It’s one of the best nights of the year. After a long offseason that was one of the most dramatic we have ever seen in terms of player movement, the opening game of the NFL season finally arrived last night, and it was one of the most hyped up opening matchups going into it in some time.
With the defending Super Bowl champions taking on this years odds-on Super Bowl favorites in a matchup that many billed as a possible Super Bowl preview five months early, there was sure to be a dramatic game that was close to the finish, right? Wrong.
After a heart breaking playoff loss in Kansas City last January, Buffalo came out and showed why they are the Super Bowl favorites, and the Rams looked like a team with a Super Bowl hangover.
Matt Stafford was bad, the Rams could not run the ball, and if Cooper Kupp wasn’t open, Stafford seemed to make a mistake. And while Buffalo did turn it over four times and looked pretty sloppy at times, especially in the first half, they ultimately took over in the second half and really dominated the champs.
Matthew Stafford is picked again…
He took a little of his frustration out by tackling the 281 lbs Boogie Basham on the interception return 😲
(via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/GS8e0vTW34
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 9, 2022
Josh Allen looked and this offense looked scary good, and this was in a game that they turned it over four times and were far from their best. But Stefon Diggs was unstoppable, Gabe Davis looked great as well, and Allen was as effective running the ball as ever.
STEFON DIGGS BEATS RAMSEY FOR SIX‼️
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/jxLDZcqQ9P
— ESPN (@espn) September 9, 2022
But the real story in my opinion was the domination from the Bills defense of the Rams offense. Von Miller was absolutely phenomenal and might have been the piece that this pass rush has been missing for the past couple of years now. Bills rookie corners Kaiir Elam and Christian Benford looked the part as well in the absence of star Tre’Davious White.
Von Miller is fitting right in with #BillsMafia
That's his second sack of the night 😏@VonMiller x @BuffaloBills | via @NFL pic.twitter.com/UYqUHTySMO
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 9, 2022
It was of course just opening night and it would be foolish to completely overreact, but if we learned some things last night, it’s that the Rams have a lot of work to do to defend their title and that the Bills are really, really good.