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Bills-Rams preview roundtable: Best matchups, storylines surrounding Thursday’s opener
By Jourdan Rodrigue and Joe Buscaglia
A lot can change in two NFL seasons.
The last time the Bills and Rams met in 2020, Jared Goff quarterbacked in L.A. and Matthew Stafford in Detroit, SoFi Stadium was 19 days old and Josh Allen’s Bills were agonizingly close to a breakout season.
Since then, Goff and Stafford traded places, SoFi Stadium is home to the Super Bowl LVI champion Rams because of it and Allen’s Bills are a household name, too, close to a championship of their own.
Perhaps Thursday night’s reunion between the two franchises is just the appetizer before another date at Super Bowl LVII in Arizona. Either way, the Rams and Bills’ 2022 season opener at SoFi Stadium will be a spectacle.
In this roundtable, The Athletic’s Rams beat writer Jourdan Rodrigue and Bills writer Joe Buscaglia break down the ins and outs and answer the most interesting questions surrounding Thursday night’s game in L.A.
What matchup are you looking forward to the most in Thursday’s game?
JOURDAN: Is it cheating if I say, “all of them”? This is shaping up to be an epic clash of two Super Bowl contenders. On a more granular level, cornerback Jalen Ramsey went through most of training camp and joint practices while still recovering from shoulder surgery (he’s expected to be fully healthy by the opener). For that reason, the coaches and medical staff asked him not to utilize a lot of the techniques we’ve come to know him for, even in the joint practices in Cincinnati, to protect his rehab process. The Rams will still move Ramsey all over the field as their ‘Star,” but picking and choosing which matchups to send him toward will be one of the stories of the game.
Joe: There is a ton of intrigue all over the field, but I’m most interested in seeing how the Bills plan to defend the slot dynamo, Cooper Kupp. They have played more man coverage than they did earlier in the Sean McDermott era, but how will the Bills handle it against one of the most fear-inducing connections of Kupp and Stafford? Making it even more of a pressing issue, the Bills’ most significant weakness on their roster is at cornerback. They are likely to start two inexperienced players on the boundary with third-year player Dane Jackson and one of first-round rookie Kaiir Elam or sixth-round rookie Christian Benford. It might call for nickel corner Taron Johnson, who often drifts into the background because of how talented the rest of the secondary is, to play a prominent role in following Kupp everywhere he lines up in the formation. How the Bills handle Kupp, given their weakness, has matchup-flipping potential.
What was the biggest storyline of the offseason for the team you cover?
JOURDAN: Interestingly, one of the biggest storylines connects these two teams. Von Miller, who helped the Rams win the Super Bowl last season, opted not to return — a major surprise for the Rams’ coaches, players and front office. Everything from there had a ripple effect. Without the money they would’ve used to re-sign Miller, the Rams pivoted to receiver Allen Robinson and inside linebacker Bobby Wagner. Meanwhile, they locked in the rest of their roster core on extensions (in Aaron Donald’s case, a raise over an existing contract). That one decision — for both teams — will have a major ripple effect on how successful both of these contending teams will be.
Joe: It seems like a simple answer, but the topic on everyone’s mind in Buffalo is if this team can fulfill its potential and make it to and/or win the Super Bowl. The Bills already had the great foundation of an excellent roster led by MVP-candidate Allen. But rather than running it back with almost the same team as they did in 2021, the Bills made legitimate changes to their most prominent weaknesses in the hope it could change their fortunes. Miller was the marquee signing, but players like defensive tackles DaQuan Jones, Tim Settle, Jordan Phillips and left guard Rodger Saffold were all made to fortify the up-and-down play at the line of scrimmage. Over the last three years, two of the Bills’ playoff exits have been due to dramatic, last-minute heroics of the opposition. So, with the most talented roster they might ever have with Allen as quarterback, have they finally found the elixir to win the AFC and give the franchise its first Super Bowl title? Yeah, I’d say those stakes are pretty high.
Which player should scare the team you cover the most Thursday and why?
JOURDAN: The Rams would be correct in any wariness toward Bills quarterback Allen — and not just because of his storied arm. Allen is extremely hard to take down — a few years ago, a player I covered said Allen was the hardest-to-tackle player he’d faced since 2015 Cam Newton — and he can buy himself time to throw in that way. Yes, the Rams have Aaron Donald and Leonard Floyd. But the rest of their pass rush — and their perimeter contain — is unproven.
