'We're Doing Backflips!' Von Miller, Bills Show Championship Skill in Win at Rams
Some teams go into a new season with a chip on their shoulder.
In the Buffalo Bills’ case, that chip is a boulder after their 2021-2022 season ended with a heartbreaking loss in overtime to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC divisional round.
With their sights set on a Super Bowl, Buffalo proved it still belongs among the NFL’s elite on Thursday with a "no weakness'' 31-10 thrashing of the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium.
They are keeping their feet on the ground here ... well, not counting the plane ride back to Western New York.
“We’re going to make the plane do backflips on the way home tonight,” new Bills star Von Miller said. “We’re going to celebrate this win, because you have to, but then we’re going to go back to the lab.”
Josh Allen didn’t miss a beat from his 2022 playoff run, completing 26 of his 31 passes for 297 yards and three touchdowns. Allen was also Buffalo’s leading rusher, running for 56 yards and one touchdown.
The Bills’ offensive performance temporarily quelled one of the biggest question marks of the offseason — new offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey.
Nine different players found the ball in their hands, three of whom scored - well, four, counting Allen. Stefon Diggs caught eight passes for 122 yards, including a 53-yard touchdown. Gabriel Davis caught four passes for 88 yards and a touchdown and Isaiah McKenzie’s touchdown in the third quarter put Buffalo ahead for good.
Dorsey’s game plan to have Allen get rid of the ball quickly helped minimize the impact of Aaron Donald, Leonard Floyd, and Bobby Wagner. Between the three of them, they combined for 10 tackles, two tackles for loss and two sacks.
However, the team’s ability to respond after three turnovers in the first half may have been the most impressive part of Buffalo’s performance.
Late in the first quarter, a pass that got bobbled by McKenzie found its way into Rams linebacker Terrell Lewis’ hands at LA’s 24-yard line. On the ensuing possession for Buffalo, rookie running back James Cook fumbled the first carry of his career.
The Bills’ defense responded by getting a stop and an interception from Dane Jackson.
In total, the Bills’ defense had three interceptions and seven sacks, two of which came from Miller. AJ Epenesa and Jordan Phillips combined for three sacks.
While the Bills are just one game into the season, it didn’t take them long to prove why they’re a Super Bowl favorite. If Josh Allen can continue to prove he’s one of the best quarterbacks in football and the Bills’ defense replicates how they played against the Rams, no one would be surprised if they’re the last team standing from the AFC.
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