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The Bills sent a message to the NFL as the Rams raised a banner on opening night: Good luck.

Josh Allen shook off a rough first half that included a pair of turnovers to throw for three touchdowns and ran in another in a 31-10 rout of the reigning champion Rams to kick off the 2022 season.

The star quarterback went off, connecting on 26 of 31 pass attempts for 297 yards and led Buffalo with 57 rushing yards on the night.


  Josh Allen posted 353 total yards and 4 touchdowns in the season-opening win. Getty Images Josh Allen posted 353 total yards and 4 touchdowns in the season-opening win. Getty Images

That’s not to say he did it alone, however. Wideouts Stefan Diggs (8 catches, 122 yards), Gabe Davis (4 catches, 88 yards) and Isaiah McKenzie (2 catches, 19 yards) all hauled in touchdowns on the evening, taking advantage the Los Angeles secondary.

“First off, that first half, being careless with the football a little bit, putting out defense in bad situations,” Allen said on the NBC broadcast. “They bowed up for us, they gave us a chance.”

Defensively, the Bills got plenty of assistance from pass rusher Von Miller, who won a Super Bowl with the Rams last season. He and his teammates combined for 14 hits seven sacks on Matt Stafford and generally made the L.A. QB’s life miserable for the night, getting to him for a trio of interceptions.

“Everybody set us up to rush well,” Miller said. “The secondary… those guys played incredible to get us time up front to make plays.”

Stafford did go 29-for-40 on the night, with over half of his 240 passing yards and lone TD going to old friend Cooper Kupp (13 receptions, 128 yards), last season’s league-leader for receptions, yards and touchdowns.

Jalen Ramsey was torched in Week 1

By Michael Blinn

Jalen Ramsey's 2022 NFL season did not start off as planned, for him, or the Rams.

The corner saw a lot of action on Thursday, and very little of it ended up in his favor:

#Rams CB Jalen Ramsey allowed a perfect passer rating of 158.3 in Week 1, per @PFF's initial grading.

He was targeted seven times, allowing six receptions for 124 yards and 2 TDs.

— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) September 9, 2022

“We got our ass beat,” he said.

Most notably, Stefon Diggs snuck behind him for a 53-yard touchdown to make it a 21-point lead the second half.

As if his night weren't already going badly enough, Diggs didn't exactly hesitate to let Ramsey know the deal.

.@STEFONDIGGS TOOK THE TOP OFF THE DEFENSE.#Kickoff2022#BillsMafia

📺: #BUFvsLAR on NBC
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/LlxLdqcZb3pic.twitter.com/mxWVapv13s

— NFL (@NFL) September 9, 2022

Ramsey and his Los Angeles teammates can hope to shake it off in Week 2 with a home matchup against the Falcons.

It was a night full of emotions for Von Miller

By Michael Blinn

Josh Allen called Von Miller a "leader" after his two-sack season-opening performance.

Miller has quickly endeared himself to his new Bills teammates, though there's likely still some of that same sentiment coming from the other sideline. The star pass rusher won a Super Bowl the Rams last season before heading to Buffalo, leading to plenty of feelings, some unfamiliar.

"There's a lot of emotions, I came out here, I was warming up on the wrong side," Miller told the NBC broadcast after the win. "I was warming up on the Rams side, something I'm used to. I had to remember, I'm over here! I love all those guys. We had fun today."

Buffalo Bills linebacker Von Miller celebrates as he runs off the field
Buffalo Bills linebacker Von Miller celebrates as he runs off the field. AP Photo

Well, Miller probably had the most fun out of the guys who wore blue and yellow last season in the Bills 31-10 win.

In 2021, he joined the Rams midseason from Denver, playing in 8 games and tallying five sacks and 31 tackles en route to his second Super Bowl ring (he was MVP of the Broncos' 2016 championship). Despite his third uniform in the last two seasons -- which came with a six-year, $120 million contract -- the 33-year-old remains wistful about his experiences last season.

