The Buffalo Bills defeated the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday despite a sloppy game that included five turnovers — a game that may have been especially harsh for Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh.
The Bills were able to overcome a pair of interceptions from Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who also joined tight end Dalton Kincaid and running back James Cook with lost fumbles. The Bills defense came through, holding the Chargers to just 16 points, while Allen and the offense shook off the early struggles to bring home a win.
Jim Harbaugh Got a Rough Reminder in Sunday’s Loss
The Bills had not won a game after committing five turnovers since 1997, a game that is well-remembered by fans. In that game, the Bills trailed the Indianapolis Colts 26-0 at halftime, but stormed back for a 37-35 win.
The opposing quarterback in that game was none other than Harbaugh, who completed 16-of-31 passes for 191 yards and an interception.
The Chargers appeared to have the Bills on the ropes early in Sunday’s game, jumping out to a 10-0 lead after scoring on each of the two drives after Bills turnovers. But the Bills defense held tight the rest of the way, keeping quarterback Justin Herbert in check and getting a series of key stops that allowed the offense to crawl back into the game.
Allen rushed for two short touchdowns, with Cook adding another late as the Bills took a 24-13 lead and held on for a 24-16 victory.
Harbaugh had some memorable battles against the Bills during an era when they were division rivals with the Colts. The 1997 comeback took place in the first season after quarterback Jim Kelly’s abrupt retirement, with replacement Todd Collins at the helm for the Bills.
Joe Brady Takes Responsibility After Loss
The Bills managed to eke out a win over the Chargers on Sunday, but head coach Joe Brady wasn’t happy with the performance. He took responsibility for the sloppy play, saying the “unacceptable” turnovers were on him.
Harbaugh also called out his team after the loss, saying it was unacceptable to force five turnovers but fail to come through with a win.
“We did not win the game. That’s painful. That hurts,” Harbaugh said. “There was a lot of opportunity. And we’ve got to capitalize on that. We have to be better.”
Harbaugh did not point to any specific player, saying they need to come together as a team to correct the struggles.
“I’m not singling out anybody. We win these games as a team, we lose as a team,” he said. “Not where we want to be. Only one way to correct it: Just keep chipping away.”
The Bills now face a reeling New England Patriots team next week. The Patriots fell to 1-2 with a blowout loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh Gets Harsh Reminder During Bills Comeback Win