Rams are only remaining team to not play on grass; won’t see grass field until Week 9 vs 49ers​

What is the Rams’ record on grass and could it help them stay in the race for the NFC’s top seed?

By Kenneth Arthur@KennethArthuRS Oct 12, 2021



The Rams will always be associated with a certain type of football field and if you don’t believe me, what is the name of the website you are on as you are reading this right now? And no, I don’t mean that the “SB” in SB Nation stands for “sweet bluegrass.”

In St. Louis, the Rams played on the most famous turf field in the National Football League, and at SoFi Stadium they run around on Hellas Matrix Turf, arguably the most natural feeling and involved fake grass surface in the world; a painstaking process to give football teams the most realistic field possible without being real.
And the Rams won’t have to see “real” for quite some time this season.

LA last played on grass when they went to Lambeau Field in the divisional round of the playoffs, losing 32-18 to the Green Bay Packers. They won’t play on grass again until right before this season’s bye week, a perennially scheduled road date against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday, November 15. Then two weeks later that will be followed by a Week 12 road game at Lambeau Field against the Packers.

There are 32 teams in the NFL and 31 of them have already played on a grass field at least once this season:

• Six teams (Falcons, Bills, Cowboys, Giants, Chargers, Seahawks) have played in one game on grass this season.
• Seattle was the second-longest holdout, having played their grass game in Week 4, so the Rams will be the only non-grass NFL team from Week 5 to Week 9.
• Last season, the LA Rams went 4-2 on grass in the regular season (W: TB, PHI, AZ, WAS / L: SF, MIA).
• The Cardinals and Buccaneers are both 4-0 on grass this year, while the Packers are 4-1; these records are aided by the fact that their home fields are grass.
• The Saints have oddly played in four grass games this year despite the fact that they don’t play on grass at home; three road games happened to be on grass and they hosted the Packers in the Jags’ home stadium in Week 1 because of Hurricane Ida.
• The Rams are the most recent “home turf” team to reach the Super Bowl, as the Chiefs, Bucs, 49ers, and Patriots all play on grass.

This week, the Rams travel to the Meadowlands to face the New York Giants, an “UBU Sports Speed Series S5-M Synthetic Turf”; then back to SoFi for Jared Goff and the Lions; then off to Houston where the Texans play on that same Hellas Matrix Turf; then back to SoFi for hella more Hellas against the Tennessee Titans; then it is up to Santa Clara to play on a Bermuda Grass / Perennial Rygrass mixture of the San Francisco 49ers.

Following a Week 11 bye, the Rams will then go to Lambeau Field to play on another grass surface. Later in the year, LA will then play at Arizona and Baltimore, two more grass stadiums, for a total of four such games. The Jets had the fewest grass games in 2020, going 0-3 in those contests.

The Rams are 0-0 on grass this season, but if they bring an 8-1 record into Santa Clara, and if they start out 2-0 on grass, then LA will be an insanely strong contender for the NFC’s top seed. Perhaps the Greatest Show on Turf will get to see how green things are on the other side again.

Separated at birth?

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My one comment is how good the Rams Oline is this year

Brian Allen's comeback key piece to success of Rams offensive line​

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Having started before, returning to that role again this season wasn't surprising for Rams center Brian Allen.

"It's been a lot of fun," Allen said last week. "We've been playing good. Things are going well, and proud to be back out there. This is kind of always been a part of my plan, so really, I don't know – I've always kind of expected it."

Not everyone else necessarily held the same view, though, as external speculation said the Rams needed to acquire Austin Blythe's replacement via the draft or free agency after Blythe signed with the Chiefs this offseason.

Still, Rams head coach Sean McVay maintained a stedfast belief that their internal options were more than capable candidates.

So far, Allen has proven him right.

Emerging from a difficult 18 months, Allen has become a key part of the strong, physical play by the Rams' offensive line this season, as well as the way the offense as a whole under quarterback Matthew Stafford has functioned.

"He's one of those feel-good stories that you love so much about working with people like him," McVay said after Week 1. "I want to continue to see him do what he's done and build off of that, but really pleased with Brian. Really happy for him."

As McVay alluded to, the last year and a half – really, nearly two years – threw multiple obstacles at Allen.

He was named the Rams' starting center in his second season (2019), then suffered a season-ending knee injury against the Steelers in Week 10. Five months later, he tested positive for COVID-19 and couldn't come to the facility for three weeks. He said last August the timing was unfortunate because was entering a critical part of his rehab.

