The Rams arrived in 2026 with all the weight that comes with being a Super Bowl favorite, but four weeks in, the shine has worn off a little. At 2-2, Los Angeles has already flashed the kind of inconsistency that can undo a team with championship expectations, and now it heads into a Monday Night Football matchup with the Bills needing answers fast.
That urgency is real because the Rams have been all over the map. They were flat in a 27-7 loss to the 49ers in Australia, then steadied themselves with a win over the Giants in Week 2. Since then, the offense has looked stuck in the mud against the Broncos and Eagles, an awkward development for a team that watched Matthew Stafford win MVP last season.
The timing is rough, too. Buffalo is not exactly humming along, but the Bills still have Josh Allen and still sit among the AFC’s top contenders. The good news for Los Angeles is that this game sets up as a chance to get right, especially against a Bills defense that has shown plenty of cracks.
Buffalo kept Joe Brady in the building this offseason after promoting him to head coach, so the offense has stayed dangerous. The bigger change came on the other side, where Sean McDermott was fired and Jim Leonhard took over as defensive coordinator.
There have been bright spots there, most notably Greg Rousseau’s breakout. He leads the NFL in sacks through four weeks with six.
Even so, the overall picture for the Bills’ defense has been shaky. Buffalo sits in the bottom 10 in EPA per play allowed against both the run and the pass, and while the schedule has included respectable offenses like the Patriots and Lions, opponents have still had too much ease moving the ball.
That opens the door for a Rams offense that has been underwhelming by its own standards. The numbers are hovering around league average, which is a far cry from what was expected after the offseason additions and the buzz around this group.
But there are reasons to think the unit can snap out of it. Puka Nacua’s injury lingered from training camp into the regular season, and tight end Terrance Ferguson was lost to an ankle injury in Week 3.
Now that Nacua is back on the field, the Rams have the kind of top-end talent that can turn a sluggish offense loose in a hurry.
Stafford, Davante Adams and Nacua still give Los Angeles a trio that should be better than middle-of-the-pack, and there’s also more room for the run game to grow with Kyren Williams and Blake Corum. If the Rams are going to make that leap Monday night, the matchup suggests they should start inside.
That’s because Buffalo will be without star defensive tackle Ed Oliver, who is dealing with a knee injury and will not play. That matters a lot against a Rams run game that leans heavily on double teams and downhill work between the tackles. With Oliver out, Los Angeles has a clear path to attack the interior early and often.
The Bills may also be down a key piece at cornerback. Christian Benford missed Week 4 with a toe injury, was limited all week, and is still up in the air for Monday night. Dee Alford, who would be one of the replacements if Benford sits, is also questionable.
If Benford can’t go, that could leave Buffalo exposed in the exact areas where the Rams like to stress a defense. Los Angeles constantly moves receivers around, creating confusion and forcing corners into difficult spots.
And in the red zone, the matchup becomes even more dangerous, because Davante Adams is the go-to target and is usually aligned outside. Puka Nacua’s movement makes him difficult to track, but Adams is the kind of weapon Buffalo would rather not have to solve without Benford.
In that case, rookie Davison Igbinosun would likely line up opposite Maxwell Hairston on the outside, and those are the kind of matchups McVay and Stafford are likely to test right away. With the Bills banged up and vulnerable in a few key spots, this looks like a chance for the Rams offense to finally find some rhythm.
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Sean McVay said Donald is good to go after he took part fully in Fridays practice, which changes the feel of this one for the Rams defense. Anytime Donald is on the field, the attention he draws can reshape a game plan, and Buffalo will have to prepare for that kind of disruption on a national stage. [Read more 🡒]
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Walker has been one of the most active interior linemen in football this season, and the Rams offer a difficult test because Matthew Stafford has plenty of help behind the leagues second-best offense in yards per game. Still, ESPNs Seth Walder is buying the idea that Walker can break through and land a sack, a result that would go a long way toward giving Buffalo a fighting chance against one of the NFLs most efficient attacks. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Enter Rams Test With More Than One Concern
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For Buffalo, the wider concern is that the Rams game arrives at a moment when the Bills are still weighing bigger-picture questions, including potential trade discussions that could affect the defense. The matchup has drawn extra attention because it sits at the intersection of short-term game planning and longer-term roster talk, with the front office and coaching staff both watching closely. By Monday night, the Bills may learn a lot not only about how they stack up against Los Angeles, but also about what they still need to solve. [Read more 🡒]