The Buffalo Bills of 2022 validated what many predicted before the season: they are major Super Bowl candidates. In the first game of the 2022 NFL season, Buffalo defeated the reigning Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams, 31-10. It was a great way to kick off the new season unless you're a big Rams fan that is. Here, we'll look at some Bills takeaways from Week 1 win vs. the Rams
In this matchup, Buffalo's offensive game plan was quite effective. Ken Dorsey, the Bills' offensive coordinator, made an outstanding debut as the team's play caller. Throughout the evening, the Bills' fast-paced and passing-oriented offense constantly negated the Rams' defensive front.
Everything basically went quite well for the visiting squad en route to a statement win. Let's dive into our five Bills takeaways from their Week 1 victory against the Rams.
THAT'S A KICKOFF WIN!!!#BUFvsLAR | #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/e9fNB796P5
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) September 9, 2022
5. Third down party
If an NFL team wants to help its offense, they have to convert on third downs. In the season opener, the Bills converted nine of ten third downs, which is just spectacular. The Rams just had no answer for Bills QB Josh Allen and Buffalo's relentless attack.
Along with only one third-down stop all day, the Rams never forced the Bills to punt the ball. In games like this where the Los Angeles offense struggles, the onus is on the defense to stop the opposing team in third-down situations to prevent long drives.
The Bill's ability to routinely convert on third down was a key factor in their dominant performance.
4. Those wideouts are killers
Stefon Diggs was scintillating in this contest. He led the Bills in receiving yards with 122, and he made Jalen Ramsey look pedestrian on the field.
Aside from Diggs, another wideout who had a solid first game was Gabriel Davis. In this matchup, Davis showed that he is totally at ease and reliable. He caught four targets for 88 yards and a touchdown. This included a 47-yard bomb from Allen that enabled Davis to just absolutely crush the Rams defense.
This duo of Diggs and Davis already looks killer, and with Allen throwing bombs their way, all other teams better be wary.
3. The Bills D was exceptional
As good as Buffalo's offense was, however, their defense was maybe even more impressive. The Bills defense allowed only 243 yards overall while forcing three turnovers. They just regularly prevented the Los Angeles offense from making any real progress.
Despite the absence of No. 1 cornerback Tre'Davious White, the Bills defense performed admirably. Christan Benford and Kaiir Elam, both rookies, also held their own. Benford, in fact, got the starting spot in the game after a remarkable rise from the sixth-round draft pick.
They also forced Rams QB Matt Stafford to pass for three interceptions, which were collected by Jordan Poyer, Dane Jackson, and Boogie Basham.
Buffalo's investment in their defensive line clearly paid off, as the team kept Stafford on his heels the entire game. Former Ram Von Miller, in particular, stood out. It's ironic that his first two sacks in a Buffalo uniform were against Stafford.
Meanwhile, Jordan Phillips and A.J. Epeensa both had a sack and a half, while Greg Rousseau and Boogie Basham each had one. The Bills defense recorded seven total sacks in their first game. This matched the franchise record for most sacks in a season opener. That's just mind-boggling. The defense was also credited with 15 quarterback hits in total.
VON MILLER WITH A DOUBLE FUCKING GHOST RUSH FOR THE SACK pic.twitter.com/pUuef1H1GF
— Ollie Connolly (@OllieConnolly) September 9, 2022
2. Josh Allen was stellar
MVP favorite Josh Allen was outstanding throughout the game, making quick and precise passes. Allen finished the game 26-of-31 for 297 yards and three touchdowns. Allen also paced Buffalo with 57 rushing yards and a touchdown.
Allen was so good he looked like he was playing just any other team out there and not the reigning champions in prime time. Remember that he began the game by making ten consecutive passes. The Rams just really couldn't do much to stop him or even slow him down.
The game definitely fueled Buffalo's Super Bowl aspirations and reinforced experts' opinions about their chances in 2022. It's frightening to imagine what else this team can do this season if they keep on playing like this. The Bills just overpowered the Super Bowl champs and blasted away the Rams by three scores, though there may be a chink in their armor worthy of concern.
1. A chink in the armor
The Bills might have made this a ludicrous blowout, but several blunders actually cost Buffalo a chance to score even more points. During the game, James Cook and Zack Moss both fumbled, while Allen himself had two interceptions.
Again, while there was plenty of good to go around, the Bills could still vastly improve their turnover situation. The fumbles and INTs may not have hurt so much in this game since their offense was humming. In a game where their offense slows down, however, it's mistakes like these fumbles and INTs that could end up being very costly.
Sure, these Buffalo Bills dominated, but turnovers could be their undoing down the road this season.
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