel gets the block. (TE) Hunter Long picks it up for his first career touchdown.”
Lead photo caption: Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (17) caught 12 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown in a 44-42 win over the Buffalo Bills at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California on Dec. 8, 2024. Nacua also rushed for 16 yards on five carries and added a score. Photo credit: Mark Hammond/News4usonline

Dennis has covered and written about politics, crime, race, sports, and entertainment. Dennis currently covers the NFL, MLB, NBA, NCAA, and Olympic sports. Dennis is the editor of News4usonline.com and serves as the publisher of the Compton Bulletin newspaper. He earned a journalism degree from Howard University. Email Dennis at dfreeman@news4usonline.com
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