Some Buffalo Bills fans got a gut check from quarterback and reigning MVP Josh Allen after making an early exit from Sunday’s dramatic 41-40 comeback victory over the visiting Baltimore Ravens.
‘Our team didn’t quit,’ Allen told NBC after guiding the Bills back from a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit to win on a Matt Prater field goal.
‘I mean, I think there’s people that left the stadium,’ Allen continued. ‘That’s OK, we’ll be fine. But have some faith next time.’
Buffalo fans already survived four Super Bowl losses in the early 1990s, not to mention a current streak of six consecutive playoff berths without a Lombardi Trophy. So to see members of what’s known as the ‘Bills Mafia’ heading for the exit with the team trailing the Ravens by two touchdowns in the final frame was a bit surprising.
But the Bills weren’t done and neither was Allen, who ran for a pair of touchdowns and tossed another, which was tipped into the arms of Buffalo’s Keon Coleman, as Buffalo completed the unlikely comeback over the game’s final seven minutes of action.
‘Josh, he’s always been like that though. He wants the ball in key moments of the game,’ coach Sean McDermott said. ‘That’s what the great ones, that’s their mindset. That’s what they want, that’s what they do. And he’s never out of it in his mind.’
Matt Prater #15 and Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills embrace after the comeback win
Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills looks on after running for a first down against the Ravens
Allen finished going 33 of 46 for 394 yards and two touchdowns and earned his 77th win, tying Joe Ferguson for second on the Bills list.
The Bills’ defense bent but didn’t break in an outing it was being trampled by Derrick Henry, who finished with 169 yards rushing and scored twice. Meantime, Lamar Jackson combined for three touchdowns, including two passing, in steering an offense that scored on seven of its first eight possessions.
Henry, however, contributed to the loss by losing a fumble with 3:06 left, which opened the door for Buffalo’s comeback.
Allen scored on a 1-yard run two minutes later in cutting the lead to 40-38. And the Bills then got the ball back after the defense forced a three-and-out on what became Baltimore’s final possession.
‘The biggest thing I saw when we got down early, no one blinked,’ Prater said. The 41-year-old made his Bills debut, replacing Tyler Bass, who’s on injured reserve with hip and groin issues.
Buffalo overcame a fourth-quarter 15-point deficit for just the third time in team history. Baltimore became the first team in NFL history to lose when scoring 40 or more points and rushing for 235 yards or more.
‘You just got to finish the game,’ Jackson said. ‘It’s not over until there is zero, zero, zero on the clock. And we found that out tonight.’
Henry blamed himself for the fumble, which was forced by Ed Oliver and recovered by Terrel Bernard at Baltimore’s 30.
‘I told my teammates after the game, put the loss on me. I own it like a man,’ Henry said. ‘Got lackadaisical and they made a play. … If I take care of the ball, I feel like it would be a different situation.’
Bills players hoist 41-year-old kicker Matt Prater on their shoulders after his winning kick
The fans who did remain at Highmark Stadium seemed to enjoy themselves
The game appeared over when Henry scored on a 46-yard run to put Baltimore ahead 40-25 with 11:42 remaining.
This prime-time matchup lived up to the preseason hype as a rematch of Buffalo’s 27-25 win over Baltimore the divisional round of last season’s AFC playoffs.
Buffalo finished with 497 yards of offense. The teams combined for 929.
The fans even got involved, with Jackson shoving back at a man in the end zone while celebrating DeAndre Hopkins’ 29-yard touchdown catch late in the third quarter. The man struck Hopkins in the helmet, and attempted to do so to Jackson, who responded by shoving the man back into his seat.
‘I seen him slap D-Hop, then he slapped me, and he was talking and I just forgot where I was for a little bit,’ Jackson said, noting he should have let security officials handle the fans. ‘I just let my emotions get the best of me there. I’ll handle it better next time.’
Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh shares a few words with officials on Sunday
A stunned Lamar Jackson walks off the field in Orchard Park after losing to the Buffalo Bills
The fan was ejected by stadium security.
The atmosphere was electric on a night the Bills marked their 53rd and final home opener at Highmark Stadium, affectionally called ‘The Ralph.’ Next season, the team is set to move into a $2.1 billion facility being constructed across the street.
Allen oversaw last-minute scoring drives to close each half, with Prater hitting a 43-yard field goal on the final play of the second quarter.
Ravens rookie Tyler Loop made two field goals in his debut but missed an extra point that proved costly. Loop was a sixth-round draft pick and replaced Justin Tucker, who was released in the offseason after he was accused of inappropriate sexual behavior by massage therapists.
Baltimore’s Zay Flowers had seven catches for a career-high 143 yards and a touchdown.
Henry passed Jim Brown to move into sixth on the career rushing TD list with 108. And he matched Brown’s record by posting his 13th game with at least 150 yards rushing and two scores.
