The Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Rams will kick off the 2022 NFL season on Thursday night, and frankly, NFL fans couldn’t ask for a better and more exciting inter-conference matchup to start the year. This is a potential Super Bowl preview of two teams that have built outstanding rosters with superstars on either side of the ball. The Bills, in particular, may be the class of the NFL in 2022 when it comes to how good their roster is from top to bottom.
General manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott have built themselves a true powerhouse with a second unit that could rival a few starting lineups around the NFL. The Bills bring talent in waves, but there are some key players going up against the Los Angeles Rams that we’ll have a close eye on.
We’re not going to focus on the obvious — quarterback Josh Allen — because everyone is going to be watching the quarterbacks with great intent in this game. Allen is undoubtedly an NFL MVP candidate and one of the top playmakers in all of football, but there are plenty of other names on this Buffalo roster that will be key if the Bills are going to come out to Los Angeles and get a win over the reigning Super Bowl champion Rams.
3 Buffalo Bills players who will be key in beating the Los Angeles Rams
1. Von Miller, EDGE
Von Miller’s 2022 season will begin where his 2021 season ended — in Los Angeles. After getting traded to the Rams by the Denver Broncos at the deadline last year, Miller ended up being a key reason why Los Angeles was able to hoist its second Lombardi in franchise history. Even entering his age 33 season, there is very little reason to believe that Von Miller is slowing down anytime soon.
The Bills signed Miller to a six-year deal worth $120 million this past offseason, and while a lot of that contract is non-guaranteed money to help the Bills fit Miller under their salary cap for the next couple of seasons, the deal he got just months before his 33rd birthday is indicative of his current level of play.
Buffalo is paying Miller $20 million per year on average to get after the quarterback and wreak havoc off the edge. Although Miller is an all-time great, he was sort of second-fiddle to Aaron Donald in Los Angeles. He’s back to being the frontman for the Buffalo Bills as the leader of that pass rush unit and a player Buffalo is counting on to get past the Kansas City Chiefs when the time comes.
Against the Rams, Miller has a chance to whoop up on a couple of his former teammates, including new left tackle Joe Noteboom. If Miller is lined up on that side of the field (he usually faced the right tackle in his time with the Broncos) that will be a matchup to watch all game to see how much help the Rams have to give Matthew Stafford on his blind side.
Keep in mind, there is a rather peculiar injury issue going on with Stafford at the moment. Something with his throwing arm that is supposedly going to be popping up throughout the season. These issues date back to last season, so it’s nothing new for Stafford, but the Rams have to be cognizant of how much he’s getting hit. And with Von Miller coming off the edge for Buffalo, that could be a recipe for disaster if you’re the Rams.