Then the 2020 season came and went with Allen not playing in a single game.

While Allen was able to practice at the beginning of the 2020 season, he later dealt with knee swelling in early November that landed him on the injury report and prevented him from practicing, then left him a limited participant for the next month. Even when he got past that and resumed full participation, he did not see the field.

All told, he was inactive for 13 of 16 regular season games. The other three, he was active but didn't end up playing.

Yet when reflecting on last season, Allen indicated the challenging time shaped him for the better.

"Last year I wasn't really ever healthy," Allen said. "I was out there, I was on the roster. I wasn't really in a position to play, I'd say. I think there were a lot of weeks where Monday they told me, 'Hey, keep practicing,' and that was a lot of weeks, and then had some setbacks here and there. So just going from being the guy to someone who's kind of just a practice player, I know it's tough at first, but at the end of the da, I think I use that to my advantage as well. Just going out there, keep getting better and kind of understanding that the season's to rehab my leg and work on a couple different things that weren't the best in the past just keep improving."

Allen said last year there were a couple of weeks where he felt really good about being able to play, only for his knee to get "dinged up" around Week 10. He then had to get his knee drained twice a week.

"Felt really good before that, and then that happened, and then kind of went to s–– again for the whole season," Allen said.

Knowing his knee hadn't been right in a year-and-half, Allen said he went into it focusing on having the mindset "as if I still had a coming-off-a-surgery-type offseason." He went to rehab twice a week, "saw a lot of body workers, chiropractors, massage people," and did physical therapy with one of the Cardinals' trainers in Arizona – all so that he could show up healthy and "strain and put power through" his knee not just during training camp, but however long the Rams season would go.

His work would pay off.

After Austin Blythe departed in free agency, multiple experts projected the Rams using one of their earliest draft picks this spring on a center. There was also frequent speculation on social media about who the Rams should sign to replace him.

The Rams never utilized either avenue. In head coach Sean McVay's eyes, the candidates were already on their roster in Allen, Austin Corbett and Coleman Shelton.

When the Rams began their 2021 offseason program, Corbett was initially their starting center before they switched to Allen early in training camp. Allen has remained the Rams' starting center – and returned to the position he held in 2019 – ever since.

Entering Thursday night's game against the Seahawks, Allen had the third-highest run block win rate among qualifying centers in the NFL at 76 percent, according to ESPN. In the passing game, his communication has helped operate an offense that has so far produced an NFC Offensive Player of the Month in wide receiver Cooper Kupp and two-time NFC Offensive Player of the Week in quarterback Matthew Stafford.

"He's been great," Stafford said, when theRams.com asked him after the team's Sept. 30 practice about the rapport between him and Allen. "He thinks like me, which is great. He thinks like the quarterback, and he sees things the way I see them. He's making protection calls as I'm thinking them and saying them. We kind of work together. We talked through things at the line of scrimmage. I think that's the way it should be. Just have a conversation up there about what we want to do. How do we want to try to accomplish the goal of the play and go from there."

Offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth, the self-described "papa bear" of the group due to his experience, said that with each member of group, there's a story and a way they got there. Allen is "one that you're extremely proud of," Whitworth said.

Whitworth pointed to Allen overcoming adversity when taking over for John Sullivan at center, noting that it took Sullivan – "arguably one of the best centers of his generation" – 12-13 years to become that type of player, while Allen was thrust into a starting role in his second NFL season and as defenses were playing the Rams "completely different," giving them looks they had never seen.

"And then he gets the injury that he has, that, a lot of guys, to be frank, don't come back from," Whitworth said. "For him to work as hard as he has to be the player he is right now, and to understand things the way that he does, man, it's awesome to see and it's something that's rewarding for all of us. Because you see hard work, you see dedication, you see a guy it means a lot to, you see things go in a positive way for them, I think it's uplifting and something that's inspiring to a group."

That trial-by-fire experience has shaped Allen in a positive way, according to Whitworth. Allen has had enough time where he's played different types of players – both on the Rams and other teams – to understand what kind of style of player he's going to be.

Collectively, it has a wide-reaching impact.

"The more you see that out of him, you see him mature, and that confidence he's playing with is something that like I said, confidence – it wouldn't matter if it's from the youngest guy on the team or the oldest, confidence is contagious. And so when you see a guy that's confident, that contagiousness, it feeds the other guys."

