BUFFALO BILLS (10-2) at RAMS (6-6)
When: 1:25 p.m. Sunday
Where: SoFi Stadium
TV/Radio: FOX (Ch. 11)/710 AM; 93.1 FM; 1330 AM (Spanish); Sirius 381, 226
Line: Bills by 4.5
Notable injury designations
Bills: QUESTIONABLE: TE Dalton Kincaid (knee), WR Keon Coleman (wrist), TE Quintin Morris (shoulder/groin), DT DeWayne Carter (wrist), OL Tylan Grable (groin).
Rams: OUT: TE Tyler Higbee (knee), OL KT Leveston (ankle); QUESTIONABLE: OLB Jared Verse (ankle), OL Alaric Jackson (foot).
What’s at stake? For the Rams, the same as the past few weeks: Win and keep pace with the other NFC West contenders. Heck, if the Cardinals beat Seattle, then move into a three-way tie atop the division if you beat the Bills. Plus a win would lift the Rams over .500 for the first time this season. Buffalo, meanwhile, is in contention for the AFC’s No. 1 overall seed and only postseason bye, sitting a game behind the Chiefs.
Who’s better? The Bills are in the upper echelon of the NFL this season, despite coming into the year with what most assumed to be lower expectations after some roster churn. It’s why some Rams have spoken about proving themselves as playoff contenders this week if they can put up a good fight against Buffalo.
Matchup to watch: Rams OLB Jared Verse vs. Bills OT Dion Dawkins. At 30, Dawkins is still playing Pro Bowl-caliber football while protecting QB Josh Allen’s blindside. He’s allowed three sacks and 16 pressures in 433 pass-blocking snaps this season. But the Rams need to make Allen uncomfortable in the pocket to have any chance of getting the Bills out of a rhythm. If Verse plays with his ankle injury, as expected, he’ll be an X-factor for the Rams.
Related Articles
Rams’ Jordan Whittington providing a spark at kick returner
Rams trying to stop Josh Allen, Buffalo’s runaway train
Rams to ease in new CB Emmanuel Forbes
Rams claim former first-round CB Emmanuel Forbes off waivers
Rams rookie Jared Verse finds redemption in win-sealing play
Rams win if: They win the turnover margin by at least two. … The Rams can establish the run and average more than 4.0 yards per carry. … They can sack Allen three times (Buffalo is 0-1 in such games this season).
Fantasy sleeper: RB Blake Corum. This might not be a run-heavy game script for the Rams if the Bills start putting up touchdowns in quick succession. But Corum averaged a career-high 5.3 yards per carry in last weekend’s victory over the Saints, rushing eight times for 42 yards. He might garner some extra work to take pressure off Kyren Williams against the Bills.
Prediction: Bills 24, Rams 20. Beat reporter’s record: 9-3 for the season; 7-5 against the spread.