Bills blow late lead, lose to Rams

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WIVB) - The Bills' defense dominated for almost the entire afternoon, but could not keep St. Louis out of the end zone when it mattered most. The Rams scored with less than a minute left, rallying for a 15-12 win at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Both teams went three-and-out on their first two possessions, before the Bills finally mounted a drive to take a 3-0 lead. Ryan Fitzpatrick took a beating in the first quarter, playing behind an offensive line that featured two players making their first NFL start.

Buffalo nearly found the end zone in the second quarter, when rookie Stephon Gilmore ran an interception back for a score, but a penalty during the return brought it back. Replays showed the holding call was questionable, at best, and the Bills had to settle for another field goal.

The Rams briefly took the lead in the third quarter, when Steven Jackson capped an 11-play, 70 yard drive with a one-yard TD run, but the Bills answered with a score of their own when Ryan Fitzpatrick found Lee Smith in the end zone.  Buffalo botched the extra point, though, to hold a 12-7 lead after the third quarter.

Late in the game, the Rams mounted an 85-yard drive to take the lead on Brandon Gibson's 11 yard TD catch. The two-point conversion made it a 15-12 game with just 48 seconds left in the game.

Buffalo's attempt at a rally fell short when Ryan Fitzpatrick took a sack, then threw an interception on the very next play to seal the 15-12 loss.

The Bills fall to 5-8 on the season, and also lost running back Fred Jackson with an apparent right leg injury in the fourth quarter. "It did not look good," said Head Coach Chan Gailey after the game.

C.J. Spiller carried the ball just seven times for 37 yards in the game, as the Bills ran the ball sparingly.  The Bills host Seattle next week in Toronto.