The Rams get a prime-time shot to climb above .500 for the first time this season when they welcome the Bills to SoFi Stadium on Monday Night Football in Week 5. It’s a matchup that will tell plenty about where this team stands after a month of scraping together wins and answers, especially against a Buffalo group that plenty of people still view as a Super Bowl contender.
If Los Angeles is going to pull it off, the first job is obvious: slow down James Cook. Under Joe Brady, Buffalo has gotten its best run-game stretch with Josh Allen, and Cook has been a big reason why.
His 52.9 percent rushing success rate stands out, and his 11.4 percent explosive run rate is the best in the NFL. That’s the kind of burst the Rams can’t let get rolling.
The good news for the Rams is that their run defense has tightened up after a shaky start. They didn’t handle it well in Week 1, but over the last three weeks they’ve been much sturdier, allowing -0.2 EPA per rush, which ranks sixth in the league.
If that holds, it can do more than just limit Cook. It can also shrink Buffalo’s options in the passing game, especially with the Bills leaning on tight ends out of heavy personnel.
Los Angeles also may need Kyren Williams to keep expanding his role as a receiver. Last week, he became the first Rams running back since Todd Gurley to finish a game with at least 10 carries and 10 receptions. With Terrance Ferguson on injured reserve, the Rams have been searching for a reliable third wideout, and Williams has a chance to fill that void in the passing game.
Buffalo could help make that happen. The Bills have already given up the third-most targets to running backs, with 21 receptions allowed.
They’ve also surrendered 162 receiving yards to backs, which ranks seventh-most, along with three receiving touchdowns. Williams showed last week that he can punish defenses in that area, and the Rams may need that kind of production again.
Up front, Los Angeles has another opportunity if it can exploit a Bills tackle situation that has not looked as sturdy as it has in the past. Dion Dawkins allowed a seven percent pressure rate last year, and that number is up to 12 percent in 2026. The source material says he has struggled for the most part this season, and the Rams will need to test that weakness.
That puts even more pressure on Byron Young to keep wrecking pockets. He’s been one of the most disruptive edge rushers in the league, with an 18.8 percent pressure rate that ranks 10th and 18 pressures, good for eighth in the NFL. With Myles Garrett out, the Rams need Young to keep carrying that kind of load and changing games the way he did last week.
The matchup on the outside should also give the Rams a chance to create separation through the air. Buffalo’s cornerback play has been shaky, and injuries have only added to the problem.
Puka Nacua returned last week, but Los Angeles still needs Davante Adams to deliver the kind of production he had in Weeks 2 and 3. If Stafford can isolate Adams against Maxwell Hairston, that’s a look the Rams should be eager to take.
Romeo Doubs found the end zone twice against Hairston last week, and Los Angeles still hasn’t gotten the Stafford-Adams connection working in the red zone this season.
Of course, this game won’t be as simple as loading up on man coverage and daring Josh Allen to beat it. That’s not a smart path for the Rams.
Allen is too dangerous as a runner, and the numbers back that up: against man coverage, he’s produced 0.36 EPA per play, which ranks sixth in the NFL. Against zone, that drops to 0.17.
That doesn’t mean the Rams should avoid man entirely. It does mean Chris Shula has to stay flexible, mixing coverages and choosing his blitzes carefully. Monday night should be a real test for Shula and this defense, which hasn’t faced a true challenge since the Week 1 meeting with the San Francisco 49ers.
In Other News...
Rams Fans Know The Risk In 49ers' Xavier Smith Move
The Rams are getting a familiar name back in the division picture, with Xavier Smith now on San Franciscos practice squad after a brief stop in Los Angeles. Smith brought obvious speed as a return specialist for the Rams and flashed enough playmaking ability to make the 49ers interested, especially with their special teams trying to steady itself after a shaky start to the season.
For Rams fans, the move comes with an immediate sense of recognition because Smiths time in Los Angeles always seemed to carry both promise and risk. He could change field position in a hurry, but his inconsistency made him hard to trust in the biggest moments, and his most visible struggles are still part of the memory bank as he heads to a rival trying to sort out its own return game. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Win Just Put The Eagles In A Dangerous NFC Spot
The Rams Week 4 win did more than add another mark to the schedule for Philadelphia, which now sits at 2-2 and has work to do to steady its season. For a team with obvious roster needs, especially at wide receiver, the loss has only sharpened the conversation around how the Eagles might respond if they want to keep pace in a crowded NFC race.
One name already being floated is Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, a player with past production but limited output this season. Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report listed Philadelphia as a possible landing spot, and while nothing about the connection is close to concrete, it speaks to where the Eagles find themselves now: trying to sort out whether a midseason move could help them avoid letting a strong start slip into something more precarious. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Suddenly Face A Brutal Week 5 Problem In London
The Eagles run of bad health has turned a promising early-season setup into a real Week 5 concern, with injuries now touching much of the roster they built around. Quarterback Jalen Hurts, running back Saquon Barkley and receiver Devonta Smith are all part of the conversation heading into the London matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the list has only grown more complicated after the mid-season retirement of Lane Johnson and the trade of Cam Jurgens.
For a team trying to stay on track overseas, the timing could hardly be worse. Philadelphia has already had to absorb major personnel changes, and the injury churn is now threatening to reshape the way it approaches a game that was supposed to offer some stability. The next layer of the story is whether the Eagles can actually sort through the availability issues in time to field something close to the version of themselves they expected for Week 5. [Read more 🡒]