The Las Vegas Raiders gave the Buffalo Bills all they could handle, but the Bills simply had too much Josh Allen as they outlasted the Raiders to get a 33-30 win on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium.
The Raiders went toe-to-toe with Buffalo throughout this one, and in many ways it resembled the Raiders’ loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, with Allen providing the quarterback heroics instead of Patrick Mahomes.
The back-and-forth started immediately in the first half, with both teams unable to author complete drives throughout the half. The Bills scored first on a field goal from kicker Tyler Bass from 44 yards out, and the Raiders came back with a one-yard touchdown run from running back Ashton Jeanty after a nine-play, 70-yard drive.
Buffalo closed the gap to 7-6 with another Bass field goal, then took the lead after a long drive that ended with a 14-yard catch-and-run from Allen to Khalil Shakir to make it 14-6. But the Raiders came back a pair of field goals from kicker Matt Gay to tie the game up 13-13 at the half.
The Bills dominated the third quarter with a 10-0 run, with the touchdown coming on a wild 12-yard touchdown flip to Keon Coleman. That followed a 47-yard field goal from Bass, and it looked like the Raiders might fold with Buffalo leading 23-13 after three.
But these Raiders don’t fold, and a long drive that led to a short field goal from Gay made it 23-16. Las Vegas then drove the field again to tie it up at 23-23 as QB Kirk Cousins hit receiver Tre Tucker for an 11-yard touchdown.
Allen took over the game after that, though, leading another Buffalo drive that led to a 3-yard touchdown run from running back James Cook III, and the Bills added another Bass field goal from 38 yards to make it 33-23 and seemingly put the game away.
It wound up doing just that, but the Raiders made it close, with Cousins leading an explosive drive he finished with a 44-yard strike to Tucker. That made it 33-30, but a failed onside kick from Gay was caught as he kicked it too high and too far to give his teammates a chance for a recovery.
The bright spots in this one offensively were Cousins, Tucker, the tight ends and rookie running back Mike Washington Jr., who had a couple of explosive plays. But the defense simply had no answers for Allen, who went 23-for-33 for 255 yards and two touchdowns, while Cousins’ valiant effort produced 313 yards and two touchdowns as he went 23-41 while also throwing an interception.