Bills Must Give Stafford Headaches To Prevail In SoCal
Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
The Buffalo Bills train keeps running along, and the next stop is on Sunday in sunny Southern California against the LA Rams. On paper, it looks like a game that should be an easy win… except there is no such thing as easy in the NFL. Let’s take a look at what the Bills must do to pick up Win No. 11.
Greg Rousseau Needs to be a Headache
Greg Rousseau and the rest of the defensive line must spend a lot of time in the backfield. Rousseau already has 50 total pressures this season, which is seventh-best in the NFL. Rousseau will be going against Rob Havenstein, who has allowed 11 total pressures this season for the Rams.
Matthew Stafford has struggled when he’s been under pressure this season. With a clean pocket, Stafford has completed 78% of his passes and thrown for 15 touchdowns to only two interceptions. When the heat cranks up, however, he has completed only 46.8% of his passes while throwing two touchdowns and five picks. If Rousseau can put the pressure on, he can keep Stafford off balance and probably even create a turnover or two.
Avoid the Big Run
There’s been a lot of hand-wringing about the Bills’ run defense this season, and for good reason: they have struggled. Buffalo is giving up 4.9 yards per carry, which is 30th in the league. This week, the Bills’ defense must and slow down Kyren Williams, who is averaging 4.2 yards per carry. The easiest thing to do is say the Bills need to stuff the run, but that isn’t all that realistic going against Williams, who has found success against most teams he’s faced this year. Since Week 2, Williams has rushed for 60-plus yards in every game, and he’s scored a touchdown in all but three contests.
He’s heating up, as well. Of his 20 rushes of 10-plus yards this season, 10 have come in the last three games. Last week against the New Orleans Saints, Williams had five such rushes. If that happens again here, the Bills will probably lose.
Perfect Day for Tyler Bass
Obviously, the Bills need Tyler Bass to be good here to find success, but more importantly, the Bills need their kicker to be good here to gain confidence for the rest of the season. Bass has made 19 of his 23 kicks and 38 for 42 on extra points on the season. Kicking inside SoFi Stadium, with zero wind and a climate-controlled environment, is a little different than the snowstorm that they were playing in last Sunday at Highmark Stadium.
Bass hasn’t cost the Bills a game yet, but a couple of missed kicks have made it dicey. In perfect conditions, there is no better time to make four or five kicks and get that confidence up for the stretch run.
Make Them Miss
One area in which the Rams’ defense has deeply struggled is missing tackles. In 12 games, the Rams have 127 missed tackles, which is the fifth-worst in the entire NFL. Guys like Khalil Shakir, James Cook, and other skill players should find success, but one player who might be overlooked with this stat is Josh Allen. This season, 216 of Josh Allen’s 334 rushing yards have come after contact. We could see Allen use his legs even more in this game, and one of those signature runs with Allen dragging defenders on the way to the end zone seems like a high probability here.
Get Bills Mafia Into It
Don’t be surprised if the Bills feel like they’re playing at home, even if they are over 2,200 miles away. According to TickPick, 37 percent of tickets bought for the game have been by Bills fans. When these two teams faced off two years ago, the Bills Mafia took over the stadium.
Getting out to a fast start is always key, but if Buffalo can get out to a fast start here, it’s going to be a loud crowd. SoFi Stadium has often felt like a road game for the Rams, and with a fast start, Sunday will be no different.
If the Bills can make Stafford uncomfortable, break some tackles, and avoid the big run from Williams, the Bills will pick up their 11th win, and their fans will have a happy flight home.
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