INGLEWOOD - Daily Breeze News Today It was all set up for the Rams. Nate Landman had punched the ball out of James Cook’s hands to give Matthew Stafford the ball in overtime. Stafford moved quickly against an exhausted Buffalo Bills defense. Before you knew it, the Rams were in field-goal range with a chance to win.
But Harrison Mevis’ 48-yard attempt was blocked by Bills linebacker Greg Rousseau, his second miss of the game. And Bills quarterback Josh Allen wasn’t going to allow another opportunity at a win to slip through his fingers, rushing for 19 and then 13 yards to get within Tyler Bass’ range. And Bass did not let his 45-yard opportunity pass him by, giving the Bills a 37-34 win.
“I thought offensively and defensively we battled,” head coach Sean McVay said. “And then with our PAT, field goal, not even close to good enough. It cost us the game tonight.”McVay said he couldn’t remember the last time he was this angry after a game. He paced the locker room, shaking hands with all the starters and telling him that he appreciated them and that he was “sick” about the result.
Part of it was his own decision-making, opting for a conservative running play on a third-and-5 and settling for Mevis’ ill-fated overtime attempt.“I wish I would have had a better play call and gone for it, gotten it a lot tighter. I’m sick right now with myself,” McVay said. “That’s on me.”
Then there was just the sting of jubilation, such as Landman throwing his helmet to the sidelines after his forced fumble, turned into heartbreak.“You feel the momentum switch,” Landman said when asked if he thought the game was over. “They’re a good football team, they made one more play than us. It wasn’t enough. Obviously it doesn’t come down to that play. There’s a lot of plays that happen throughout the course of the game that we gotta be better on as a team.”
After a week spent talking about the team’s two prevailing issues – special teams and pre-snap penalties – the Rams (2-3) immediately put both on display.The Bills’ Ray Davis had a huge hole to run through on the opening kickoff. Ethan Evans chased him out of bounds to save a touchdown, but only after a 70-yard return. A Josaiah Stewart looping stunt sack on third down limited the damage to a field goal.
Then four plays into the Rams’ first possession, right guard Kevin Dotson was flagged for a false start. It was one of four pre-snap penalties for the Rams in the game. The second, by Alaric Jackson, turned a third-and-10 into a third-and-15 and the Rams surrendered the possession with a screen pass.Then Mevis missed a 50-yard attempt wobbling wide left. After his second miss, Mevis is 5 for 9 on field goal attempts this season.
“I felt like I hit it good,” Mevis said of the overtime attempt. “That’s all I can tell you. I hit it good, gave it a chance. I’ll have to look at it.”
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