Get to Know Buffalo Bills Week 1 Opponent: Los Angeles Rams
By Adam Hayward
The Buffalo Bills will be kicking off their 2022 season in style, as they’ll be heading to the City of Angels to play the Los Angeles Rams in the NFL season opener.
The defending Super Bowl champs, the Rams will be starting the season with a clean slate – and a few star players under contract. Star defensive tackle Aaron Donald signed a three-year contract extension worth $95 million, after an offseason of retirement rumors. Super Bowl 56 MVP Cooper Kupp has also received a contract extension worth $80 million. Moreover, their head coach Sean McVay has also agreed to a contract extension.
In terms of roster turnover, Los Angeles didn’t lose that many players. Von Miller, who was acquired from the Denver Broncos via trade, signed with the Buffalo Bills in the offseason following his superb playoff performance. Robert Woods was traded to the Tennesse Titans for a sixth-round draft pick in the 2023 draft. To help strengthen the receiving and linebacker corps, the Rams added Allen Robinson and Bobby Wagner, respectively.
With the team geared up for another Super Bowl run, the Rams should be expected to be ready enough to kick off the NFL season…or so some may think.
Will Matthew Stafford be ready to go against the Buffalo Bills?
Arguably the biggest story out of the Rams training camp this year was the status of quarterback Mattew Stafford, who has been nursing an elbow injury. This injury has kept him out of team drills; NFL Network’s Ian Rappaport said it could even be described as “bad tendonitis”. However, this week Stafford did say there were ‘no limitations’ so he should be all set for Thursday night.
In the 2021 regular season, where they had a 12-5 record, they finished the season ninth in the league in offense. The defense was a little less shabby – finishing 17th – but still had Donald and Jalen Ramsey having All-Pro campaigns. Donald and Ramsey are two players on the Rams’ defense that Buffalo should be on the lookout for.
For the most part, the Bills appear healthy enough to play the Rams this Thursday. Jordan Poyer, who has dealt with an elbow injury much like Stafford, is expected to play Week 1.
Per ESPN’S FPI, the Rams have a 49.9% chance of winning, so either team has a chance of pulling it out. Whatever the end result of the game will be, this game against the Rams will serve as Buffalo’s first big test – and a chance to make a huge statement for the rest of the season.
