The Buffalo Bills have a very important contest coming up when they face Matthew Stafford and the LA Rams on Monday Night Football at SoFi Stadium. They must keep working on their issues in the young secondary, as their front seven has done a fine job so far of pressuring the quarterback and stopping the run.
They must also stop big plays against a talented and disciplined offense. This coming Monday night is no exception, as the Rams are led by a formidable passing attack and a run game that will test the Bills' improved run defense so far this season.
Let's take a look at some tough matchups the Bills will face against the Rams in Week 5.
Key matchups Bills must overcome over Rams in primetime
1.) James Cook vs. Rams run defense
James Cook has once again led the way in the Bills' run game, but last week, head coach Joe Brady abandoned it more by running 11 personnel (1 running back, 1 tight end) to try to air it out for big plays instead of sticking with their traditional 12 to 13 personnel (1 running back, 2 tight ends, 1 running back, 3 tight ends) against the 28th-ranked pass defense.
This week, the Bills will face a Rams defense that ranks among the best against tight ends, and the Bills defense will face a Rams offense that relies heavily on 12- to-13-personnel religiously.
The Bills' best bet is to run their 12-to-13 personnel early and often; if the Rams' defense finally stops it, Joe Brady can make an in-game adjustment to 11-personnel and pass the ball around to their receivers and tight ends.
2.) Buffalo's passing game vs. Ram's pass defense
Josh Allen is once again the Bills' main ingredient in their recipe for a successful passing unit in the NFL. But when the Rams' best pass rusher is healthy, his elite pass rush is frightening and could turn the Bills' offense into an early Halloween trick, not a treat.
Much like the Bills' pass defense, he can sack the quarterback and force mistakes, but their pass coverage is near the top of the league, while the Bills' is below average.
The one matchup the Bills can exploit is D.J. Moore, despite his recurring shoulder issues, and their other offensive weapons. They are much better than they were the last time these two teams met at SoFi Stadium in 2024, when the Rams won a thriller 44-42.
3.) Josh Allen vs. Rams secondary
Allen comes into Week 5 as one of the game's most prolific passers. While last week he struggled to run, he still threw for 253 yards with 1 touchdown and ran for 1 touchdown against a below-average Patriots defense.
If Allen can move the ball methodically downfield and not try to go for it all on one throw, the Bills should be able to win this close matchup and flip the script from last week's 29-26 defeat to the Patriots.
4. Los Angeles Rams defense is better in this metric than the Bills are
So far, both defenses have shown they can be efficient with their front seven in terms of pressuring the quarterback and stopping the run. The Rams, though, have an advantage, giving up fewer yards per play than the Bills do, at 4.8 yards per play.
The Bills have shined better this season in the red zone, and will be challenged against a Rams team that tends to throw for the end zone rather than methodically drive and then sneak the ball at the goal line for a touchdown.
Look for the Bills' secondary to avoid giving up multiple receiving yards to both Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, and for the pass rush and the run defense to contain both Matthew Stafford and Kyren Williams, forcing their offenses into more third-and-long situations.
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