ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The Buffalo Bills survived five turnovers and erased a fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Los Angeles Chargers 24–16 on Sunday, extending their unbeaten start to three games.
Josh Allen rushed for two touchdowns and James Cook III added 154 yards and a score on 24 carries. Buffalo did not take its first lead until Allen’s second one-yard touchdown run put the Bills ahead 17–13 with 7:35 remaining at Highmark Stadium.
The decisive opportunity came from the defense. After an Allen fumble gave Los Angeles the ball at Buffalo’s 28-yard line early in the fourth quarter, safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson intercepted Justin Herbert near the goal line and returned the ball 41 yards.
Buffalo converted that possession into Allen’s go-ahead touchdown, then stopped the Chargers on downs. Cook finished the next scoring drive with a three-yard run, pushing the lead to 24–13 before Los Angeles added a late field goal.
Allen completed 16 of 26 passes for 204 yards, with two interceptions and no passing touchdowns. His eight rushing attempts produced 22 yards and the two short scores, giving the Bills another way to finish drives on an uneven passing afternoon.
Cook accounted for most of Buffalo’s 176 rushing yards. The Bills finished with a narrow 350–348 advantage in total offense, but their ability to get into the end zone separated the teams: Buffalo scored touchdowns on three of four red-zone possessions, while the Chargers managed one in four.
Herbert finished 20 of 34 for 226 yards, one touchdown and one interception as Los Angeles fell to 0–3. Tre’ Harris caught six passes for 76 yards, and Ladd McConkey added four receptions for 66 yards.
The Chargers led 10–0 after the first quarter, but Buffalo pulled level before halftime. Los Angeles moved back in front with a third-quarter field goal before the Bills produced their two fourth-quarter touchdowns.
Greg Rousseau recorded two sacks for Buffalo. The Bills’ defense repeatedly limited the damage from poor field position, helping turn an afternoon of offensive mistakes into a third consecutive victory.
Buffalo cornerback Christian Benford did not return after a toe injury. Chargers cornerback Donte Jackson was ruled out after a first-half concussion, according to the league’s injury roundup.
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This page is an original Sporting Page summary. The reporting remains with Buffalo Bills official game recap.
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