Bills @ Rams
Final Score: LAR 44 – BUF 42
Writer: Chris Helle (@ChrisHelleQBL on Twitter)
This was the highest-scoring game in the NFL this season and is the first game to ever see a combined five passing touchdowns, five rushing touchdowns, and no turnovers! It was obvious that this was going to be a shootout after the two teams traded touchdowns on each of their first possessions, both rushing touchdowns from Kyren Williams and Josh Allen. The Rams settled for a field goal on their next possession but extended their lead by blocking a Bills punt and returning it all the way to take a 17-7 lead early. The Bills responded with a 41-yard touchdown on a running back screen to Ty Johnson, but then it became the Puka Nacua show. He brought in an incredible toe-tapping catch on the sidelines for a big gain before capping off their drive with a rushing touchdown on a jet sweep. Cooper Kupp brought in a big gainer in the second half to set up Williams’ second touchdown of the day to extend the Rams’ lead to 31-14, but Allen hit Khalil Shakir for a 51-yarder to cut the lead back to 10. Matt Stafford lobbed one up for Kupp on a post, but another big gain from Shakir set up Josh’s second QB-sneak TD. Down 28-38, the Bills forced a 3-and-out and Allen led a drive down the field capped by a slot-fade TD to Mack Hollins. Stafford continued to feed Nacua, hitting him for 19 yards, drawing a defensive pass interference call, and then Nacua took a wide receiver screen to the house for his second touchdown of the day with just under two minutes to play. A missed extra point kept the score at 44-35, and Allen’s mobility led a 54-second drive all the way to the one-yard line on multiple scrambles for big gains. It’s fitting he closed the drive off with his third quarterback sneak touchdown, but it was on their second attempt at it and the Bills had to spend a timeout after the first try. The Bills had to attempt an onside kick, to no avail. A few runs with Williams burned the last timeouts and clock down to only seven seconds, and the clock hit zeros during a moonshot of a punt.
Two Up
- Puka Nacua – The stat line of 12 receptions for 162 yards and two total touchdowns doesn’t fully do justice to how dominant he was in this contest. Stafford took advantage of the fact he just needed to put some air under the ball and let Nacua do the work. And as if his pass-catching ability wasn’t enough, Sean McVay schemed up five jet sweeps to him and a number of short screens to ensure he was as involved as they could get him.
- Amari Cooper – Shakir may be seen as Josh’s most reliable wide receiver given his catch percentage, but a 14-target game blows well past Amari Cooper’s season-high including his time in Cleveland. The chemistry is still in the works, but it’s a great sign to see him being peppered – especially late in the fourth with the game on the line.
Two Down
- James Cook – This was a total bust game after accruing only 29 total yards. He was splitting snaps with Ty Johnson, and the pass-heavy game script pretty much took him out of the game completely.
- Bills’ secondary – Not only were they having a hard time keeping up with the Rams’ receivers, but Taron Johnson and Rasul Douglas each went down with injuries during the game. They each returned after missing a drive, but Douglas left the game again in the fourth quarter.
Buffalo Bills
Quarterback
Josh Allen: 22/37 342 Yards, 3 TDs | 10 Attempts, 82 Yards, 3 TDs
It was an absolutely nuclear day for fantasy managers of Josh Allen, but it was just as much fun to watch him put the hero cape on and single-handedly keep this game competitive. The 60% completion rate is fairly indicative of how accurate his throws were, some were a bit off the mark but overall a pretty solid day. His ability to extend plays is what separates him as one of the best quarterbacks in the league, though throwing across your body isn’t easy. Once the Rams were up by two possessions, most of Superman’s decisions were to either chuck it deep or take off running – and the runs were incredible. He uses the pump fake at the line of scrimmage or redirects his momentum at the defender for a half step to freeze the would-be tackler before running right past them. There were a few deep balls that he overthrew, but twice he hit Cooper on passes that were either just plain luck or unbelievable ball placement. Another huge benefit was three quarterback-sneak touchdowns on ‘brotherly shove’ type goal-line carries.
