Bills vs. Rams: 5 keys to victory in NFL Week 14

Here are five keys to victory in the Buffalo Bills' Week 14 matchup at the Los Angeles Rams

Sep 8, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) runs the ball against Los Angeles Rams linebacker Bobby Wagner (45) in the fourth quarter at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Buffalo Bills sit at 10-2 in the 2024 season and are one of the hottest teams in the NFL, having won seven straight and scored 30 or more points in six straight games. Now, they travel cross-country to take on the Los Angeles Rams in the marquee FOX game of the week. Here are five keys to victory for the Bills as they visit the Rams for a 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff in the Golden State.

Use Bills Mafia to their advantage

If you've watched a Rams home game since they moved to Los Angeles, you've seen a crowd that is often as much wearing the visiting team's colors as it is the Rams blue and yellow. We know how well Bills Mafia travels, so there is a great chance Sunday is no different, with plenty of red, white, and blue Buffalo gear in the stands. If the Bills can grab an early lead and fire up a frenzied Bills Mafia, they should be able to ride that for 60 minutes.

Bills start hot, Rams do not

This feeds right into the "steal the crowd" segment above. Entering Week 14, the Bills are seventh in the league in first quarter points at 5.5 per, while the Rams are 31st at 1.7. Looking at the first 30 minutes, the Bills shift to third in the league at just under 15 points per first half, while the Rams remain at 31st, scoring just 7.5 points per first half. A 15 to 7 lead would be a solid spot to be in entering halftime if you're Buffalo.

Let James Cook

This could also be SLAY RAY or something catchy about Ty Johnson. Regardless of who the running back is for the Bills, the Rams have struggled to stop the opponent's rushing attack. LA is 28th in the league in rushing yards allowed per game at 144.2 and 21st in yards per rush at 4.6. Add to that the fact Buffalo is coming off of its best rushing game of the season, and we could see some grooving ground game on Sunday afternoon.

Contain Kyren Williams

Sticking with the rushing theme, the Bills doing their part to thwart the Rams' ground attack would also be beneficial. Counting stats aren't always the best way to splice things up, but LA is 0-3 when Kyren Williams is held under 65 yards and 6-3 when he goes over. I like Buffalo's odds if they can corral Kyren.

Secondary Moves

The Bills are becoming known for yards after catch and separation from their wide receivers in 2024. They may have a chance to add to the former with some broken tackles on Sunday. Among corners to play at least 20% of their team's snaps, the Rams two snap leaders, Darious Williams and Cobie Durant, rank 87th and 90th, respectively. According to Pro Football Focus, Williams misses 17.6% of his tackle attempts, while Durant misses 17.8%. Separation + YAC + broken tackles could lead to some extra explosive plays for the Bills.