Intriguing Game– Week One
Buffalo Bills at Los Angeles Rams
Bills: For 16 seasons, they had 1 of the most prolonged postseason droughts not just in the NFL, but in all of the major professional sports. Next, Sean McDermott gets hired as their next head coach and since he’s taken the job, they’ve made the playoffs in four of his five seasons with the organization, including two AFC East division titles and a trip to the AFC Championship game during the 2020-21 season. The Bills are a good football team with a lot to be considered a threat in the conference. A top-five quarterback in Josh Allen who continues to climb the ladder each season. I still think he would have won league MVP in 2020 if Aaron Rodgers didn’t have the season he did that year. Next, they have a top-three wide receiver in Stefon Diggs, and on the other side of the ball, the defense does its job. The one issue I had with the Bills throughout 2021 was their inconsistent running game. You can ask everyone who speaks with me regularly about football, I complained about this quite often. Now, I understand it’s a pass-happy league. However, the balance still works in this game. Josh shouldn’t be your leading rusher. He has one job and that’s to drop back in the pocket and throw the football. If the Bills can get that running game going, watch out. This is an offense I wouldn’t want to face. Balance is still key in this game these days. Tonight, they will open the season in Inglewood against the defending champs.
Rams: I want to take it back to February 13th, 2022. That was the day of Super Bowl 56. When I was getting ready to reveal who I had winning the Super Bowl that day, I remember saying this about them: If they didn’t win a Super Bowl between last season and these next two or three years, it would be considered a bust and the window would close. We don’t have to worry about that because they handled their business. The acquisition of Matthew Stafford reminded me of when Kawhi Leonard was traded to the Toronto Raptors and look what happened, they won the NBA Finals. The Rams however had everything in place. A stingy defense anchored by the best defensive player in the league and the offense. Jared Goff was holding them back. Stafford is a way better fit for a Sean McVay offense. It’s normal in our league to see teams who win titles not bring everyone back. Yes, the Rams lost some players from their title-winning team, but they reloaded. Bobby Wagner is a huge pick-up for their defense. He will solidify the middle and he fixes a weakness from 2021 which was linebacker. The other was the signing of Allen Robinson. This gives the quarterback another weapon to get the ball outside of Cooper Kupp. This is my favorite to win the NFC once again. Tonight, the title defense begins.
Bills X-Factor: Gabriel Davis– Remember when everyone said the Bills didn’t have a second option at receiver behind Stefon Diggs? Yes, they do and he showed you what he could do in the playoff loss to the Chiefs. Watch Buffalo incorporate him more into the offensive system, especially with Stefon seeing many double teams. Gabriel is a threat down the field and he can also run up the seams along with going over the middle. He’s also great at making those contested catches in coverage.
Rams X-Factor: Cam Akers– I loved this kid in college and his game is transferring over nicely into the NFL. I see so much of Arian Foster in his game. Cam is a smooth runner who allows lanes to open up and then bursts through accordingly. Not only do defenses need to account for taking handoffs, but they must also understand he’s a nice receiver that can catch the football in space. Cam also comes into the season healthy this time around.
Final Thoughts: What a way to kick off the season. Von Miller makes his debut with his new team against his old team and we have a battle to look forward to. Stefon Diggs vs Jalen Ramsey. This matchup just screams intrigue. I also think this is a Super Bowl preview, I’m predicting this now. Both offenses can let the ball fly and that’s what I think we’ll see in this game. I think this comes down to which team can pressure the other quarterback more consistently. Both Matthew and Josh love to buy time in the pocket, then spin the ball down the field. I also see this coming down to which team will have the most fun. Will Buffalo be able to get that running game going? That’s what I’ll be watching for. The matchup that will determine this game is the Buffalo offensive line against the Rams defensive front. With the Rams, they will celebrate their title and then prepare to defend it.
Prediction: Rams 30, Bills 24
