The Los Angeles Rams kicked off the 2022 season with a highly anticipated matchup versus the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night. Despite the excitement surrounding the game, the Bills made a loud statement by defeating the Rams in impressive fashion, winning the game 31-10 at SoFi Stadium.
The Rams offense accumulated only 243 yards and their lone touchdown came in the second quarter. On the other side of the field, the defense of the Bills played lights out to ruin the start of the season for the reigning Super Bowl champions.
Following the forgettable outing, here are six takeaways from the showdown between the Rams and the Bills.
1
Darrell Henderson Jr. appears to have firm hold on starting job over Cam Akers
On the first offensive possession for the Rams, social media was in shambles when Henderson started alongside Matthew Stafford in the backfield instead of Akers. It was assumed all offseason that Akers would be the starter while Henderson would handle a decent workload as his backup.
Henderson led the backfield with 18 total touches for 73 yards while playing on 82% of the offensive snaps and he looked much more explosive than Akers. Meanwhile, the third-year back out of Florida State recorded only three total touches for zero yards on 18% of the offensive snaps.
After listing Henderson and Akers as co-starters on the depth chart, it appears Henderson has a firm hold of the starting job early in the 2022 season.
2
Matthew Stafford will need time to develop chemistry with Allen Robinson
Robinson made his debut for the Rams on Thursday night and it was a forgettable outing for the veteran wideout. After signing a three-year contract with the Rams, Robinson played 65 of the 67 offensive snaps for the Rams.
But despite playing in all but two snaps, the Pro Bowl wide receiver finished with only one reception for 12 yards on two targets. There were multiple moments where Robinson was open on crossing routes, only for Matthew Stafford to not look in his direction.
Before anyone forms an opinion on Robinson, people have to realize that Stafford and Robinson didn’t have much time to build a rapport in the offseason. It could take a few weeks for Stafford to gain trust with his new wide receiver, especially with the Rams not playing their starters in the preseason.
3
New-look offensive line looked shaky
The Rams lost Andrew Whitworth and Austin Corbett on the offensive line this offseason. Joe Noteboom replaced Whitworth at left tackle while Coleman Shelton won the starting job at right guard in training camp following the departure of Corbett in free agency.
In the first game with the new-look offensive line, Stafford was under constant duress. The veteran quarterback was sacked seven times, which is the most he’s been sacked in a single game as a member of the Rams.
If the offensive line struggles again in Week 2 versus the Atlanta Falcons, Los Angeles is going to have plenty of questions to answer in the trenches.
4
Rams couldn't generate much of a pass rush
Allowing quarterbacks to have plenty of time to survey the field and make plays is a recipe for disaster. The Rams were unable to generate a pass rush against an elite quarterback in Josh Allen, leading to the strong-armed quarterback picking apart Los Angeles’ secondary.
Outside of Aaron Donald, the Rams have continuously found ways to create pressure in recent years. However, the loss of Von Miller loomed large as the future Hall of Famer wreaked havoc in his debut with the Bills with two sacks on Stafford.
While there shouldn’t be any concern surrounding Donald, the Rams are going to need much more out of their front seven moving forward.
5
Nick Scott is going to have a definitive role on defense
Maybe besides Cooper Kupp, Nick Scott might have been the best player on the field for the Rams on Thursday night. Scott started in place of the injured Jordan Fuller and he finished the lopsided loss with seven total tackles and a forced fumble.
The Penn State product should have been credited with two forced fumbles, but Ernest Jones was given credit for forcing the first fumble of the game. Either way, Scott proved that even when Fuller returns to the field, the Rams are going to have to find ways to keep him on the field.
6
Rams couldn't get off of the field on 3rd down
At the NFL level, you have to be able to get stops on third down if you want to help your offense. The Bills converted nine of their 10 third downs in the season opener as the Rams had no answer for Allen and Buffalo’s offense.
Along with getting only one stop on third down all game, the Rams never forced the Bills to punt the ball. Even though Los Angeles’ offense had a dismal outing, the defense has to be able to get off of the field on third downs to avoid opposing offenses from sustaining long drives.