"I still miss those guys," he said. "What we did was something special, you can never take that away. I'm happy to be a Bill, happy to be in buffalo, but L.A. will always hold a special place in my heart… I'm grateful for my time in L.A."

The night is not getting any easier for Matt Stafford

By Michael Blinn

Rams QB Matt Stafford has now thrown three interceptions tonight, a big factor in his team's 21-point deficit.

Early-season struggles are nothing new for Stafford -- he tossed 8 in his first four games with Los Angeles last season, including three in a Christmas win over the Vikings -- but its likely too much to overcome in against the powerhouse Bills.

Welcome to the Buffalo Bills show

By Michael Blinn

Rams QB Matt Stafford tossed his second INT of the night and his Bills counterpart made him pay.

Josh Allen added to his already sterling stat line with a 53-yard bomb to Stefon Diggs for another touchdown.

ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS!!!

📺: @SNFonNBCpic.twitter.com/p48vi9M996

— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) September 9, 2022

Diggs snuck behind Rams corner Jalen Ramsey, hauled in Allen's pass and slid into the end zone. The Buffalo wideout made sure Ramsey knew how badly he'd been beat, too.

Bills 31, Rams 10

Josh Allen will not be denied

By Michael Blinn

The Bills QB is at it again, adding in a rushing TD to extend the Bills' second-half lead.

Allen capped off a 13-play, 89-yard drive -- featuring a 47-yard throw to Gabe Davis -- with a four-yard run for six.

Last year's runner up for MVP isn't waiting to make his case. He's 24 for 29 for 243 yards with 2 passing TDs, 2 INTs, and adding 39 yards and another score on the ground.

Bill 24, Rams 10 with 12:00 to play.

Von Miller terrorizing his old team

By Michael Blinn

Von Miller used to be a Ram. Not anymore.

The star linebacker has now racked up a pair of sacks against his former team in the season opener.

That includes taking down Matthew Stafford at the 50-yard line in the second half for a nine-yard loss.

On the night -- so far -- the Bills' pass-rusher has two sacks and three tackles for loss.

Josh Allen showing off a different kind of arm

By Michael Blinn

The first series in the second half has been about Josh Allen's legs -- he picked up 15 yards on a pair of scampers.

He helped himself with a serious stiff arm on Rams' safety Nick Scott.

🚨 Josh Allen stiff arm alert! 🚨

📺: @SNFonNBCpic.twitter.com/Pk5wFFPtNC

— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) September 9, 2022

Whatever adjustment Allen and the Bills made in the locker room, it's already paying off: The star QB just connected with Isaiah McKenzie for a seven-yard touchdown.

Bills 17, Rams 10

More turnover stats

By Michael Blinn

Per ESPN, this game marks the first time since 2012 the Bills recorded three first-half turnovers and didn't trail at the half.

They led the Patriots 14-7 in that game, going on to lose 52-28.

The Rams certainly didn't make it easy -- Aaron Donald was in fine form, collecting a sack and a tackle for loss -- but its hard to count this Bills team out.

It's a bakery game

By Michael Blinn

The turnovers are stacking up in the NFL season opener.

Bills
Josh Allen: 2 INT
James Cook: Fumble

Rams
Matt Stafford: INT

Maybe not the outcome we expected from these teams, but the scoring has been there, couple with some big plays -- including a 68-yard field goal by Matt Gay to knot the score.

Bills 10, Rams 10 at the half.

Cooper Kupp has entered the chat

By Michael Blinn

Cooper Kupp, who led the NFL in receptions, yards and touchdowns last season, is getting a head start in 2022.

Bill 10, Rams 6

The Rams' Super Bowl MVP hauled in a four-yard pass -- showcasing some ridiculous body control -- from Matt Stafford to put Los Angeles on the board with 3:00 left in the first half.

Kupp is goated.@CooperKupp#Kickoff2022

📺: #BUFvsLAR on NBC
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/LlxLdqcZb3pic.twitter.com/4slB7jQZRh

— NFL (@NFL) September 9, 2022

So far, he's up to a game-high six receptions for 48 yards -- accounting for over half of Stafford's completions and 87 passing yards.

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