Raiders lose at home to Bills for third straight loss after 3-0 start

Sam Gordon, Las Vegas Review-Journal on Oct 18, 2026

Published in Football

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LAS VEGAS — The Raiders, once 3-0, now have as many losses as wins.

With Allegiant Stadium chock Sunday full of spectators dressed in blue and red, the Raiders fell 33-30 to the Bills, losing their third consecutive game.

Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins completed 23 of 41 passes for 313 yards and two touchdowns to wide receiver Tre Tucker. Tight end Michael Mayer had seven catches for 95 yards. Running back Ashton Jeanty had 10 carries, 22 yards and a score for Las Vegas while backup Mike Washington supplied 43 yards on nine attempts.

Tight end Brock Bowers had four receptions for 70 yards in the second half, failing to catch a first-half pass.

Bills quarterback Josh Allen was 23-of-33 passing for 255 yards and two touchdowns. Running back James Cook scored the go-ahead touchdown from 3 yards out with 4:43 to play — finishing with 95 rushing yards and three receptions for 58 yards.

Buffalo took its first possession toward the red zone but settled for a field goal courtesy of linebacker Quay Walker’s third-down sack of Allen. The Raiders (3-3) responded with a touchdown drive covering 70 yards in nine plays that Jeanty capped with a 1-yard run, his first rushing touchdown of 2026.

The Bills (5-1) would settle for three points again, stalling by the goal line after a second-down false start and a third-down pass breakup from safety Treydan Stukes against tight end Dalton Kincaid.

A three-and-out for Las Vegas followed, activating Buffalo for a nine-play, 85-yard touchdown drive. Cook turned a first-and-15 into a 23-yard catch and run and Allen’s screen pass to wideout Khalil Shakir capped the possession with a 9-yard score. Las Vegas sandwiched a pair of Matt Gay field goals around a three-and-out for Buffalo for a 13-13 halftime tie.

The Raiders opened the second half with their own three-and-out but held the Bills to a field goal, a fourth-and-short holding neutering a touchdown.

Cousins was picked, throwing late over the middle for Mayer, on the ensuing possession.

The turnover set up another score for Buffalo following a pair of defensive penalties — holding on Stukes and pass interference on cornerback Hezekiah Masses. Allen evaded a third-down rush, dancing in the pocket around Raiders defenders to flip a backhand touchdown pass to wideout Keon Coleman from 12 yards out.

But Las Vegas countered with a field-goal drive and forced Buffalo to four-and-out to set up the game-tying touchdown pass. A nine-play, 91-yard drive included an 18-yard run from Washington and two catches for 47 yards from Bowers before Cousins found Tucker from 12 yards out.

Buffalo embarked on the ensuing drive 66 yards in seven plays, ending with Cook’s 3-yard touchdown run. The Raiders punted on their next possession, allowing the Bills to tack on a 38-yard field goal.

Cousins threw a 44-yard touchdown to Tucker with 1:32 left, but Buffalo recovered the onside kick.

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