Bills-Rams game-ending punt, explained: Buffalo takes field with just nine players on final play

The Rams and the Bills played in a high-scoring affair on Sunday, with Los Angeles holding on for a 44-42 win. For most of the game, the Rams were ahead, but Buffalo almost pulled off the comeback in the end.

While trying to come back, the Bills’ clock management was rocky, as they wasted a timeout that ultimately allowed the Rams to run out the clock. It all culminated in a final play where Los Angeles punted the ball away as time expired.

The last play was a good summary of the Bills’ fundamental struggles against Los Angeles, as they essentially just let the Rams let the clock run out. Here is what happened on the final play.

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Bills-Rams game-ending punt, explained

After the Bills had to use a timeout on their last offensive drive, Buffalo had just two timeouts after the Rams recovered the onside kick up two points with one minute left. Los Angeles was able to run the clock all the way down to seven seconds ahead of 4th-and-2.

Faced with an interesting decision, Rams head coach Sean McVay opted to punt the ball away and bleed the clock that way. While Buffalo could’ve tried for the punt block, the Bills just let the Rams punt the ball without a block or a return.

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After the game, head coach Sean McDermott revealed that there weren’t enough players on the field to execute a punt block.

“We didn’t have enough guys on the field,” he said, via ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg.

It turns out, the Bills only had nine players on the field during the final play, allowing the Rams to gain a two-player advantage.

Here’s another perspective on the play.

That was only the second Bills special teams mistake of the day, as the Rams blocked a Buffalo punt earlier in the game for a touchdown.

The Bills are still 10-3 on the season, with the AFC East already clinched, but Buffalo has a lot of mistakes to fix after a tough end in Los Angeles.