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Von Miller of the Bills celebrates a sack of Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford in 2022. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
It’s going to be a yardstick Sunday for Los Angeles NFL teams.
The Rams play host to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday afternoon, followed by the Chargers at Kansas City that night.
Those are litmus tests, a chance for the Rams and Chargers to see how they measure up against two of the best teams in the league.
The Bills already have clinched the AFC East — an astounding feat, considering there are five games to play — and the Chiefs have the NFL’s best record at 11-1, their only loss coming to Buffalo.
Whereas Detroit and Philadelphia are the dominant teams in the NFC, it’s extremely likely that either Kansas City or Buffalo will wind up with the AFC’s top seed. Pittsburgh has an outside chance in that race, but the Steelers’ remaining schedule isn’t as favorable.
These are yardstick games because the Rams and Chargers can size up their chances against top-shelf competition — and because losing would feel to them like a ruler rapping across the knuckles.
Read more: With Chiefs ahead, Chargers thrive behind their scout team motto: ‘Be prepared’
Still, both L.A. teams have reason for optimism heading into these games.
This could be a trap game for Buffalo, having locked up the division so early, and with a possible Super Bowl matchup against Detroit coming the following week. The Bills also have to perform that delicate balancing act of keeping players healthy while not losing momentum.
The Bills are strong everywhere, except when it comes to stopping the run and on special teams. The Rams have looked great or flat on offense, depending on the week, but they should be able to gain yards on the ground with Kyren Williams, although his protecting the football has been a bit of an issue lately.
The last time the Rams faced quarterback Josh Allen and the Bills was the Kickoff Opener in 2022, when the defending Super Bowl champions were throttled…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/rams-chargers-playoff-threats-facing-110038563.html
Author : LA Times
Publish date : 2024-12-06 11:00:00
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