© Gary A. Vasquez, USA TODAY
Josh Allen and Bills Dominate Rams in Season Opener
The Los Angeles Rams began their Super Bowl LVI defense on Thursday night, welcoming the preseason AFC favorite Buffalo Bills and star quarterback Josh Allen to SoFi Stadium.
Unfortunately for the Rams, pass protection and shortcomings on offense were too much to overcome, with Buffalo pulling away in the second half on their way to a 31-10 win over Los Angeles.
And to simply say pass protection was an issue for the Rams would be an understatement, with the Bills sacking LA quarterback Matthew Stafford seven times and hitting him 15 times throughout the night.
It was former Ram Von Miller who did arguably the most damage to Stafford, finishing the game with two sacks, three tackles for loss, and two quarterback hits of his own.
As a team, the Rams amassed just 243 total yards of offense, including just 240 yards through the air and three interceptions from Stafford.
The only true bright spot of the game offensively for the Los Angeles was wideout Cooper Kupp, who finished with 13 catches for 128 yards and a the lone Rams touchdown.
On the other end of the field, the Rams' defense did their best to keep their team in the game, forcing four turnovers.
However, in the second half, the wheels came off, with the Bills outscoring the Rams 21-0 for the remainder of the game and racking up 413 yards of total offense.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who came into the game as a preseason MVP favorite, did not disappoint, picking up right where he left off in the 2021 AFC Championship game and completing 26 of 31 passes for 297 yards and three touchdowns.
He also had nine carries for 57 yards and another touchdown.
Star wide receiver Stefon Diggs also had a monster game, hauling in eight receptions for 122 yards and a score.
Following the loss, the Rams will have 10 days to turn the page to Week 2, where a matchup with the new-look Atlanta Falcons awaits, and star second-year tight end Kyle Pitts awaits at SoFi Stadium.
The Rams lead the all-time series vs. the Falcons 48-30-2, with the Falcons winning seven of the last nine matchups.
You can follow Matt Galatzan on Twitter @MattGalatzan
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