Rams snap 2 streaks via victory in an offensive shootout at SoFi Stadium

The LA Rams faced the red-hot Buffalo Bills in Week 14. Coming into the game, the Bills had a seven-game winning streak. And the LA Rams were not exactly firing on all cylinders in terms of the team's sputtering offense. The team had only scored 30 points once all season, and even on that occasion was aided by a two-point safety scored by the defense.

Entering the game, the Buffalo Bills offense scored 30 or more points in nine of 12 games. So anyone expecting the Rams defense to shut down that Bills offense was not only fooling themselves, but was making a decision to set themselves up for a huge disappointment. The Bills ended up scoring 42 points in the game. And to be fair, after the Rams defense force the Bills to punt in their first possession in the second half, they would go on to score 28 points in their next four possessions.

It's a very good thing that the Rams' offense discovered just how well it can play when the put it all together in one game.

The Rams snapped the Buffalo Bills winning streak at seven games with the win.

Rams snapped SoFi losing streak

Perhaps more importantly, the Rams a two-game losing streak at home at SoFi Stadium. The team suffered losses to the Miami Dolphins on November 11, 2024, by the score of 23-15. The team would suffer another loss, this time at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles on November 24, 2024, by the score of 37-20. Since the most likely path to the NFL Playoffs for the Rams right now is to win the NFC West Division, gaining some advantage at home is always welcome.

Right now, the Rams have a slight advantage at SoFi Stadium with a record of 4-3

As the remaining games on the schedule near, the team will have two road games: A Thursday Night Football road game at nearby San Francisco, California, to take on the 49ers. The team will then need to travel to the East Coast to face the New York Jets on Sunday, December 22, 2024.

The Rams will end 2024 with a two-game homestand. The team hosts the Arizona Cardinals in Week 17, and then hosts the Seattle Seahawks in Week 18. The dates and times of those games are not yet available, due to the possibility of flexing those games to ensure no playoff seed advantages.

Gunslinger Matthew Stafford still playing with a loaded weapon

If you had concerns about LA Rams veteran starting quarterback Matthew Stafford earlier in the season, you had every right to have those concerns. Stafford is rapidly approaching 37 years old, is completing his 16th season as a starting NFL quarterback, and has certainly taken a pounding over his NFL career as a pocket passer.

At the Week 6 BYE this season, he had thrown 118 of 175 passes for 1,248 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions. Those were pedestrian numbers for a quarterback who has tossed 357 touchdowns to only 180 interceptions in his previous 15 NFL seasons. But Stafford was just getting warmed up.

Matthew Stafford played the best game of the season in Week 15, completing 23 of 30 passes for 320 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions, His quarterback rating for his performance was 132.6, his best mark since a Week 13 victory in 2021 over the Arizona Cardinals.

Still, there is more to this tale than a venerable NFL quarterback finding a fountain of youth. The Rams offense did not place the yolk on Stafford's shoulders in Week 14. Rather, the team got the lead, and stuck with a running attack that did not always produce huge gaines. But it did control the clock. And it did force the defense to think run first. By running the ball 42 times, the offensive line was able to soften up the Buffalo Bills defensive front, ensuring that QB Matthew Stafford would not be sacked.

When Stafford remain upright, the Rams win. It's a simple formuia.

Now that the Rams have proven their offensive prowess, they have to show up in each of the remaining four games. And no, it won't be as easy as you might think. But the Rams snapped two streaks. That is a great place to start a winning streak of their own.

Thanks for reading.

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