BUF vs LAC: Vontae says goodbye, Josh says hello

I couldn't watch the Buffalo Bills play the Los Angeles Chargers live because I had a baby naming in New Jersey to attend so I had to wait until it was available on NFL Gamepass at 8pm that night. Just like me, the Bills also had a late start to their football day. The first half was abysmal, like a continuation of the prior week when they got blown out by the Ravens.

The Bills offense was sputtering while the Chargers were able to move the ball down the field with ease. The Bills got their first 1st down with about 3:30 left in the 1st quarter. Meanwhile, Phillips Rivers didn’t have his first incompletion until the 2nd quarter. Rivers picked on the Bills linebackers, especially Tremaine Edmunds. Right before halftime, John Miller showed some life for the Bills when he appeared to start screaming "Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!" after a false start.

At halftime, the Chargers were ahead 28 to 6 over Buffalo. At this point in the season, the Bills have been outscored 75 to 9. Things got so bad that Vontae Davis retired in the middle of half and put on street clothes. With Vontae Davis retiring and Josh Allen getting his first full start of his career, this game truly was like the circle of life for Buffalo and nobody circles the game of life like the Buffalo Bills!

Sean McDermott knew he needed to make some changes at half. McDermott, known to slap his hands together in a repeated clapping pattern, had different plans for his hands in the second half of this game. He used those hands to take over the defensive playbook and he ended up calling a great second half.

The Bills defense was like a beat up old car in this game. They spent the first half trying to get the engine going but but once it got going in the second half, the baby purred like a kitten (who was coughing up the occasional hairball).

In the 4th quarter, LeSean McCoy suffered a cracked rib on a hit forcing me to crack a beer in his honor and out of sadness.

All in all, Josh Allen stood tall during the game but at times it felt like he was a young student trying to read Shakespeare for the first time. However, before the game ended, it all started to come together for the kid.

Allen heaved a touchdown pass to Kelvin Benjamin near the end of the game. He threaded the ball between multiple defenders on the play. It was a phenomenal pass and showed that despite throwing two prior interceptions, he’s not afraid to try and make a play.

The Bills would end up losing 31 – 20 to the Chargers but rest assured the momentum that they picked up in the second half of the game is something they can build off of in the weeks ahead.