Khalil Shakir burns Rams for 57 yards in overtime of Bills win
Key takeaways
- Khalil Shakir's 57-yard catch-and-run put Buffalo at the Rams' 22-yard line. It set up a possible game-winning score in overtime.
- James Cook fumbled on the next play. Greg Rousseau then blocked a 48-yard field goal try. Tyler Bass won it 37-34 with a 45-yarder.
- The win was Josh Allen's 100th and his first in overtime. Buffalo moved to 4-1 and stayed in first place.
Why is Khalil Shakir trending today? The Buffalo Bills wide receiver made a 57-yard catch-and-run in overtime on Monday night. His explosive play set up Buffalo's 37-34 win over the Los Angeles Rams.
The catch came at the biggest moment of the game. It nearly won the game on the spot. What followed was even wilder.
What happened
Both teams came in with big hopes. Many fans saw this game as a possible Super Bowl preview. Our Monday Night Football preview guide broke down the key matchups before kickoff.
The first half was quiet. The defenses ruled early. Only 20 points were scored before halftime, NBC Sports reported.
The score was tied 34-34 after four quarters. The game went to overtime in Los Angeles. The Rams won the coin toss.
They chose to kick off first.
Buffalo got the ball to start overtime. A holding penalty pushed the Bills back. They faced second-and-16 from deep in their own end.
Then quarterback Josh Allen looked for Shakir.
Shakir caught the ball near midfield. He turned up the field in one smooth motion. He sprinted past defenders for 57 yards.
He reached the Los Angeles 22-yard line. Rams safety Kamren Kinchens chased him down from behind. The tackle saved a certain touchdown, NBC Sports reported.
The Bills posted the play as its own highlight video. It sits with the other top moments from the night on the team's site.
The Bills looked ready to score the winner. Then the very next play flipped the game. Running back James Cook took the handoff.
Rams linebacker Nate Landman punched the ball out of his arms. Rams lineman Aaron Donald fell on it at the 20-yard line.
It was Cook's second fumble of the night. His teammates had saved him on the first one. They could not save him this time.
It was also Landman's second forced fumble of the game, according to Rams Wire.
Suddenly the Rams had the ball. They needed only a field goal to win. They drove 50 yards in eight plays.
They reached the Buffalo 30-yard line.
Kicker Harrison Mevis lined up for a 48-yard try. The kick would have won the game. Bills defender Greg Rousseau had other ideas.
He leaped at the line of scrimmage. He got a hand on the ball. The block came with just over four minutes left in overtime.
Buffalo got the ball back with new life. Allen took charge on the next drive. He kept the ball himself twice.
He ran for 19 yards, then 13 more. The Bills moved 35 yards in five plays.
That set up kicker Tyler Bass. He lined up from 45 yards out. Only 1:55 remained in overtime.
Bass drilled it through the posts. Buffalo won 37-34. The Bills improved to 4-1. The Rams dropped to 2-3.
The whole night was a shootout. The teams combined for 71 points and 890 yards. There were eight lead changes in total.
The fourth quarter alone produced 35 points, NBC Sports reported. Our recap of the Bills' 37-34 overtime win has the full scoring summary.
Cook had scored on a 5-yard run with 1:39 left in regulation. That gave Buffalo a 34-27 lead. The Rams answered in a flash.
Matthew Stafford led an eight-play, 63-yard drive in only 1:34. Kyren Williams scored from one yard out with five seconds left. That tied the game and forced overtime.
The stars filled the stat sheet. Stafford threw for 383 yards and three touchdowns. Puka Nacua caught 17 passes for 138 yards and a score.
Allen threw for 210 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He also ran for 121 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. Cook finished with 111 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries.
Shakir made other plays too. He had a 17-yard catch earlier that set up a red-zone chance. Ty Johnson added a 26-yard catch and a 40-yard gain.
Dalton Kincaid caught a two-point conversion. More on his night is in our Dalton Kincaid overtime report. Keon Coleman caught a 7-yard touchdown pass.
All of these plays appear in the team's official highlight reel.
Why it matters
One play on national television can start a trend. Shakir's 57-yard sprint came at the most dramatic moment of the night. Google Trends logged about 20,000 searches for his name in the United States.
The play nearly decided the game by itself. The fumble on the next snap kept the Rams alive. That sudden swing is why fans keep replaying the clip this morning.
The night also belonged to Allen. The win was the 100th of his career. It was his first win ever in overtime.
He had lost all seven of his previous overtime games, NBC Sports reported.
Allen is now the fourth quarterback to reach 100 wins in his ninth season. The other three are Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson, and Tom Brady.
The result kept Buffalo in first place. A loss would have dropped the Bills to 3-2. It would have put them behind in the division race.
For Shakir, the play showed his value. His speed turned a short throw into Buffalo's longest gain from scrimmage. Plays like that earn a receiver more chances.
What happens next
Buffalo hits the road on Sunday. The Bills visit the 3-2 Raiders in Las Vegas. That game starts a tough stretch for Buffalo.
The Rams stay home in Week 6. They host the Arizona Cardinals at SoFi Stadium on Sunday afternoon. It will be their second division game of the season.
At 2-3, Los Angeles sits one game behind Seattle. The Rams are three games behind San Francisco in the NFC West. They need wins soon to stay in the race.
Shakir will be worth watching on Sunday. Defenses now have fresh film of his open-field speed. If Buffalo keeps feeding him the ball, more big plays could follow.
Sunday will show whether this was a one-night spark or a turning point. Buffalo needs its pass catchers with the Raiders up next. If Shakir keeps running like that, defenses must account for him.
The whole league is watching now.
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