Running Back
James Cook: 6 Attempts, 20 Yards | 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 9 Yards
Ty Johnson: 0 Attempts | 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 55 Yards, 1 TD
Unfortunately for the managers of James Cook, this game script leading to a shootout made Cook a total nonfactor. The Rams dominated time of possession and were off to an early lead, so the Bills threw the ball on 37 of their 54 plays, with Allen accounting for 10 of those 17 rush attempts. It was a bit of a timeshare in the backfield too, and Johnson was the recipient of the screens that went for 14 yards and a 41-yard touchdown. These appeared to be more opportunistic than a sign that Johnson has taken over a pass-catching role for the backfield; but at a certain point, the timeshare is a legitimate hindrance to Cook’s opportunities. Cook’s early rushes weren’t showing any signs of him breaking one off, then the game just got away from this backfield. Unless Cook’s snap share sees an uptick, it could be a very similar story next week against Detroit.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Dalton Kincaid: DNP
Khalil Shakir: 8 Targets, 5 Receptions, 106 Yards, 1
Amari Cooper: 14 Targets, 6 Receptions, 95 Yards
Mack Hollins: 6 Targets, 4 Receptions, 57 Yards, 1 TD
Curtis Samuel: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 15 Yards | 1 Attempt, 1 Yard
Dawson Knox: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 5 Yards
There was plenty of meat on the bone with Allen throwing the ball 37 times but his favorite targets were undoubtedly Cooper and Shakir. The ball seemed to go to Cooper against man coverage and Shakir against zone coverage, but there was a string of plays that made it clear Allen was making it a point to go after Cooper. Shakir saw only three targets in the first half, one of which hardly counts as a target because Allen threw the ball under pressure and it landed in the middle of a cluster of wide receivers that Shakir happened to be the closest to. Most of Shakir’s production came from two plays: a slant that he split the defenders and took 51 yards to the house on an incredible run after the catch, and an out-and-up double move he caught for 34 yards up the sideline. On the other hand was Cooper who was getting targeted all over the field throughout the game, especially on the final drive with the game slipping out of the Bills’ hands. Almost all of the incompletions that are credited to Cooper were either Josh overthrowing him deep down the field or a few miscommunications between the quarterback and wide receiver. Dalton Kincaid’s absence also opened the door for Mack Hollins to tie his season high in targets. His second target was nearly a 53-yard touchdown that was knocked away by the defender, but he caught Allen’s third touchdown on a 21-yarder on a critical drive late in the fourth quarter.
Los Angeles Rams
Quarterback
Matthew Stafford: 23/30 320 Yards, 2 TDs
It’s a simple, clean, and effective stat line for the veteran quarterback. Stafford was clinical all game as most of his incompletions came from missed deep shots to Demarcus Robinson or breakups from the defenders. He did try to force a ball to Nacua in the endzone on one of their possessions when Robinson was open in the corner, and an indecisive throw fell about 10 yards short of Kupp where he seemed to be pulling away from the throw as he released it. It would have been nice for fantasy managers to have one of those deep balls connected, but he’s got some of the most reliable hands in the league to go after on the other 90% of his throws. It’s a safe strategy to feed Nacua, sprinkle in some Kupp, and then go back to Nacua some more. Stafford doesn’t provide any fantasy upside from running the ball, but he also avoids turnovers as this was his fourth straight game without an interception.
Running Back
Kyren Williams: 29 Attempts, 87 Yards, 2 TDs | 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 10 Yards
Blake Corum: 8 Attempts, 34 Yards
The rush share heavily favors Williams, and for good reason. He’s an explosive runner that can beat defenders to the sidelines but also has the firepower to punch forward for those hard-earned yards when needed. His first touchdown came on the first possession of the game, a simple four-yarder that the line opened up the gap for him nicely. He didn’t break off any long runs through much of the game, but he got around the edge for a speedy seven-yard touchdown on the Rams’ first drive of the second half for his second of the day. It seemed like McVay kept Williams in for a full drive, and then split the backfield with Blake Corum on alternating drives. Corum also struggled to break off a long one as each back’s longest run was for 11 and 12 yards. Corum was given the ball on the five-yard line twice in a row, but both attempts were stuffed and the Rams settled for a field goal. The snap share and workload continue to fall in Williams’ favor by a wide margin, and there’s no reason to expect that to change anytime soon.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Puka Nacua: 14 Targets, 12 Receptions, 162 Yards, 1 TD | 5 Attempts, 16 Yards, 1 TD
Cooper Kupp: 8 Targets, 5 Receptions, 92 Yards, 1 TD
Tutu Atwell: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 45 Yards
Colby Parkinson: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 11 Yards
Demarcus Robinson: 1 Target, 0 Receptions
Hunter Long: 1 Target, 0 Receptions
I was happy to have avoided drafting the apparent landmine of Nacua as he missed much of the season with injuries, but games like this make me reconsider. Stafford can throw the ball anywhere in his vicinity (which he does often) and there’s a very good chance Puka brings it down. He made his highlight tape much longer, especially with an insane toe-tapping catch on the sideline over a defender for a 17-yard gain. McVay also looked to get him more involved on the ground with five jet sweep opportunities; he took one of them in for a four-yard touchdown. This offense feeds through mostly Nacua and Williams, but every now and then Stafford reminds us how good Kupp is. His few incompletions came from a misfire from Stafford, a pass broken up from the defender, and when Stafford was being hit as he threw it off target. Kupp is known for his shiftiness in the slot and he made a few impressive contested catches, including a 38-yarder on a seam route that he took down to the 14-yard line. Stafford made sure to get him his touchdown on the next drive, hitting him for an 18-yard post he managed to reel in despite being mauled. For the rest of the receiving corps is slim pickings. Robinson serves the role as the vertical threat, and Tutu Atwell is a rotational substitute for the two stars.