Los Angeles
Chargers
1-1
17
FINAL
21
Buffalo
Bills
2-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a tightly contested matchup, the Buffalo Bills held off the Los Angeles Chargers to secure a 21-17 victory in Week 3 of the 2026 season. With both teams looking to establish momentum early in the season, this win places the Bills firmly in the playoff conversation.
Justin Herbert turned in a solid performance for the Chargers, throwing for 321 yards and one touchdown, showcasing his arm strength and precision. However, the Bills' offense was led by a strong ground game from James Cook III, who rushed for 103 yards, while Dalton Kincaid proved to be a reliable target with 99 receiving yards, making crucial catches when it mattered most.
On the defensive side, C.J. Gardner-Johnson's interception was a key moment, shifting the momentum back to Buffalo in the second half. While Elijah Molden led the Chargers with five tackles, it was the Bills' defense that ultimately made the decisive plays, allowing them to maintain their lead and secure the win.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | YDS | TD | INT | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Herbert | QB | 28 | 18 | 321 | 1 | 4 | 75.7 |
| Josh Allen | QB | 19 | 9 | 128 | 0 | 1 | 47.6 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Cook III | HB | 25 | 103 | 4.1 | 1 | 14 | 0 |
| Omarion Hampton | HB | 9 | 61 | 6.8 | 0 | 35 | 0 |
| Justin Herbert | QB | 4 | 37 | 9.3 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| Josh Allen | QB | 3 | 11 | 3.7 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Keaton Mitchell | HB | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Quentin Johnston | WR | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Ladd McConkey | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brenen Thompson | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| David Njoku | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dalton Kincaid | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dalton Kincaid | TE | 5 | 99 | 19.8 | 0 | 43 | 0 |
| Ladd McConkey | WR | 4 | 90 | 22.5 | 1 | 59 | 0 |
| Quentin Johnston | WR | 3 | 82 | 27.3 | 0 | 58 | 0 |
| David Njoku | TE | 5 | 76 | 15.2 | 0 | 32 | 0 |
| Brenen Thompson | WR | 3 | 46 | 15.3 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| DJ Moore | WR | 1 | 29 | 29.0 | 0 | 29 | 0 |
| Keaton Mitchell | HB | 1 | 18 | 18.0 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Omarion Hampton | HB | 2 | 9 | 4.5 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Ty Johnson | HB | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| James Cook III | HB | 2 | -5 | -2.5 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C.J. Gardner-Johnson | SS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Greg Rousseau | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Elijah Molden | FS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dorian Williams | WILL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Terrel Bernard | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Cam Hart | CB | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Damar Hamlin | FS | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Eboigbe | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derwin James Jr | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Ed Oliver | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Hancock | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian Benford | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Genesis Smith | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Cole Bishop | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Akheem Mesidor | REDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Maxwell Hairston | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kaleb Elarms-Orr | SAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Daiyan Henley | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T.J. Parker | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bobby Wagner | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Landon Jackson | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tarheeb Still | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler Bass | K | 2 | 2 | 1 | 43 |
| Cameron Dicker | K | 1 | 2 | 2 | 23 |