Allen's mindset the rest of the season? "Just keep building" and "taking a step week-to-week" as a collective unit.

"I think our offense has done that and know we know our offense is going to go as the o-line goes, and I think that's what you've seen now for three weeks, just each week taking another step, getting a little bit better, find an area of weakness this week, fixing it and just keep on improving," Allen said after Week 3. "It's been encouraging to see. We're (in) Week 3 and you guys say we're in midseason form, and I still don't think we're close to the ceiling, so it's exciting. It's just reassuring, all the hard work we've been doing. Just excited to see what the team looks like in December and January, and, hopefully February."

I didn't see a bad helmet in the bunch. I thought the Rams helm was killer.

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Dan Campbell is a guy you go out and give your heart and all you have for. Sure, he might not be ele que t on the mic but man that’s a guy you want to go out and give every ounce of effort you have.

Two nail biting close losses.


Yelling at my TV like it’s the Rams watching Goff throw those INT’s or losing the ball on the ground, I’d still like to see him and Campbell succeed, and with having been labeled a Goff hater. What a world


Going to be interesting how this plays out the next quarter of the season for them. Outside of our game I’ll be rooting for them!

Go Lions!

Do they win one in the next 4?
Bengals
@rams
Eagles
@Steelers

Les Snead spends first round draft picks like a Vegas gambler buys drinks for the room during a hot streak.

You can do that when it works.

For example, is anyone complaining about the trade that brought us Jalen Ramsey? I know I'm not. His impact from week to week is huge.

And now, Les spent another two first rounders to bring Matthew Stafford to the Rams. Again... anyone regret that one? I know I don't.

Imitation, is, of course, the sincerest form of flattery, but sometimes its pale. That certainly seems to be the case with the Seahawks pulling a "Les" by trading away two first round picks to bring Jamal Adams to their defense. How's that working out? (Seahawks were 31st in pass defense last year, and are 30th this year). Adams is a talented player, but he's no Ramsey, that's for sure.

Then, this past offseason, the 49ers traded two first round picks to move up to select Trey Lance. Now... some may assert that its way too soon to judge that one but, to be honest, looking at Lance's college career and how he's looked in a 49ers uniform, well... I just don't see it. Certainly, he's not likely to have the kind of impact that Stafford is having any time soon.

So, maybe the message is... don't try to outLes Les.

Barkley, Jones, and Golladay are injured and the starting LT didn't play vs. the Cowboys. On paper it looks like an unfair advantage for the Rams, but you play who's in front of you. Of course the Rams should win in a cake walk, but we know that probably won't happen in a Met Life East Coast game. The other part is that McVay could get up by three scores early and decide to just pound the ball and Morris will play his prevent defense. This will result in a score that make it seem like a closer game than it actually was, and the Skip Baylesses and Colin Cowherds of the media World will diminish the Rams somehow because they didn't beat them by as many points as the Cowgirls did...... So unless Sean goes out of character and channels his inner Mike Martz, the Rams will win by 7-10 points and will get hate because of it......

What do you think the media will say if the Rams only win by a TD?

NFL Top 8 Rankings by Conference.

With the NFL season now 17 games, I consider the first 5 games the completion of the first quarter with 12 games left to play.

Baltimore and Indianapolis still play tonight but even if Indy upsets, I don't have the Ravens falling in my Top 8.

For myself, considering a NFL rankings list mixed with the NFC & AFC teams after 5 games, has too many holes when comparing their schedules and head to head matches for both conferences.


Florida Rams "Top 8" NFL Rankings by Conference.

The Rams have the edge in the NFC by a hair.

The Bills have the edge in the AFC.


No I'm not homer. I see the Rams flaws like everyone else does.

Yes I know the secondary coverage units and special teams blunders have been their weak link after 5 games.

Having their 3rd defensive coordinator in three seasons. (Phillips, Staley, Morris) has it's worries as well.

The loss of OLB Justin Hollins for (8 - 10 weeks) was a huge loss.

The drop off with Darious Williams' performance from 2020 was not expected. Without improvement week to week going forward, the Rams will drop in the rankings sooner than later.



NFC Top 8 Rankings


#1 Rams 4-1 - Had a stinker vs the Cardinals & played sub-par football at the Colts. Still the best team in the NFC by a hair.


#2 Bucs 4-1 - Reining SB champs had stinkers at the Rams & Patriots. Never underestimate Brady and the talented Bucs.


