Are You Ready For Some Football?

09/08/2022 Are You Ready For Some Football?

By: Matthew Cahill

Rams vs. Bills (8:20 EST) NFL Season Kickoff Preview 

We really are spoiled with this matchup as the first game of the season. Tonight’s game will provide our first glimpse at the team that has everybody drinking the Kool-Aid, the Buffalo Bills, against the team that they are trying to knock off the mountaintop, the Los Angeles Rams. While it is just the first of seventeen games, both teams will be looking to make a statement for different reasons.

 

Will the Bills Live up to the Hype?

As we mentioned yesterday, this year is all about whether or not the Bills can live up to the lofty expectations set upon them. They took a key piece from the Rams’ Super Bowl run this past season, Von Miller, and added him to the top-ranked defense in the league. Buffalo was already loaded on both sides of the ball, and the addition of Miller shows that they are all in on winning a championship right now. Everything looks good on paper, the only question is if they’re as good as advertised.

 

Considering the Bills have a Super Bowl-or-bust mindset, the Rams are a perfect barometer for them to see where they fare compared to the league’s best. Offensively, there isn’t much to worry about with Buffalo. Josh Allen can light it up against the highest-level defenses in the league, which is why he’s heading into the season as the frontrunner to win the MVP award. It’s the defense that still needs to prove itself.

 

The last time we saw Buffalo play, their defense got torn to shreds by Pat Mahomes and the Chiefs in the Divisional round. Going up against another explosive offense headlined by Cooper Kupp will show if the blockbuster acquisition of Miller is enough to contain the league’s elite. If they show they can shut down the dynamic LA offense, then that might be a sign the Bills are going to be scary good this season.

 

Rams’ Quest to Repeat 

All eyes will be on whether Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp can continue their record-breaking success from last year when Kupp became only the fourth NFL player to lead the league in receiving touchdowns, receiving yards, and receptions. Fans will also be eyeing whether Allen Robinson, the new receiver they signed, can complement Kupp well. The Rams believe that he is a fantastic fit. If that is the case, then it will keep LA at the forefront of the chase to be the first team to repeat as Super Bowl champions since the Patriots did so back in 2004-05.

 

The Rams were the champions last year because they had stars offensively and defensively. On the defensive end, they lost Von Miller but they also picked up Bobby Wagner from Seattle. If Wagner can be just as effective as he was when he was with the Seahawks, then this will be a formidable defense. The big question will be will Wagner’s productivity drop in his 11th year in the NFL.

 

Whoever wins the game could also end up winning the heart and mind of Odell Beckham Jr. Both teams are wooing the star receiver with the Rams going so far as to have a locker reserved for OBJ.

 

Sportsletter Prediction: Rams 27, Bills 24

 

Additional Storylines

ESPN: Rams Downgrade Van Jefferson to out for Season Opener Against Buffalo Bills

Yahoo!: Bills’ Dawson Knox on Extension: ‘I wanted to be here for as long as I possibly could’

 

Photo: Jamie Squire / Getty Images