Josh Allen threw for 297 yards and four touchdowns, Von Miller recorded two of Buffalo’s seven sacks, and the Bills defeated the Rams 31-10 on Thursday night to establish themselves as a legitimate contender for the Rams’ Super Bowl title.
Gabe Davis, Isaiah McKenzie, and Stefon Diggs scored touchdown passes as the defending AFC East champion Bills opened the 103rd season of the NFL in the same stadium where the Rams won the Super Bowl nearly seven months earlier.
Allen completed 26-of-31 passes despite two interceptions. He also carried for 56 yards and scored a touchdown by stretching the ball over the goal line from four yards out with 13:27 remaining. The quarterback took his fair share of hits, but he also delivered them and displayed a mean stiff-arm as the Buffalo attack under new coordinator Ken Dorsey overwhelmed the champions.
Matthew Stafford threw for 240 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions as the Rams lost their season opener and dropped below.500 for the first time in head coach Sean McVay’s six-year tenure.
The Bills’ seven sacks were the highest allowed by McVay’s Rams, who lost two offensive line starters from the previous season and attempted to replace them internally.
Diggs capped the dominance with a 53-yard touchdown reception with 9:25 remaining and taunted Rams All-Pro defensive back Jalen Ramsey afterward.
Cooper Kupp was the Super Bowl MVP with 13 receptions for 128 yards and a touchdown, but once the Rams raised their title banner before the game, their night swiftly went sour. Los Angeles was unable to keep up with Allen’s inventive playmaking or the Bills’ pass pressure, and their sole significant offseason offensive addition, receiver Allen Robinson, caught only one of two targets. The Rams were even blanked in the second half, snapping their string of 89 straight halves with a point dating back to November 2019.
Miller made an immediate impact in his first game with the Bills, who signed him away from the Rams after he earned a championship ring during his half-season in Los Angeles. However, he was only one component of a defense that allowed only 177 yards until the final, meaningless drive by Los Angeles.
Aaron Donald recorded his 99th career sack in the first half, but the seven-time All-Pro had only two tackles as the Rams lost their season opener for the second time in the last 10 years. Los Angeles trailed 17-10 after three quarters, but Buffalo pulled away early in the fourth quarter with two extended touchdown drives.
The Bills converted nine of ten third downs and amassed 413 total yards after Dorsey replaced Brian Daboll, but three first-half fumbles kept the game close.
Allen set a career-high by completing his first 10 passes of a game, but Buffalo’s second drive in Rams territory was halted by an interception by linebacker Terrell Lewis. James Cook fumbled his first touch for Buffalo moments later, but Dane Jackson intercepted the ball two plays later.
Kupp made a spectacular toe-tapping catch in the back of the end zone on a pinpoint throw three minutes before halftime on the fourth drive of Los Angeles’s game. Troy Hill’s interception gave the Rams the ball back, and Matt Gay’s 57-yard field goal at the halftime buzzer tied the game.
