WGR

‘The return of Matt Milano and Tremaine Edmunds to the Bills’ lineup was immediately noticeable in the first half. The Rams offense moved the ball well from the start of the game, but big plays from Milano, A.J. Epensea and Taron Johnson, haulted some of Los Angeles’ early drives, keeping the Rams off the scoreboard. Levi Wallace also stepped up, just as defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier said he needed to earlier this week, and intercepted Jared Goff to stop another good series from the Rams. Goff and the Rams turned things around in the second half and really had the Bills defense on its heels. Los Angeles finished with over 400 yards of total offense. Certainly, Frazier and this group will have a lot to discuss as they prepare for next week.’

‘The one thing that should really concern all of us, though – it appears the defense has taken a considerable step back as a group. They gave up 28 points to Ryan Fitzpatrick in Week 2 and followed it up by getting gashed by Darrell Henderson, Jr. for over 100 yards on the ground, and 300 yards passing from Jared Goff, including an alarming 32 second half points.’

‘Ramsey held up his end of the bargain by only allowing one reception, however, that reception just so happened to be a touchdown to Stefon Diggs.’

‘Los Angeles basically shredded the Bills defense from that point on, as they scored 29 straight points on four drives over 18-and-a-half minutes. But Allen, a.k.a Mr. Fourth Quarter, guided the Bills down the field on a drive that included some big throws and some scary situations. Allen tried to do too much by himself moments. With Stefon Diggs having a quiet day and John Brown sidelined by an injury, Cole Beasley became the big playmaker in the passing game. He had receptions of 18, 22 and 19 yards. The 22-yard catch came on a third-and-22 play.’

‘I’ve been following the Bills since I was a child and I’ve never seen them give up a lead like they did on Sunday. But it wasn’t just the lead given up, it was how quickly and easily it seemed to happen. The Bills led 28-3 with 8:05 left in the third quarter. They were in complete control. They had a west coast team dead and buried, ready to send them packing early and want to get back home. But they gave up a quick 8-play drive for a TD, got intercepted (albeit on a controversial call), then gave up an even quicker 3-play TD drive, then went three-and-out. The Rams scored agin and the lead had basically evaporated. It was stunning, especially for a Sean McDermott coached team, a McDermott/Leslie Frazier coached defense, and an offense that could seemingly do whatever they wanted until things turned.’

‘“Look at this throw,” Manning says after breaking down an Allen throw to Stefon Diggs. “Wow. He’s got a guy that hits him as he’s throwing to keep him from finishing the throw. His own guy actually kind of hits him. It’s one thing to get hit by a defensive lineman, you’re getting hit by an offensive lineman. You got 600 pounds coming at you and he still hits Diggs in stride on a little 43-yard laser. Awesome play.”’

‘Whenever we hear about being disciplined in football, it’s usually about penalties. But Sunday, the Bills’ defense has to stay disciplined against a Rams offense that will throw lot of different formations and pre-snap motion at them. All of that can be confusing and one miscommunication can result in a big play. Their linebackers and defensive backs will all have to be on the same page before and after the snap and have their eyes in the right places.’

‘While the Bills will be without their rookie running back, so will the Rams. They’ve declared Cam Akers out for the contest.’

‘How full is the Allen bandwagon right now? To give you an idea, one particularly adventurous bettor put $25,000 on Allen to win NFL MVP. The 24-year-old currently stands as a +2500 longshot at Atlantic City-based Borgata Sportsbook, where the bet was placed. Ten players hold better odds with frontrunner Wilson leading the way at +350. The irony, of course, is that Wilson, despite a laundry list of accolades (seven Pro Bowls, one Super Bowl), has never received a single MVP vote in his eight-year Seattle tenure.’

‘All three players were listed as “limited” on the team’s official injury and practice report for the day, along with wide receiver John Brown (foot) and linebackers Matt Milano (hamstring) and Tremaine Edmunds (shoulder). Edmunds was wearing a non-contact jersey once again on Thursday.’

‘Edmunds was wearing a red non-contact jersey, which was not a surprise considering he’s recovering from a shoulder injury, while Milano was in his regular blue jersey. Both players missed last Sunday’s win over the Miami Dolphins with injuries and were officially listed as “limited” on the team’s participation and practice report.’

‘Allen becomes the third player in franchise history to earn Offensive Player of the Week honors from the NFL three times, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Thurman Thomas and Jim Kelly.’

‘With Croom’s release, just one player that caught passes from Allen in his rookie year remains on the team. That player is wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie.’

‘Allen is off to a flying start, albeit, against two of the weaker opponents on the schedule.’

‘“It was a heavier lift than previous road games that I’ve been on,” McDermott told reporters via Zoom on Monday. “Obviously for me, my first trip since all this began last March. But (it was) really cool how our operations staff got out in front of this thing. Just tremendous with the plan that was in place, all the detail that was baked into the trip, and I think our players did a phenomenal job of adjusting.” He also pointed out that it was the first NFL trip in any regard for the team’s rookies.’