Week one is steadily approaching, and the first match-up is between the reigning Super Bowl champs and a team a coin toss away from the AFC conference championship. The Rams are primed to run it back with new pieces and taking the phrase "We don't rebuild we reload" to another level; and the Bills who have fallen just short in the playoffs twice in a row, lead to an epic match-up to open the season.
The Rams open the season as 2-and-a-half-point underdogs to the Bills who are the current favorite to hoist the Lombardi Trophy in the 2023 NFL season. The Rams find themselves with a bad taste in their mouths from this offseason as they lost multiple key pieces in Von Miller and Austin Corbett. They also lost many more key role players. They replaced these losses with Allen Robinson who had an abysmal 2021 campaign and Bobby Wagner who has started to decline as his age catches up with him.
The Bills, on the other hand, added a lot more than they lost. Signing former Ram, Von Miller to a 6-year deal worth 120 million dollars, and drafting promising young physical corner Kair Elam.
Other than the overall negative off-season, the Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford's health is in question. He was reported to have tendonitis in his throwing arm which is concerning, to say the least. He is set to play, but it could greatly affect his production on the field.
The Bills haven't escaped the injuries themselves as a high-end cornerback Tre'Davious White is still recovering from an ACL tear he sustained in a win against the Saints on Thanksgiving. That leaves rookie Kair Elam to guard Allen Robinson which could cause issues.
With that being said, this game should be a slug-fest between some of the most balanced teams in football. The Rams and the Bills had the top 8 units on offense, the Bills were the best defensively last season, and the Rams were an above-average unit.
The Bills have a potent pass offense with a running game that is carried by Josh Allen. It concerns me that the Bills will most likely have to completely rely on their pass game because they don't have a consistent enough player in the backfield. The Bills drafted Georgia running back James Cook in the third round this past draft and he hasn't exactly taken charge of the backfield as they had hoped. This means the Rams are going to see a lot of Stefon Diggs who will be shadowed by future hall of Famer corner Jalen Ramsey. If the Bills do make an attempt to rejuvenate their run game, Aaron Donald will make life very difficult for whoever the Bills let lead the backfield.
I think all of this points to a slower game than average NFL fans had hoped for. I'd say the X-factor for this game is Gabe Davis. Can he step up as a valuable second option or will he disappear like he did last year? If he does make an impact like the Bills hope, this game may go sideways for the Rams.
Score Predictions:
Tristan: Bills 17, Rams 23
Chase: Bills 24, Rams 30
Michael: Bills 42, Rams 14
Ben: Bills 38, Rams 31