Shortly after the end of the game, a 44-42 thriller that ended with the Bills losing only their third game of the season, a familiar version of Josh Allen stood in front of the podium. This Allen hasn’t appeared at any point this season – even after back-to-back losses to the Ravens and Texans in Weeks 4 and 5.

As Allen answered each question succinctly, taking most of the blame squarely, his gaze swept far past everyone in the room. After the press conference ended and he made it back to the locker room, Allen threw himself into his locker room, plopped down on the back wall and scrolled aimlessly on his phone to relax. He didn’t say a word to anyone.

Allen is taking some losses hard, but we haven’t seen that since the frustrating first half of the 2023 season. Allen has shown he can get out of slumps week to week, but from time to time after defeats, that’s part of his process.

On Sunday, it’s hard to blame him for taking the defeat so hard. Allen couldn’t have done much more. He went from managing the offense to dictating the rest of the game, forcing the Rams to score 44 points to outscore him.

Meanwhile, coaching mistakes, line-of-scrimmage disappointments and just about everyone not named Allen have contributed to the Bills having a 10-3 record and putting themselves in a situation where they need help from other teams , if they want to conquer the top seed in the AFC.

As the Bills reflect on their loss and prepare for a huge matchup against the 12-1 Detroit Lions, their defense is largely to blame.

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The defensive warning signs eventually bothered the Bills

One of the Bills’ biggest concerns entering the 2024 season had nothing to do with Allen. It was all about how the defense would perform with as many turnovers as it had in the offseason, and that some questionable starting lineups would take prominent roles. And to their credit, they have done a masterful job of covering up some of these shortcomings over the course of the season. Whether through great in-game adjustments or by taking the lead early and forcing the opponent to play from the back, the defense has performed above expectations this season. Based on their original attitude, one could say that they exceeded their goals.

The Bills defense was unable to stop wide receiver Puka Nacua for much of the game. (Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)

But along the way, even as they were embroiled in some of their best defensive performances, there was a sneaky little twist. Explosive plays have been a nuisance for these Bills all season, forcing them to corner again and again without breaking the cliché. And it has. But to use the cliché: it broke – for almost the entire game. For a while, the Rams flirted with a perfect Bills vs. Patriots 2022 playoff game. It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that the Bills barely stopped the Rams enough to force a punt. Every other time the Rams had the ball, with the exception of the two drives at the end of the half where they actively tried to run out the clock, they scored points and usually a touchdown.

As for those explosive plays, the Rams blocked the Bills’ defense for 18 plays, gaining at least 10 yards. Ten of those 18 plays went for 15 yards or more. Four of those ten went for 20 or more. But it wasn’t even that they lost on explosive plays; They lost at every stage of the journey. The Rams faced only one third-and-long (5 or more yards) in the first half, which showed the Bills were outclassed on first and second downs. When they finally managed to force those third-and-long chances, the Bills allowed the Rams to convert on six of those eight chances. And it wasn’t just one specific problem. The Rams ran and passed the ball at will. But there was one problem that permeated everything.

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In the early stages of the game, the Bills were knocked off the ball at the line of scrimmage. The Rams clearly liked what the 49ers had done the week before before running back Christian McCaffrey suffered a season-ending injury. The 49ers pushed the Bills’ defensive tackles and linebackers out of the way at will, giving McCaffrey some big holes for maximum runs. There were misses, and if he had stayed in the game he could have gained 150 yards on the ground. The Rams believe they are a power run-blocking unit – the strength of their starting five. They wanted to test whether the middle of the Bills defense could withstand this attack. The Bills failed the test and it helped set up everything else throughout the evening.

Because the Rams had so much success running vertically and with power, they surprised the Bills with horizontal end-around runs to wide receiver Puka Nacua – a play that lasted far too long for the Bills to limit. Nine of the 12 plays on the Rams’ first possession were running calls. Six of their next nine on the next possession were rushes. The Bills had no answers. On the third drive, the Rams rallied and fired up their action game, and that’s when things really got out of hand.

The Bills couldn’t get the Rams to a third-and-long, they didn’t know what was coming next, so they couldn’t get a real pass rush going. The result was bleeding meters left and right. It started up front with the defensive tackles, moved to the linebackers, and then into the secondary for anyone not named Christian Benford, providing plenty of spacing and spacing. At the end of the game, the Bills pulled themselves together and made things even more difficult for the Rams – even if it was too late.

But you had to expect that a game like this would come down to the defense. They had made explosive plays all season, but especially during their winning streak, they hadn’t faced a perfect storm like they had against the Rams. They had a healthy and explosive group of skilled position players on offense. They faced a healthy and strong offensive line. And there were no bad weather conditions to help them leave the field.

The last opponent of this type with this perfect mix of offensive arsenal was Baltimore. And it raises some questions about the team’s overall ceiling if a performance like Allen’s wasn’t enough for a win. The Bills will likely have to face a team with exactly that profile if they make it to the Super Bowl in the domed atmosphere of New Orleans.

Depending on whether you’re an optimist or a pessimist, you can view the game against the Lions in Week 15 as either an opportunity or a matter of concern. The Lions have a massive, powerful offensive line that runs the ball at will, along with a healthy group of explosive playmakers who position players to balance the attack. And it will take place in a dome, so it’s just a real battle of wills, untouched by Mother Nature. It’s a chance for the Bills’ defense to quickly exorcise their demons. Or, if things continue similarly to the Rams game, an extension of the underlying problem could be the Bills’ downfall in 2024.

Bills MVP: QB Josh Allen – Phew. The Bills haven’t needed the superhuman Josh to emerge often this year, but he clearly showed the club is in the bag. Allen took over the game and mixed pinpoint throws with good decisions and tough quarterback scrambles. He played an MVP-type game that deserved a win.

Bills LVP: HC Sean McDermott and the defense – One for the timeout called after the failed first-and-goal quarterback sneak and the other for being steamrolled for 44 points.

Next: The 10-3 Bills hit the road to take on the 12-1 Lions in a match that could be a preview of the Super Bowl.

(Top photo: Katelyn Mulcahy / Getty Images)