In mid-February at SoFi Stadium the Los Angeles Rams claimed a Super Bowl victory on their home turf. Fast forward nearly seven months and it was a much different story for the defending champions during the NFL’s official kick off.
The Rams opened the 2022 NFL season raising their banner and hoisting the Lombardi, but that is where the celebration ended. The visiting Buffalo Bills reminded everyone why they are the favorites to win it all.
The Bills’ takedown of the Rams was thorough in all phases of the game. Buffalo dominated for a 31-10 road victory, and if it weren’t for four Buffalo turnovers – two fumbles from running backs and two interceptions by quarterback Josh Allen – the game could have been even more lopsided.
However, the Bills more than made up for their sloppy turnovers by snagging three interceptions from Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford. It was not the smoothest of nights from Stafford, who only threw for 240 yards on 41 attempts and took seven sacks.
Meanwhile, his counterpart in Buffalo had a sublime evening. Allen made an early statement on what is sure to be an MVP-caliber campaign. Allen completed 83% of his throws for 297 yards, three touchdowns and rushed for 56 yards and another touchdown on the ground.
Make no mistake, the Rams are still a quality football team who had a bad game. They will surely be among the NFC contenders come January. But to see them blown out on opening night during a primetime game is a pleasant sight to see.
