(Photo: Reddit)
AFC Game Of The Week
Buffalo Bills at Los Angeles Rams
Bills (3-1):
If I’m being realistic here, they should be 2-2, and I say that because they didn’t look good at all against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 3, turning the football over a total of five times. If anything, the Chargers lost that game more by beating themselves down the stretch. Now, this past week against the New England Patriots was a different story. One thing I’ve come to know is that the Patriots always play this team tough, especially in Orchard Park, and Sunday was no different. This was a much better team the Bills faced, and they suffered their first loss of the year. I think you already know where I’m going with this next thought… Back in that Week 3 game against LA, James Cook finished with 24 carries for 154 rushing yards and a touchdown. On Sunday, he carried the football only 12 times, which leads me to say this: He can’t cook with fewer than 19 carries.For him to make an impact, he must touch the football between 19 and 25 times, and when this happens, the offense benefits from it. Josh Allen has cooled down since that hot start to the season, and I’m also seeing that this defense is still a work in progress. It’s the same song, but a different tune with this group. They’ll succeed in the regular season, win at least one playoff game, and then be eliminated. To close out Week 5, the Bills will make their way to SoFi for a Monday night battle.
Rams (2-2):
Now, again, I don’t necessarily care to use this term so early in the season, as I commonly say, but Sunday in Week 4 was a must-win for this football team. They had to beat a team that has had their number over the last few seasons: the Philadelphia Eagles. That was as gritty a win as I’ve seen under Sean McVay. I know they weren’t given much of a chance in that game when the Eagles took an early lead, but the game is never over, as we’ve learned over these last few years. I picked the Rams to win this game because, first and foremost, I had a little more faith in them than I did in the Eagles. Secondly, when a team beats you as many times as the Eagles have, you find ways to adjust, and that’s exactly what happened on Sunday. Puka Nacua is such a difference-maker, and that offense simply flows when he’s on the field in a way that I can’t even fully describe. These last two weeks, I haven’t particularly cared for the fact that Matthew Stafford has thrown the football over 50 times in each of his last two games, but look at how they came back and won that game in South Philly: with the ground attack. A win such as the one in Week 4 can give an entire franchise the motivation it needs. And again, as I mentioned on both Monday Evening Quarterback and The Prime, what a difference being .500 makes compared to being two games under .500. The Rams return home for a big Monday night showdown against the Buffalo Bills.
Bills X-Factor: Greg Rousseau
The Bills’ defense goes as he goes, and he will be needed in a big way on Monday night in Inglewood. Greg already has six sacks, which is tied for second among edge defenders, and he also has 29 total pressures, which leads the league. This Buffalo defense will be facing one of the better passing attacks in the league on Monday, and they don’t need to blitz to get home, especially if Greg can create pressure. That, in turn, will allow the secondary to remain in coverage.
Rams X-Factor: Byron Young
He’s always been a sneaky-good defender for the Rams, and since Myles Garrett went down with his knee injury, the Rams have turned to Byron for help and have put more responsibility on his plate to compensate for Myles’ absence. Byron was key to the Rams’ win on Sunday against the Eagles and will have a tougher task in trying to contain Josh Allen. Byron can consistently generate pressure, and the job on Monday isn’t necessarily to sack Josh; it’s to maintain discipline.
Final Thoughts:
These two met during the 2024 season, and I remember this game very well. It was a shootout that came down to the very end, and the Rams escaped with a two-point victory. This was also the game in which Josh Allen accounted for six total touchdowns: three passing and three rushing. This season, these two will meet again, and the last two MVP winners are featured here. One team collapsed in the fourth quarter, while the other found a way to come back for a big road win. The Bills are looking to get back in the win column, while the Rams are hoping to keep the momentum going with another win. Can Buffalo apply pressure on Stafford without sacrificing coverage? This is the biggest defensive key in this game for the Bills, and they must turn that pressure into actual disruption. They can’t allow Puka to dictate the game because one catch will turn into five. That means the secondary must prevent explosive plays and force Matthew to beat them underneath. Lastly, they need to keep Josh protected. This is a Rams defense that will find ways to pressure him, and the Bills can’t afford negative plays to derail drives. For the Rams, the biggest key is daring Josh to beat them from the pocket. He thrives when the play breaks down, so they need to keep their rush lanes disciplined, get Puka going early and often, and attack the Bills’ run defense with Kyren Williams. This is a Buffalo defense that’s allowing 4.8 yards per carry. Exploit that! We could be in for a great game this Monday night.
