INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills have come up short in enough playoff games in recent years to know the season is long and the opener doesn’t mean much in January.
They still felt vindicated in their championship aspirations after going to the home stadium of the Super Bowl winners and completely trashing their banner-raising party on the NFL’s opening night.
“We’re going to make the plane go back and forth on the way home tonight,” Von Miller said. “We’re going to celebrate this win, because you have to, but then we’re going back to the lab.”
Josh Allen passed for 297 yards while accounting for four touchdowns, Miller had two of Buffalo’s seven sacks and the Bills established themselves as a clear contender for the Rams’ crown with a 31-10 victory over Los Angeles on Thursday at night.
Gabe Davis, Isaiah McKenzie and Stefon Diggs caught TD passes as the two-time defending AFC East champions began their 103rd NFL season by overcoming four losses and running away with a win on the same field where the Rams won almost seven months ago. .
Allen was 26 for 31 despite two interceptions. He also ran for 56 yards, scrambling for a 4-yard TD when he pulled the ball over the line with 13:27 to play.
The star quarterback took his share of hits, but he also spread them around and showed a stiff arm while Buffalo’s offense under new coordinator Ken Dorsey largely dominated the champions. The Bills were 9-for-10 on third downs and racked up 413 total yards, eventually pulling away after three first-half turnovers.
“There’s a lot to learn, but this second half, that’s who we want to be, come out and execute like that,” Allen said. “We were 90% in third parties. That’s a recipe for success.”
Matthew Stafford passed for 240 yards with a TD and three interceptions in a bruising night for the Rams, who lost a season opener and fell below .500 for the first time in six seasons under coach Sean McVay at the head
“Very humbling night, but where you look in the mirror and say you’ve got to be better,” McVay said. “We weren’t ready to go there. That’s on me. … There were a lot of decisions I made that didn’t put us in the best position to be successful. It was a very humbling night.”
The Bills’ seven sacks were the most allowed in McVay’s tenure with the Rams, who lost two offensive line starters from last year and tried to replace them internally. Miller came, but he was only a contributor on a night when Buffalo didn’t even have to blitz to keep Stafford in check.
Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp had 13 catches for 128 yards and a touchdown, but the Rams’ night quickly went downhill. Los Angeles couldn’t keep up with Allen’s creative playmaking or the Bills’ pass rush, and its only major offseason addition to the offense, wide receiver Allen Robinson, had a sack in two objectives.
Los Angeles trailed 17-10 after three quarters, but Buffalo ran away with two long TD drives early in the quarter. The Rams even shut out in the second half, ending an 89-game hitting streak dating back to November 2019.
“We could play a lot better than that, for sure,” Stafford said. “The only thing that gives me a good feeling is meeting the guys in this locker room and knowing that we’re going to come together.”
Miller made an immediate impact in his debut with the Bills, who signed him away from the Rams after he won a ring in his midseason in LA. But he was just one part of a defense that gave up just 177 yards before the final and meaningless Los Angeles.
Aaron Donald made his 99th sack in the first half, but the seven-time All-Pro had just two tackles as the Rams became just the second defending champs in the last 10 years to lose their opener of the following season. They also lost by the second-largest margin in league history to a Super Bowl winner starting the following season; Baltimore lost by 22 to Denver in 2013.
After falling behind 10-0 despite two turnovers, Los Angeles finally scored in its fourth game when Kupp made a remarkable TD catch three minutes before halftime. After Allen threw his second interception, Matt Gay hit a 57-yard field goal to pull the Rams even at halftime.
And Los Angeles never scored again.
SCORE
Diggs capped the dominance with a 53-yard TD catch with 9:25 to play, then talked trash to Rams All-Pro defensive end Jalen Ramsey.
“You’ve got two of the best in the NFL competing against each other,” Davis said of Diggs and Ramsey. “They’re both going to be talking back and forth, and we’re going to see who comes out on top, you know. And 14 came out today, and that’s what I expect from him.”
50K
With a long third down to Kupp on his first pass, Stafford became the 12th quarterback in NFL history to pass for 50,000 career yards. He tied Drew Brees as the fastest on the mark, doing it in 183 games.
IN THE BEAMS
Along with the banner celebrating last February’s title, the Rams also hung a banner in the south rafters of SoFi Stadium honoring the 1999-2000 Super Bowl champions from the St. Louis. The brief pregame ceremony included owner Stan Kroenke, retired left tackle Andrew Whitworth and free agent Odell Beckham Jr., who held the Lombardi Trophy.
INJURIES
Bills DL Ed Oliver injured his ankle in the first half and tried to play through it, but couldn’t do much. … Rams rookie RB Kyren Williams injured his ankle in the opening minutes. … The Rams played without WR Van Jefferson, who had knee surgery early in training camp after starting 21 games last season.
UNTIL THE NEXT
Accounts: Hosts Tennessee on Monday, September 19.
Rams: Host Atlanta on Sunday, September 18.
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