Did Josh Allen's Rough Start Change The Buffalo Bills' Week 3 Game?

Josh Allen had a rough start while Buffalo Bills found a way to beat the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 3. The quarterback threw two interceptions and lost a fumble as Buffalo gave the ball away five times. That put the team in a bad spot early. The Chargers moved ahead 10-0 and made Buffalo chase the game. Allen then used his legs when the Bills needed him most. His two rushing touchdowns helped bring Buffalo back and kept the team unbeaten. The win was important, but the game also showed areas Buffalo must fix.

Josh Allen's Three Turnovers Put The Buffalo Bills In A 10-0 Hole

Allen's night started badly. He threw two interceptions and lost a fumble, making him responsible for three of Buffalo's five turnovers. The other two came from James Cook and Dalton Kincaid.

The Chargers took advantage of the early mistakes. Los Angeles opened a 10-0 lead, while Buffalo struggled to find a steady rhythm on offense. Allen finished the passing part of his night 16-of-26 for 204 yards with no touchdowns.

His 54.0 passer rating was far below the level he showed in Buffalo's first two games. The turnovers also gave the Chargers extra chances to score and put more pressure on the Bills' defense.

Still, Buffalo did not let the poor start decide the game.

The defense kept Los Angeles from turning every mistake into points. That gave Allen and the offense time to recover.

Head coach Joe Brady was direct when asked about the turnovers.

"That's unacceptable," Brady said. "You turn the ball over five times in a game, you're not going to win many games."

Sometimes, no words are needed. Watch Josh Allen react to his stat line vs. the Chargers. ???????????? #Bills #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/PoCSF66DjR

— Ryan Talbot (@RyanTalbotBills) September 27, 2026

The message was clear. Buffalo won, but the performance was not clean.

Josh Allen's Two Rushing Touchdowns Helped The Buffalo Bills Turn The Game Around

Allen changed the game with his legs when his passing game was not at its best. He scored on a 1-yard quarterback sneak before halftime, helping Buffalo pull level at 10-10.

That made his running a major part of Buffalo's comeback. Instead of trying to force big throws after his early mistakes, Allen was able to make plays with his legs.

James Cook then helped finish the job. He rushed for 154 yards and scored the touchdown that helped Buffalo close out the 24-16 win.

The defense also had a key moment. C.J. Gardner-Johnson intercepted Justin Herbert near the goal line, stopping a Chargers drive after another Buffalo turnover.

Allen admitted the team made too many mistakes.

"We shot ourselves in the foot a lot tonight," Allen said.

The Bills moved to 3-0, but the win came with a warning. Allen's rough start made the game harder than it needed to be. His rushing scores, Cook's big run game and the defense helped Buffalo recover. The Bills will now face the New England Patriots in Week 4, with the turnover problem likely to remain a major point of focus.