Rams offense is humming with good health, and it gave a stellar performance to upset Buffalo

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Rams faced fourth-and-5 at the Buffalo 35 with a 38-35 lead and just under four minutes to play Sunday in their high-octane showdown with the Bills.

Sean McVay is often a conservative coach, and it would not have been surprising to see him try a long field goal, or even punt. He kept his offense on the field, and Matthew Stafford calmly went through his progression before finding Tutu Atwell across the middle for an 11-yard gain that played a major role in the Rams’ ability to hold on for a season-altering, 44-42 victory over the powerhouse Bills.

“We felt like we needed to make it a two-possession game,” McVay said Monday. “They were rolling. We talked about aggressively going to win that game. … It was just a reflection of the confidence in that group and what we felt like we needed to do to be able to win the game.”

The Rams offense has earned the confidence McVay showed in it at that crucial moment. That unit hasn’t always been good this season, entering last weekend rated just 18th in the league, but the Rams finally are mostly healthy heading down the stretch — and Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams are again playing at last season’s Pro Bowl level.

That was bad news for Buffalo, and it could mean trouble for the rest of the NFC if the Rams (7-6) can keep scoring like this. Los Angeles will hope to keep this offensive momentum on a short week heading to San Francisco on Thursday night.

Nacua said it was “fantastic being able to feel like, man, this is what it feels like when the Rams are moving and connecting on all cylinders.”

Los Angeles had six scoring drives of at least 65 yards while racking up 457 yards against Buffalo. Stafford had a season-high 320 yards passing, while Nacua had another spectacular game with 162 yards receiving and two touchdowns along with 16 yards rushing and another TD on five carries.

Incredibly, it was the Rams’ first 40-point game with Stafford behind center.

Thanks to that stellar offensive performance, the Rams are above .500 for the first time all season and just one game back of Seattle (8-5) in the NFC West after winning six of their past eight games. A team that appeared to be headed for a grim season after a 1-4 start is still firmly in the playoff race, also trailing Washington (8-5) by just one game for the final wild-card spot.

“It’s cool to be able to play meaningful football in December,” said McVay, who led the Rams to five playoff berths in his first seven seasons. “You never take that for granted.”

What’s working

The offense hummed largely because it went 11 of 15 on third downs. That’s the Rams’ highest success rate in a game since 2001 — and don’t forget that crucial fourth down conversion, either.

What needs help

Few teams can stop Josh Allen, but the Rams’ defense didn’t come close. The defensive backs particularly struggled, from Darious Williams getting beaten repeatedly in coverage to Quentin Lake’s 34-yard pass-interference penalty in the final moments. Two weeks after Philadelphia dropped 481 yards at SoFi Stadium, Buffalo had 445 to push the Rams down to 26th in total defense entering Monday.

Stock up

The Rams’ offensive line has struggled mightily at times this season, but it allowed no sacks and just three hits on Stafford while clearing the way for 137 yards rushing. With full health, the line is no longer a liability.

Stock down

Edge rusher Byron Young had a rough outing that included two penalties on Buffalo’s first drive — an egregious late hit on Allen and a defensive offside that negated a 2-yard Bills loss on second down from the LA 1. The Rams’ overall defensive discipline was repeatedly poor, and it cost them.

Injuries

CB Cobie Durant has a bruised lung, McVay revealed Monday. The Rams are uncertain whether it will prevent him from playing Thursday. Durant has started all 13 games this season. … WR Demarcus Robinson sprained his shoulder against Buffalo, but kept playing.

Key number

1 — The numbers of NFL games played with two teams scoring at least 40 points and making no turnovers. The Rams and Bills made history.

Next steps

The 49ers haven’t been this vulnerable in four years, but Kyle Shanahan has had McVay’s number throughout their careers — notwithstanding the Rams’ 27-24 comeback win in September when both teams’ top offensive playmakers were all injured.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL

By GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer