Cook’s late touchdown hands Raiders their third straight loss

Kirk Cousins threw for 313 yards. Tre Tucker caught two touchdowns, Michael Mayer had a career day and Brock Bowers added another 70 receiving yards. The Raiders still spent the final 92 seconds needing an onside kick to have a chance.

Las Vegas lost 33-30 to Buffalo on Sunday, its third consecutive defeat after a 3-0 start. The Bills answered a fourth-quarter tie with a James Cook III touchdown drive and a defensive stop, then made a late Tucker score insufficient.

The difference was visible before the final possession. The Raiders scored touchdowns on two of five red-zone trips, lost the game's only turnover and allowed Buffalo to respond immediately when they finally pulled even.

An interception becomes seven points

The score was 13-13 at halftime. Las Vegas had a first-quarter Ashton Jeanty touchdown and two Matt Gay field goals, while Buffalo got two Tyler Bass kicks and Josh Allen's 9-yard touchdown pass to Khalil Shakir.

Bass opened the third-quarter scoring with a 47-yard field goal. Dorian Williams then intercepted Cousins, and the Bills converted the takeaway into a touchdown.

Allen's 12-yard scoring pass to Keon Coleman required an improvised delivery under pressure. The Bills' official video shows the play that stretched their lead to 23-13:

Buffalo did not turn the ball over all afternoon. That alone changed the terms of the game for a team that had given it away nine times over the preceding three weeks.

Allen finished with 255 passing yards and two touchdowns. His second scoring pass also tied Jim Kelly's franchise total of 258 when regular-season and postseason passing touchdowns are combined.

The tying touchdown does not hold

The Raiders cut into the deficit with another field goal, then drove 91 yards for a touchdown. Cousins found Tucker from 11 yards out, and the extra point tied it at 23 with 8:07 remaining.

Cook promptly took over Buffalo's next possession. He accounted for 46 of its 66 yards, including a 26-yard catch, before scoring on a 3-yard run with 4:43 left.

The Bills' official clip captures the touchdown that put Las Vegas behind again:

The Raiders went three-and-out on their next series. Bass' 38-yard field goal with 1:56 left made it a 10-point game. Tucker's 44-yard touchdown 24 seconds later brought Las Vegas close, but Buffalo recovered the onside kick and finished the afternoon.

Cook totaled 95 rushing yards and 58 receiving yards. Tucker caught five passes for 97 yards, Mayer had seven for 95 and Bowers caught four for 70. Those numbers kept the Raiders competitive without solving their missed scoring opportunities.

Buffalo safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson was ejected for spitting in the first half. The Bills improved to 5-1 and enter their bye. The Raiders, now 3-3, host the Rams next week.