LAS VEGAS (AP) — Josh Allen passed for 255 yards and two touchdowns, using his improvisational brilliance to tie the Bills' career TD passing record, and Buffalo held off the Las Vegas Raiders 33-30 on Sunday.
The Raiders (3-3), who have lost three in a row, had rallied to tie it at 23-all. James Cook rushed for a 3-yard touchdown with 4:43 left to put the Bills (5-1) ahead for good. Tyler Bass added a 38-yard field goal with 1:56 remaining for what turned out to be a crucial two-possession lead.
Allen equaled Hall of Famer Jim Kelly's franchise record of 258 TD passes in the third quarter, escaping almost a sure sack by shot-putting a 12-yard pass to Keon Coleman.
“Just doing what I got to do to help this team win a football game,” Allen said.
But Allen's five-game streak of games with a rushing touchdown ended, one short of the Super Bowl-era record set four years ago by Chicago's Justin Fields.
Cook, making extra certain to secure the ball after fumbling twice Monday night against the Los Angeles Rams and losing one in overtime, was mistake-free in rushing for 95 yards. He also caught three passes for 58 yards, including a 26-yarder against a Raiders defense that went the other way to leave him alone to set up his go-ahead score.
The Bills had their first game without a turnover after committing nine over the previous three weeks.
Kirk Cousins threw for 313 yards and two touchdowns to Tre Tucker for the Raiders. The latter was a gorgeous 44-yarder with 1:32 left that brought Las Vegas within three points. Tucker finished with five catches for 97 yards.
Michael Mayer caught seven passes for a career-high 95 yards for Las Vegas, and fellow tight end Brock Bowers hauled in four receptions for 70 yards.
The Bills appeared to be in firm control when they took a 23-13 lead on Allen's sensational pass to Coleman, but the Raiders tied it on Cousins' 11-yard pass to Tucker with 8:07 left.
Bills safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who is playing for his sixth team in six seasons, was ejected late in the first half after spitting at Raiders center Tyler Linderbaum.
Las Vegas had just picked up a first down on a defensive holding call, and the unsportsmanlike penalty on Powers-Johnson advanced the ball to Buffalo's 14-yard line. That helped set up Matt Gay's 27-yard field goal as time expired to make it 13-13.
Injuries
Bills: WR DJ Moore (shoulder) and DL Ed Oliver (knee) did not play for the second week in a row. OLB Bradley Chubb (ribs) went out briefly in the second quarter before returning. TE Dalton Kincaid (ribs), playing in his hometown on his 27th birthday, was injured in the third quarter but also returned.
Up next
Bills: After a bye, host Baltimore on Nov. 1.
Raiders: Host the Los Angeles Rams next Sunday.
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