Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - The winning streak was halted at seven, as the Buffalo Bills went to Southern California this past Sunday and came out on the wrong end of a 44-42 shootout against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium.
Even with Sunday's loss, Bills quarterback Josh Allen, once again, had a game for the ages with three passing and three rushing touchdowns in the same game. He became the first quarterback in the modern NFL era to put up results like that in a single game.
Allen was able to keep Buffalo in the game by putting the offense in a position to remain within striking distance, but in the end, the offense was unable to find a way to take a lead over the Rams throughout the afternoon.
The 28-year-old finished the game by going 22-of-37 for 342 yards and his three touchdowns through the air.
Meanwhile, Khalil Shakir had one his best days catching the football with five receptions for 106 yards and a touchdown.
It was a rough go of it for the defense, giving up a season-high 44 points and only forced two punts the entire game, with the second one coming as time expired. The defensive unit struggled to get off the field, especially on third down, as the Rams were able to convert 11-of-15 chances on third down.
In addition, the Bills secondary had a difficult time containing and stopping wideouts Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, who combined over 250 yards receiving and two touchdowns.
Up front, the Bills' defensive line was unable to get much pressure on Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, failing to register a sack, while allowing the veteran to pick apart Buffalo's zone defense.
The Bills' streak of forcing a turnover also ended on Sunday, as neither Buffalo nor the Rams turned the ball over.
However, a critical mistake for the Bills in this game came in the second quarter when the Rams were able to bulldoze their way through the punt coverage and block a Sam Martin punt. Los Angeles was able to scoop up the loose football, and score to make it a 17-7 game.
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Up next for the Bills is another road matchup with an NFC opponent, this time, it happens to be the top dog in the conference: The 12-1 Detroit Lions at Ford Field.
The Lions have been one of the best teams in the NFL this season, and their record shows it. Detroit owns the best point deferential in the NFL at +183, and have been on a tear with wins in their last 11 games.
Despite the loss in Los Angeles, Howard Simon was surprisingly in a pleasant mood in the latest edition of "Howard Picks the Bills".
Heading into Sunday's massive showdown between two of the best teams in the NFL, Howard has the Bills getting a huge victory, handing Detroit only its second loss of the season.
In fact, Howard sees the Bills riding the momentum of a big win over the Lions and winning the rest of their games on the regular season schedule. That would give the Bills a new franchise best record of 14-3, and a legitimate chance of still earning the No. 1 seed in the AFC Playoff picture.
In this scenario heading into the postseason, Howard still believes the Bills will clinch the top seed in the AFC, earning Buffalo a first-round bye.
When the Bills return to action in the AFC Divisional Round, it will be a Week 4 rematch for the Bills against the Baltimore Ravens, which Howard sees as Buffalo win at Highmark Stadium. This win would mark a return to the AFC Championship Game for the first time since 2020.
Then, in another playoff matchup against the Chiefs, Howard foresees the Bills finally beating Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City, and securing a trip to New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX!
In the Super Bowl, it will be another rematch of a team the Bills faced in the regular season with the Lions. However, Howard has Buffalo falling to the Lions, ending a magical season and handing the Bills a fifth loss in the Super Bowl.
Be sure to follow along on X, formerly known as Twitter, for the latest picks from Howard by using the hashtag #HowardPicksTheBills. You can also track all of Howard's picks throughout the season with Brayton Wilson's picks tracker on X: @BraytonJWilson.
You can listen to, as well as watch the latest edition of "Howard Picks the Bills" below: