The Rams and Bills are headed for Monday Night Football, and if this one plays out anything like their recent meetings, the finish should be tight. Two of the last three games between these teams were decided by three points or less, and this matchup looks built for a few swing snaps to decide everything.
For Los Angeles, the first battle is up front, where Buffalo defensive tackle Deone Walker has quietly become a problem. The Rams have averaged 1.5 yards before contact in the run game this season, sixth-most in the NFL, but the numbers shift sharply when Walker is on the field.
With him out there, opposing teams have averaged just 0.1 yards before contact. Without him, that number jumps to 1.8.
On all plays, Buffalo allows 5.2 yards per play with Walker on the field and 6.2 when he’s off it.
Deone Walker lol I'm not fully convinced he knows what he's doing on a down-to-down basis... but this dude is massive and athletic lol some straight freakazoid reps pic.twitter.com/WM4b45MrHY
That matters because the Rams need balance if Matthew Stafford is going to have the kind of night they want. They also have to keep the pocket clean. Coleman Shelton, Steve Avila and Kevin Dotson will be part of that fight against Walker, who already has 20 impact plays, third-most among NFL interior defensive linemen.
The Rams’ other major concern is their linebacker group, which is the clearest weak spot on that side of the ball. That opens the door for Buffalo’s heavy tight end usage, something no team leans on more.
The Bills have lined up in 12 personnel on 20 percent of their offensive snaps and in 13 personnel on 26 percent. When they’re in 12 personnel, they’ve been especially efficient, ranking third with 0.31 offensive EPA per play.
Dalton Kincaid is not the centerpiece of Buffalo’s passing game, but when he does get involved, he can hurt defenses. This could be a favorable spot for the Bills, with Kincaid going against Omar Speights, who has had trouble in coverage.
Speights has allowed 1.51 yards per coverage snap this season, eighth-most in the NFL. The Rams’ linebackers are stronger against the run than they are in space, and that’s exactly where Buffalo can try to press.
Los Angeles also has to hold up against Buffalo’s pass rush. The Rams have already been forced to throw more than 100 times over the last two weeks, but the protection has held together reasonably well.
They kept one of the league’s better pass rushes under control two weeks ago against the Denver Broncos. The Bills will be another serious test.
This is a defense that has produced a 45.8 percent pressure rate, fourth-best in the NFL, and Greg Rousseau is the engine driving it. Rousseau’s 24 pressures rank fourth in the league, even though he has faced the sixth-most double teams.
He also leads the NFL with six sacks. Warren McClendon has played well, but he still has his weak spots, and Buffalo will look to expose them.
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Rams Defense Must Hold Up Until Myles Garrett Can Truly Matter
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The encouraging part for Los Angeles is that the defense has held up well so far, even without Garrett available to play a snap alongside Aaron Donald. Still, the expectation is that his biggest impact wont come until the second half of the season, once he is fully back and able to reintegrate into the mix. Until then, the Rams are left balancing steady early results with the idea of what this unit is supposed to look like when Garrett finally becomes a real factor. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Suddenly Have A Real Question At Right Tackle
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Keagen Trost adds another layer to the picture once he is back in the mix. The rookie missed time with a hamstring injury in the preseason but is now eligible to return from injured reserve, and his arrival gives the Rams a live alternative if McClendons hold on the job starts to slip. For a team that values stability up front, right tackle has quietly become one of the more interesting battles to monitor. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Fans Know The Risk In 49ers' Xavier Smith Move
Xavier Smiths move across the NFC West has a familiar feel for Rams followers, because his game has always come with both intrigue and risk. The speedy receiver and return specialist flashed enough on punt returns to keep teams interested, and that track record is exactly why San Francisco added him to its practice squad as it looks for help on special teams.
From Los Angeles side, though, Smith also carried the kind of volatility that can change a game in one snap. The Rams saw the upside in his return ability, but they also lived through the inconsistency that made him a frustrating fit at times, including the kind of mistake that tends to stick with a player long after the rest of the tape is forgotten. [Read more 🡒]