Joe: Jourdan brought up that Donald guy, and that’s a great place to start. I’ll go out on the rather sturdy limb to say there have been advanced conversations for the last two weeks about how to best deal with Donald on the interior. The good news for the Bills is that this is probably the best they’ve felt about the interior offensive line since 2017. The bad news is that the Rams will look at the inexperience and rawness at right tackle (Spencer Brown) and right guard (Ryan Bates) and likely attack with the ferocity of a Targaryen dragon. Expect a lot of double- and triple-teams for No. 99 in blue and gold.
What are the Rams most confident and least confident about heading into Thursday?
JOURDAN: The Rams have got to be feeling pretty excited about rolling out their offense for a second year under Stafford, and with Robinson added to the equation. I expect them to lean on many of the same principles they did in 2021 as the Sean McVay offense evolved: Dropback passing, empty formations, layered over/under routes with plenty of misdirection (including by the quarterback) and everybody who qualifies as an eligible pass catcher will be one.
On the converse, the Rams’ offensive line is facing big questions now that longtime stalwart left tackle Andrew Whitworth has retired. I’ve seen promising things from Joe Noteboom, his replacement, but this group as a whole hasn’t gotten much live work together, and Buffalo’s defensive line with Miller added is a hell of a place to start. Coleman Shelton is also a new(ish) face at the starting right guard spot.
What are the Bills most confident and least confident about heading into Thursday?
Joe: The Bills should feel highly confident in their group of pass catchers. Receivers Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis headline the group, but the emergence of players like Isaiah McKenzie and tight end Dawson Knox gives them as explosive of a group as Allen has had to work with during his time in Buffalo. They are deep, explosive and extremely devoted to making sure adding yards after the catch becomes a much more prevalent feature of their offense. I’d expect to see more under-center play action, some more zone blocking principles and the attempt to be as unpredictable as possible from new offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey.
On the other hand, I mentioned the state of their cornerback room before, but it could have a significant impact on the outcome. Jackson has been inconsistent throughout his Bills career and the Bills actively sought to replace him in the lineup this offseason. The player they pegged to do so was Elam, but the rookie’s training camp and preseason have been a bit of a roller coaster. Elam’s inconsistency has allowed Jackson to nail down a full-time role and allowed Benford into the starting conversation. I wouldn’t doubt that we see all three players on the boundary, but that doesn’t make it a strength. Having to contend with Kupp, Robinson and how much Stafford elevates his receivers each year will be challenging all game.
Which rookies, if any, could make an impact Thursday night?
JOURDAN: The Rams are pretty solidified with veterans in starting roles, but where a rookie could make a difference is on special teams — where more than one could get an opportunity. If UDFA inside linebacker Jake Hummel is active on game day, it will be because he will be expected to contribute there.
Joe: I think you already get my point about the rookie cornerbacks Elam and Benford. One or both are likely to play a big role in the game. But the rookie I’ve got my eye on is second-round running back James Cook. There is a certain amount of mystery with how they’ll deploy him other than just little snippets in training camp practices. The Bills will likely use all three of Cook, Devin Singletary and Zack Moss out of the backfield against the Rams, but it’s worth wondering if they’ve got something up their sleeve planned with Cook. They have never had a pass-catching back like Cook with Allen before. His usage will be the most intriguing of all the rookies.
Which team is the biggest threat to the Rams/Bills reaching Super Bowl LVII and why?
JOURDAN: Man, close your eyes and point to pretty much any area after the trade deadline, when the Rams face a gauntlet that includes the Packers, Bucs, Chiefs, Chargers, Raiders and 49ers. Really, though, I think all eyes are on the 49ers, regardless of their perceived uncertainty at the quarterback position. McVay and Kyle Shanahan battles are always for the ages, and there’s almost certainly some bad feelings after last year, when the Rams knocked the 49ers out of the playoffs en route to a Super Bowl.
Joe: Considering all the talent that has made its way to the AFC this offseason, it might be easier to list the teams that won’t give the Bills a challenge in their Super Bowl hopes. But if we want to narrow the focus to the teams that would give the Bills the most trouble with how they’re constructed, that group includes the Chiefs, Chargers, Broncos, Bengals and Ravens. All five teams are excellent, but I think the one to keep an eye on to steal the AFC’s top seed and a first-round bye is Baltimore. The Ravens always play the Bills tough and look like they’ve restocked their cupboards all over the field. And on the surface, the Ravens’ schedule (playing the AFC East and the NFC South) and two of their one-off opponents (Giants and Jaguars) look like a formula for a lot of wins in 2022. The AFC is loaded, and the Bills know they might need to get to 13 wins or more to have the playoffs go through Orchard Park this winter.
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