The Buffalo Bills will play the Los Angeles Rams on the road at SoFi Stadium in Week 14.
The Bills (10-2) are looking to build on a seven-game win streak, while the Rams (6-6) have won five of their last seven after starting 1-4.
Buffalo opened as 4.5-point favorites on the road. The two teams haven’t met since the season opener in 2022 when the Bills beat the Super Bowl-defending Rams, 31-10.
Even though the Bills are favored, the Rams are one of the hotter teams in the NFL and are in a competitive race for the NFC West crown.
Buffalo will need to execute their game plan to pick up their eleventh win of the year.
With that, here are three keys to a Bills win in Week 14:
Make them stop the run
Last week, the Bills spammed the running game against the 49ers and it resulted in 220 rushing yards and 35 points on the board. It will be difficult to repeat that success again this week, but the Rams have shown they can be hurt on the ground.
Two weeks ago, the Philadelphia Eagles’ Saquon Barkley did whatever he pleased against them. He ran for 255 yards and two scores on 26 carries. And last week, the Saints’ Alvin Kamara put up 112 rushing yards on 23 carries.
The Bills are at their best when they are a threat both on the ground and through the air. With this game being played in a dome (SoFi Stadium), many will be looking for Josh Allen to put up numbers in the passing game after only 148 pass yards in last week’s snow game. But if the Bills are wise, they won’t abandon the run and they’ll make the Rams have to defend in the trenches on defense.
Contain Rams pass rush
Despite the loss of Aaron Donald, the young defenders on the defensive line for the Rams have done a solid job in keeping their pass rush competitive. They have four d-linemen with at least 4.5 sacks: Jared Verse (4.5), Kobie Turner (5), Byron Young (6), Braden Fiske (6).
More specifically, Verse has shown improvement this year. According to Pro Football Focus, he is the 12th-most productive pass-rushing edge defender with a pass-rush grade of 82.4.
The Bills haven’t allowed a sack in either of their last two games against the Chiefs and 49ers. That was a big reason they were able to put up 30+ points against both Super Bowl representatives from last year. If the Bills offensive line continues its high level of play, Allen could be in for a big day.
Limit explosives from McVay’s offense
It’s no secret that the Rams offense has the potential to go toe-to-toe with anyone on any given Sunday. Led by offensive-minded head coach Sean McVay, quarterback Matt Stafford has a few premiere weapons to spread the ball around to.
Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp are one of the league’s best wide receiver duos, so the Bills’ secondary will have their hands full. The duo both found the field healthy together for the first time in Week 8 after missing much of the season.
Stafford has thrown for eight touchdowns on downfield passes (10+ yards) since Week 8, which is the third-most in the NFL in the span, and he has averaged 11.3 yards per attempt on those throws. The entire team has been lifted since Kupp and Nacua became healthy.
The running game was also effective for them last week as Kyren Williams ran for 104 yards and a touchdown on 6.9 yards per carry. The offense can beat you in many ways much like the Bills’ offense. It will be another test for Sean McDermott, Bobby Babich, and the Bills defense to limit their explosive plays and keep them in check.
[lawrence-related id=143817,143825,143818]