#3 Cowboys 4 -1 - Have not had a stinker game this year. After 5 games, the Boys have shown they can go toe to toe with the favorites.


#4 Cardinals 5-0 - Only undefeated team left. Caught the Rams off balance & played 3 strange games vs the Vikings, Jaguars & 49ers.


#5 Packers 4-1 - Like the Cowboys, the Packers have won 4 straight. A savvy playoff experienced team with an all time great QB Aaron Rodgers.


#6 Saints 3-2 - A scrappy up and down team to figure out. They have talent and a top head coach that knows how to get a team to the playoffs.


#7 49ers 2-3 - They have a bye week to get their QB's sorted out. More reps for Trey Lance more time to get Garoppolo to get healthy.


#8 Vikings 2-3 - (bubble team) Jekyll and Hyde but don't take this team for granted.




AFC Top 8 Rankings


#1 Bills 4-1 - They have blown the socks off of their last 4 opponents. Not much else needs to be said.


#2 Chargers 4-1 - After 5 games in 2021, they have become the darlings of the AFC.


#3 Ravens 3-1 - A team you can't always trust but one you don't want to see on your schedule.


#4 Browns 3-2 - 2 big games Baker has burnt the cookies when the cook was required to perform. Still a dangerous team.


#5 Chiefs 2-3 - Not they same caliber they were the last few seasons. This team can easily reel off 5 or 6 victories in a row.


#6 Titans 3-2 - A team the plays down to their competition but can sneak up on anyone if you relax on them.


#7 Bengals 3-2 - Young & feisty. NFL teams no longer check Cincinnati off as an easy game when they see them on the schedule.


#8 Steelers 2-3 - (bubble team) you can throw Pittsburg in the mix of bubble teams with the Raiders, Broncos & Patriots.

She and her new husband had a simple courthouse wedding in a gazebo outside the courthouse.

My son and his fiancée are due to be married next November.

But yeah, it’s a happy day!

Oh, and new son-in-law is dad approved

Given increased opportunities against Seahawks, Robert Woods delivers​

SEATTLE – Rams head coach Sean McVay on Monday said he wasn't worried about wide receiver Robert Woods' demeanor after Woods didn't see a ton of looks against the Cardinals in Week 4, and that it was his job to get him more involved.

McVay made good on his promise three days later, and Woods capitalized on the opportunities that followed with a team-high 12 receptions for a team-high 150 yards in the Rams' 26-17 win over the Seahawks Thursday night at Lumen Field.

"It was one of those games where I just keep getting open, keep getting my number called," Woods said postgame. "That's how the team works. You never know how the game goes and the flows of our season goes, but always be ready and always expecting the ball, and today was my day."

Perhaps being targeted on quarterback Matthew Stafford's first pass attempt was an omen of what was to come. It was almost assured after Woods caught his second target for 11 yards, third target for 17 yards and fourth target for 23 yards to give him a combined four receptions for 52 yards by the end of the first quarter.

No catches were more important, though, than the back-to-back 20-yard grabs he had that led to a 13-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to tight end Tyler Higbee which gave Los Angeles its first lead of the game.

Then, midway through the fourth quarter, a 24-yard reception that kept the chains moving on a drive that ended with a 2-yard touchdown run by running back Sony Michel which re-extended the Rams' lead to nine.

"Robert Woods, what can you say about him," McVay said. "So tough, such a great competitor. He stepped up and made big-time plays."

McVay, Woods, and Stafford were all asked some variation of the question of whether this big of a performance by Woods was expected.

McVay said Woods had made the most of his opportunities through the first four weeks of the season, and Week 5 was another reflection of it in catching 12 of a season-high 14 targets.

Meanwhile, Stafford said he tries to throw it to spots as dictated by the opposing defense, and Woods was in them. But Stafford also knows how much effort Woods puts into everything else he has been asked to do, which makes a night like Thursday all the more special.

"Just so appreciative of who he is as a person and who he is as a leader on our team," Stafford said. "He does everything we ask of him – ask him to go in there and block, ask him to run block, for other receivers, do all these things and just knows that his opportunities are going to come, and when they come, he has a huge night on the road, in a hostile environment, in a division game where we really needed someone to step up and he did just that. So I'm happy for him and proud of him."

