The 10-win Buffalo Bills are not the problem; they're the opportunity.
Of the final five games, this is not the one the Los Angeles Rams (6-6) absolutely have to bank, but it sure would be nice.
Winning would provide crucial margin for error for the stretch run. Winning would change the narrative. Winning would validate that though the Rams have not been championship-worthy yet, there's a version of this 2024 team that's more than good – they might be great.
Quoth the Raven
As I said on this week's Between the Horns, I love echoes from the past.
Last year, you'll recall the Rams rallied from three games below .500 at the bye to 6-6. Then they took a trip to Baltimore to face an AFC favorite and MVP front-runner.
LA didn't win that day – the Ravens walked them off on a punt return in overtime – but I'd argue that showing was one of the best of the 2023 season.
Wouldn't this Sunday be the perfect moment for the Rams to play a game like that against another AFC powerhouse led by likely MVP Josh Allen? We discussed that and much more, including the formula for derailing the Bills, on this week's show with D'Marco Farr and Maurice Jones-Drew.
Take It On The Run
It was a great visit to New Orleans for the Rams' running backs, who combined for the best rushing performance of the season against the Saints.
For Kyren Williams, it was a much-needed bounce-back behind a starting offensive line that is hopefully locked in for the long haul.
"It's infectious, it's contagious, it's real," offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said of Williams' play energy. "I think that's why he's probably not just a locker room favorite, but a fan favorite too because you just like to see guys that enjoy what they're doing."
We had the privilege of welcoming his running mate Blake Corum to Rams Revealed this week, and it was as enjoyable as you might expect given the rookie back's reputation for being a positive force, on and off the field.
We talked about the charitable work that Corum has become known for. Additionally, Williams was honored this week as the Rams Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee. If you haven't caught the social video of Steven Jackson making an appearance at the team facility to break the news, it's well worth your time.
Feeling Fiske-y
While we're touching on awards season, we'll also note that rookie Braden Fiske picked up Defensive Rookie of the Month for November.
That means the Rams have claimed two of the three months this year, with fellow rookie Jared Verse earning September. Hopefully the two don't steal vote share from each other when it comes to locking down NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
"I was telling (outside linebackers) coach (Joe) Coniglio, the only reason I got it was to piss Jared off," Fiske told our senior staff writer Stu Jackson. "That's all I was looking for."
All the post-Draft talk of these former Florida State Seminoles being force-multipliers for each other has proven to be spot on.
Bill of Goods
As for this week's test, it's the perfect challenge at just the right point in the schedule.
Elusive quarterbacks have tormented the Rams this season – most notably Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts. LA ranks 21st in the league with 28 sacks despite having the NFL's best pressure percentage (39.8), according to Next Gen Stats.
Time for another measuring stick moment against Allen and the Bills.
"There are not many guys that can simulate Josh Allen," defensive coordinator Chris Shula said this week. "If you could have one of the defensive ends or an outside backers play quarterback and maybe run around... We know he's a different guy to tackle when he starts to decide he wants to run."
Allen just became the first quarterback in league history to have a passing, rushing, and receiving score in the same game. He has been sacked just 13 times, fewer than any other full-time starter. It's no wonder he and the Bills have scored at least 30 points in six straight games, tied for the longest streak in Bills history (2004). According to ESPN, the 2013 Denver Broncos were last team to put together a longer streak within a single season (Peyton Manning authored an eight-game stretch that year).
As for the other notes we found interesting this week…
Also from ESPN, Allen has won 15 straight regular-season games in December and January, the second-longest streak by starter since 1950, trailing only Philip Rivers' 19-gamer spanning the 2006-2009 seasons.
The Bills have won three consecutive matchups in this series and five of the last six. Sam Bradford defeated Ryan Fitzpatrick in the last Rams win over the Bills. And the last time the franchise defeated Buffalo in a home game? Week 13, 1983 at Anaheim Stadium.
The Bills play zone coverage on 78.4 percent of drop backs (the fourth-highest rate in the NFL, per NGS). Since rejoining the fray in Week 8, Cooper Kupp ranks fifth and Puka Nacua ranks 9th among receivers in passer rating when targeted versus zone coverage.
Best in the West
Who are you pulling for on Sunday: Seattle or Arizona?
It's the most consequential game of the week in the NFL and really can be seen as a win-win from the standpoint of the Rams. LA has a win over Seattle (7-5), but not Arizona (6-6). The Seahawks are undefeated since their bye to ascend to first place, while the Cardinals have dropped both contests since their open date.
Here's the remaining schedule for Seattle: at Arizona, Green Bay, Minnesota, at Chigao, at LA.
And here's what the Cardinals have left: Seattle, New England, at Carolina, at LA, San Francisco.
No matter the outcome of their contest, the Rams will need to beat them both by season's end.
As for the 49ers (5-7), they host the Bears before the Rams roll into Levi's Stadium for another Thursday Night Football rivalry showcase.
