Running back Leonard Fournette made his debut as a Buffalo Bill and gained 3 yards on his first carry. He finished the game with five carries for 15 yards after being activated for the first time since joining the Bills practice squad.
Despite making key mistakes throughout the game, the Bills were able to secure the win in the end.
In the middle of the fourth quarter, Cook’s fumble on the Bills 31-yard line put the Chargers in a scoring position, trailing by just two points.
Prior to Harty’s fumble in the first quarter, Christian Benford had an interception deep in Chargers territory, but it was negated by a defensive holding penalty.
Allen’s interception led to a successful field goal from L.A., cutting Buffalo’s lead to just one point in the middle of the third quarter.
On the following drive, defensive tackle Poona Ford recorded his first sack of the season, forcing the Chargers to settle for a field goal after driving down to the Buffalo 16-yard line. Buffalo then answered with a 75-yard touchdown drive, extending their lead with Allen’s second touchdown of the game.
Penalties hindered positive plays throughout the game. In the early fourth quarter, consecutive calls against Spencer Brown and Mitch Morse disrupted what would have been first down plays, causing the Bills to move away from the Chargers end zone and closer to their own.
On third-and-23, Allen was sacked for the first time of the night, resulting in their fourth punt and giving the Chargers a chance to take the lead. Another penalty forced Sam Martin to punt from the back of the Bills’ end zone.
Martin delivered a strong 58-yard punt, helping the Bills control the field for much of the game. His punts pinned the Chargers inside their own 10-yard line twice and inside their 15 once out of his four punts.
The Bills now hold a 9-6 record for the season and currently rank sixth in the AFC, heading into a full slate of key games in the rest of the conference on Sunday.