The Los Angeles Rams, fresh off a Super Bowl victory this past February, opened their season with a loss to the Buffalo Bills.
While the loss itself may not have been particularly surprising given the Bills’ firepower on both offense and defense, the poor offensive play that the Rams showcased was.
The Rams, who ranked eighth in offensive points per game last season, failed to break past 10 points on the day. While their offensive MVP from last season Cooper Kupp picked up where he left off, 13 receptions and 128 receiving yards simply was not enough to carry the team to widespread offensive success.
Outside of Kupp’s success, the Los Angeles receiving core simply couldn’t find their footing. Free agent splash Allen Robinson failed to find the endzone and brought in just one reception in his debut with the team.
The Rams scored all 10 of their points in the second quarter, setting them up with a tie game going into half-time. Despite the favorable situation leaving half-time, Los Angeles was outscored 21-0 through the second half, leading to a 31-10 deficit when the clock hit double zeros.
In a post-game press conference Rams head coach Sean McVay took responsibility for the team’s unpreparedness.
McVay has often been praised for his ability to turn around the Rams organization by turning what was plagued by mediocrity for over a decade into a yearly Super Bowl contender. Even with this resume, McVay isn’t so quick to call himself a savior.
“We weren’t ready to go, I take a lot of pride in that and that’s on me,” McVay said. “There’s a lot that I’ve got to do better.”
On the flip side of things, Buffalo fans have a lot to be excited for. Following a season in which Buffalo fell just shy of a Super Bowl, they broke into common form on Thursday with newcomer Von Miller exceeding early expectations.
Miller, a longtime NFL All-Pro pass rusher, recorded two sacks in his debut against the Los Angeles Rams.
Along with this, Bills quarterback, Josh Allen showcased his freakish athleticism, putting up nearly 300 yards and three touchdowns through the air while rushing for over 50 yards and a fourth touchdown from scrimmage.
All of this was of course aided by the Bills all-star wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who picked up right where he left off in 2021 by hauling in eight receptions for over 120 yards and a single touchdown. Even with this performance, Diggs emphasized a need to stay focused moving forward in his post-game press conference.
“People can win their first game and lose every one of them after that, so, don’t want to ride that wave,” Diggs said. “We did some good things.”
The Bills will face off against the Tennessee Titans next week, and will hope to continue their early season success.
