5 Rams To Focus On Vs. Bills

The Buffalo Bills and the Los Angeles Rams entered the 2026 season as a popular pick for a Super Bowl matchup in February. Despite how we feel about Buffalo’s 29-26 defeat at the hands of the New England Patriots, the odds still seem to be in favor of said matchup, as the Bills sit at +750. That trails only the Rams, whose odds remain great at +650 even with their 2-2 start to the season.

This might be a great time for all of us to release our inner Han Solo—“never tell me the odds!”—because those odds may exist, but they mean little in practical terms. The games still need to be played, and on Monday, these two teams will face off in what is one of the NFL’s marquee games this season.

Los Angeles is as complete a football team as Buffalo will face this season, and while their offense grabs most of the headlines, the Rams’ defense is incredible, as well. Currently, L.A. is No. 9 in points against and No. 2 in yards against this season, which is significantly better than Buffalo’s rankings. The Bills find themselves at No. 25 in points against and No. 27 in yards against.

Our five players to watch, then, could easily discuss plenty of defensive standouts. Aaron Donald, for example, has the ability to wreck the entire offensive gameplan if he suits up. Byron Young and his 3.5 sacks have made the loss of Myles Garrett, who still hasn’t played since Week One thanks to a knee injury, a bit more palatable.

Thanks to the depth of this roster, though, we’re acknowledging that there are going to be some players that we “miss” here. And, given how poorly Buffalo has played on defense this season, I argue that the unit under the most pressure to succeed on Monday night is not the Buffalo offense.

So, with all of that in mind, here is our offensive-heavy edition of Five (Rams) Players to Watch this week.
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QB Matthew Stafford

Buffalo just allowed Drake Maye to carve them up last week. As if it wasn’t bad enough that the 2025 NFL MVP runner-up looked as good as he did, now Buffalo has to contend with the 2025 NFL MVP. Stafford can still sling it at age 38, and if the Bills give him time, he will have a field day. Buffalo’s corners have struggled to cover even average receivers, and the Rams’ pass-catching group is well above that mark. Defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard is going to have to dial up a pass rush that can move Stafford off his platform and keep him uncomfortable all night.

That’s the only hope this week for a better result on defense: Whereas Maye used his legs to evade danger, Stafford doesn’t do much running, so he isn’t going to beat you with his legs. He needs clean pockets and to stay upright. If Buffalo can pound on him early, they can speed his internal clock, which could force him into some mistakes. Stafford has six interceptions this season after throwing just eight picks all last season. The pass rush is going to need to impact this game for Buffalo to win it.

RB Kyren Williams

L.A.’s one-two punch of Williams and Blake Corum is outstanding, but it’s Williams who makes me the most wary. He can beat a team as a runner and as a receiver, as he’s totaled 294 yards and three touchdowns rushing to go with 21 receptions for 173 yards and a touchdown receiving. Buffalo has contained opposing running backs, and they’re going to need to continue that trend.

Opening up Stafford’s game to play-action shots after Williams gashes them for big runs is a recipe for disaster, so Buffalo will need to keep Williams in check. The Rams love to use their big personnel to create mismatches, but honestly, I think that grouping might help the Bills this week. I feel much more confident in the front seven than I do anyone in the secondary right now, so if the Rams continue to utilize their “13” personnel grouping, it could help Buffalo put their stronger base defenders on the field in positions to succeed. That could be a factor in limiting Williams, as well.

WR Davante Adams

Who is going to cover the veteran? Adams may not be a top-three receiver in the league anymore, but he’s still plenty good at age 34. He leads Los Angeles in targets (38), receptions (22), receiving yards (390), and receiving touchdowns (2). Christian Benford has returned to practice for the Bills, but while he may be able to play through his toe injury, which kept him out of last week’s loss, he may still be limited by it. If he can’t go, it will likely be Maxwell Hairston, who was abysmal last week, or Davison Igbinosun, who had his moments but is still a rookie. This is not a great matchup for Buffalo, but someone needs to step up and make a play this week.

WR Puka Nacua

If Buffalo finds a way to slow Adams down, they’ll still have to contend with Nacua, who can operate from multiple alignments to create chaos in a banged-up Buffalo secondary. Dee Alford is dealing with an ankle injury, and his backup, practice squad player Te’Cory Couch, hurt his hamstring last week. During the game, Jim Leonhard’s answer to those injuries was to play either Damar Hamlin or Cole Bishop in the slot, which didn’t work.

He might not have a choice again this week, though, and that could mean that Nacua has a huge game. Buffalo needs to figure out some way to limit him, and my hope is that they finally activate rookie Jalon Kilgore for a game. Yes, he’s just a rookie, but he at least has the athleticism to compete with Nacua. He also has experience playing as a slot defender, and he could not only help on Nacua, but he could also help against the Rams’ tight ends thanks to his size (6’1” 210 lbs.). Sticking with Hamlin, who is a heady player but a limited athlete, seems like the wrong move.

CB Jaylen Watson

Trent McDuffie is elite, and he’s somehow been even better so far this season than he was in Kansas City. McDuffie has seen 21 targets, according to Pro Football Reference, and he’s allowed just seven completions, 42 yards, and 22.5 quarterback rating against.

He’s an eraser, and while Watson isn’t a bum, he’s not McDuffie. Buffalo has plenty of experience going against this duo from their time as teammates with the Kansas City Chiefs, so they’re intimately acquainted with what they can do. The Bills and quarterback Josh Allen can’t ignore McDuffie’s side altogether, but they’re going to want to find where No. 35 is and throw to that side more often.