Built In Buffalo writers and contributors weigh in on the Bills season opener
Built In Buffalo content producers have collaborated to share their predictions for the Bills Week 1 game at the Los Angeles Rams. We hope you enjoy reading our predictions, and please let us know on social media (@BuiltInBuffalo) what your predictions are for the opener!
Kam Towle: Every year, the NFL likes to open up the season with a matchup that is capable of entertaining an entire world watching. Entertainment, to most fans, means top talent and a high-scoring affair. Both the Bills and Rams’ offenses are littered with playmakers and they have the ability to put points on the board in a hurry. On the Rams’ end, they’ll have wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Allen Robinson III going up against Bills CBs Dane Jackson, Kaiir Elam and Christian Benford. It’s obvious they have a skill advantage on the outside, so they will make their plays, but I think the Bills pass rush and safety help should fend off the onslaught.
The Bills offense was playing at a historic level the last we saw them in January, and I don’t see that changing. Even with new OC Ken Dorsey, I think Allen is in full command of the offense and he’s developed a rapport with a handful of different weapons. Diggs, Davis, Knox and McKenzie will all contribute in their own way as the Bills put the league on notice in Week 1. Prediction: Bills 38, Rams 27
Dave Myers: The Buffalo Bills open up the season on the road in sunny LA. This will be a game of new beginnings for several members of the Bills. Von Miller returns to the city in which he helped hoist the Lombardi Trophy this past February. Also making his Buffalo Bills regular season debut is rookie cornerback Kaiir Elam. With a ton of pressure to cover one the best receivers in the NFL in Cooper Kupp, can the rookie rise to the challenge?
There’s a lot riding on this game for both teams. The Rams will drop their Super Bowl banner, and the Bills will be watching and waiting for their chance to embark on what most think is their best shot to claim one of their own. I see this one being a slugfest in the first half with both teams trying to figure out the other team’s gameplan. In the second half, it’s the Bills that get things on track, with Josh Allen leading the way with two second-half touchdowns. The Bills pull out a victory on the road in front of a national audience. Prediction: Bills 31, Rams 23
Matt Homan: It’s trendy and cliché to say it, but a lot of the Bills success will depend on how they deal with Aaron Donald up front. If you look back to the Rams at Bills game in 2020, Donald was nothing short of a beast. I believe the Bills starting offensive line in 2022 is much improved from then (hello Rodger Saffold) and will be able to prevent Donald from blowing up the line of scrimmage to the extent that he did two years ago.
I don’t think the Bills offense will lay an egg as they did Week 1 last year against Pittsburgh. Josh and the boys will continue rolling as they did in the playoffs against the Patriots and Chiefs. Defensively, the Bills secondary is the most suspect. The defensive line/ends will need to get pressure on Stafford and I think they will—although I think Cooper Kupp has some big plays. It’ll be an emotional night in LA Thursday as the Rams unveil their Super Bowl banner prior to the game. However, I believe the pomp and circumstance will be stomped on by the Bills. Prediction: Bills 42, Rams 24
Peter DiBiasi: The season opener is finally here for the Buffalo Bills, and it can’t get much better than facing the defending Super Bowl Champions in LA. With all the offseason hype, the Bills finally have have a game where they can showcase their ability to compete with the best. This is a game filled with superstars on both sides of the ball. One of the game’s key matchups will be how the Bills’ young corners face off against Cooper Kupp and Allen Robinson III. In the end, I think Allen makes a couple more plays than Stafford, and the Bills’ newly-upgraded defensive line stresses the aging Matthew Stafford. Prediction: Bills 27, Rams 24
Ben Morningstar: Our beloved Buffalo Bills are playing in the seasoning opening Thursday night game against the defending Super Bowl Champions, and I know we’re all eager to watch them put on a show and put the rest of the league on notice. I believe the Bills go into LA and beat the Rams in what I think is going to be a fairly low-scoring, hard-fought game. While Diggs may get locked up by Jalen Ramsay for the majority of the game, I think that leaves plenty of opportunities for Gabe Davis to take advantage and have a big game. Von Miller will be amped and motivated to get a sack against his former team and Elam, along with help over the top from the best safety duo in the league, will be able to keep Kupp and Robinson at bay for the most part. I like the Bills in a close matchup here. Prediction: Bills 24, Rams 21
Phil Gong: The Bills head into this game the majority favorite to win the Super Bowl. The season opener provides the best chance to prove that as they take on the defending Super Bowl Champs. In this game, I believe Josh Allen will go off for 325 yards in the air with 4 touchdowns and 60 yards rushing, while mainly targeting newly-extended Dawson Knox and budding receiver Gabe Davis. The Bills will have a dominant performance on the biggest stage of the regular season, proving to everyone that they are the real deal as the regular season begins. Prediction: Bills 34, Rams 27
