The defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams will host the Buffalo Bills in the 2022 NFL season debut on Thursday. In this exciting season opener, there are a lot of intriguing storylines for notable players like Josh Allen, Matthew Stafford, Stefon Diggs, and Cooper Kupp. Let's focus on some Josh Allen Week 1 predictions here.
Stafford and Kupp created magic in their first season together, but what are their plans for an encore? In the latest NFL odds, Caesars Sportsbook has Stafford's over/under for passing yards at 270.5, a mark he surpassed 12 times last year.
Meanwhile, Allen has an over/under for passing yards at 272.5, and he is the favorite to win NFL MVP this coming season. Seeing him opposite Stafford to open the season is nothing short of tremendous for NFL fans all over. Of course, Allen will need to be wary since no less than Aaron Donald would be out to get him sacked.
Having said that, here are three bold Josh Allen Week 1 predictions as the Bills take on the Rams
The last time Josh Allen played the Rams, it was a slugfest!
Rewatch all the action ⬇️⬇️https://t.co/tq8uFnMN3K#BillsMafia #GoBills pic.twitter.com/uF1SiSOKtY
— Dave Myers (@DM3BIB) September 5, 2022
3. Josh Allen throws under 250 passing yards
Remember that he averaged 259.2 passing yards per game in his fourth NFL season last year and dipped under 275.5 in 11 of 17 outings. Despite his outstanding postseason efforts, Allen actually had a poor start in 2021, averaging only 224.5 yards in his first two games. Both of those performances were under 275.5 yards.
Following the losses of Emmanuel Sanders and Cole Beasley, the Bills must bring in multiple new receivers, in addition to giving Gabe Davis a greater role. Keep in mind that it takes time to become in rhythm with new players, and the model understands this by taking the under for Allen.
Furthermore, the Rams boast the finest defensive player in football in Aaron Donald and probably the best cornerback in Jalen Ramsey, both of whom might neutralize Diggs and eliminate Allen's top option. There are too many things working against Allen, so the model predicts he will pass for under 250 yards in this opening matchup.
2. Josh Allen records 3 TDs
Throwing for under 250 yards might be a bit underwhelming considering Allen's stock, but it might still be enough to lead the Bills to a big win over the champs. Remember that he's among the best rushing QBs on the planet. He should also still throw for at least two passing touchdowns in this game.
Take note that Allen has 36 and 37 passing touchdowns in the previous two seasons, respectively. There is no reason to assume he won't match or exceed that output in 2022.
The former Wyoming standout, who had multiple passing touchdowns in 13 of 17 games (76.5%) last season, does not need to make a significant leap forward to exceed this estimate. Allen threw nine touchdown passes in last season's playoffs, including five against the Patriots and four against the Chiefs.
Last season, the dynamic signal-caller had the third-most running yards (763) among all quarterbacks, trailing only Jalen Hurts (784) and Lamar Jackson (767). Despite a career-high 122 running attempts, however, Allen's three-season record of at least eight rushing touchdowns was broken, as he scored only six times on the ground.
Still, in such a big game to set the tone for the season, expect Allen to make a statement by rushing to the endzone at least once. By the game's end, Allen should have at least three scores to his name — at least two passing and one rushing.
1. Josh Allen gets the W over Matthew Stafford
Allen and Stafford are both previous first-round draft pick who will be part of an unusual achievement not seen since 1967. Allen and Stafford highlight one of nine Week 1 games in which both teams' starting quarterbacks were previous first-round draft selections. This illustrates an increase in high-end quarterback talent selected early in rounds. That could lead to some fascinating games along the road.
The battle between Josh Allen and Matthew Stafford to start the regular season may be the most entertaining of the bunch, but this stat shows that there should be some very entertaining football to start the season. That should be music to the ears of football lovers all across the world.
When the smoke clears in this battle, though, expect the younger and hungrier Allen to prevail over the most recent Super Bowl champion. It will be a close one, but Allen just seems to have too much firepower to bow down to Stafford. Aside from Allen, the Bills will have Diggs, Devin Singletary, and Dawson Knox for some scoring punch, while former Ram Von Miller should keep Stafford on his toes.
It's gonna be a helluva matchup, but Allen and the Bills should shock Los Angeles with a big road W when the clock stops ticking in SoFi Stadium
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