Monday Night Football: Indianapolis Colts vs. Baltimore Ravens​

"Monday Night Football" features a matchup between the two NFL franchises with Baltimore ties with the Ravens hosting the Colts. These two teams played in Indianapolis last year with Baltimore picking up the 24-10 road victory. Lamar Jackson ran for a nine-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter to put the contest away. This is the Ravens' second MNF game of the season after losing to the Raiders in Las Vegas in a thrilling, 33-27 Week 1 contest that needed overtime to decide. The Colts' last appearance on Monday night came in December 2019 when they fell 34-7 to the Saints in New Orleans.

Indianapolis (1-3) is no longer winless after the Colts beat the Dolphins in Miami 27-17 last week. Jonathan Taylor ran for 103 yards and Carson Wentz had two touchdown passes through the air while playing with two sprained ankles. Both scoring strikes went to backup tight end Mo Alie-Cox. The Colts' defense forced two turnovers and held the Dolphins to 203 yards. It was a solid performance after two straight single-digit losses.

The Ravens moved to 3-1 after a 23-7 win in Denver over the Broncos. Baltimore's ever-changing backfield saw Latavius Murray lead the way with 59 rushing yards and a touchdown. Ty'Son Williams, who is the leading rusher among the running backs, was inactive while Le'Veon Bell was elevated from the practice squad. He managed just 11 yards on four rushes and zero receptions on one target. Jackson, the team's leading rusher, didn't have to do as much with his legs against Denver's defense; instead he threw for a season-high 316 yards with a touchdown in the victory.

Monday Night Football: Indianapolis (1-3) at Baltimore (3-1)

Kickoff: Monday, Oct. 11 at 8:15 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Spread: Ravens -7

Three Things to Watch

1. Intangibles

It's the third straight road game for the Colts, who have already traveled to Tennessee and Miami over the past few weeks. Of course, Indy is coming off a win, so they've got to be feeling good, and they need to keep winning in order to keep up with the Titans. Next week, the Colts host the Texans, so there is no look-ahead factor here. Baltimore begins a very friendly stretch of games with the next four all at home (Chargers, Bengals, Vikings to follow). After playing three of the first four on the road and starting out 3-1, this is a nice payoff for surviving that.

2. Ty'Son and the vets

The Ravens are third in the NFL at 164.5 rushing yards per game. The problem has been finding a reliable running back as last week was the first time Jackson wasn't the leading rusher. Baltimore has already trotted out Williams, Murray, Bell, Trenton Cannon, and Devonta Freeman in its backfield as a result of losing J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards, and Justice Hill to season-ending injuries before Week 1. Williams has been the only effective ball carrier (6.1 ypc), but he wasn't even active last week against Denver. Cannon isn't on the team anymore either. Whoever is in the backfield on Monday will be going up against a Colts defense that has done a decent job against the run, especially considering who it has faced already.

Overall, Indianapolis is 15th in the NFL in rushing defense at 114 yards per game allowed. However, Derrick Henry (113 yards in Week 3) and Chris Carson (91 in Week 1) are responsible for nearly half of the damage (456 yards). Last week, the Colts held Miami to 35 yards on 16 carries. One thing to watch is how active Baltimore backs are in the passing game, as Carson, Henry, and the Rams' Darrell Henderson Jr. all recorded three catches out of the backfield in their games against Indy.

3. Protecting Wentz

Wentz has been sacked 10 times already, has already injured both of his ankles, and is going up against a defense that has had eight different players pick up a sack and has registered a total of 10 through four games. Indianapolis' offensive line was supposed to be a strength for the team and something that would help Wentz turn things around, but injuries and a lack of chemistry between the line and their new QB have produced a rough start for this partnership. If the line can't keep Wentz clean in the pocket, it could lead to the same type of self-inflicted mistakes (fumbles and interceptions) that plagued him during his time in Philadelphia.

Pass protection is even more important since Wentz's mobility is impacted by his gimpy ankles. But if Wentz is afforded time to throw, there could be plays to be made with Baltimore giving up 273 passing yards per game (25th in NFL), as injuries have impacted the Ravens' secondary, particularly the absence of cornerback Marcus Peters (torn ACL).

Final Analysis

There aren't a lot of edges for the road team in this matchup other than the Colts gaining some confidence coming off of their first win of the season. I tend to think of that more as Miami's offense was so bad, there was no shot the Dolphins were going to win that game. Baltimore, meanwhile, survived a tough opening stretch and now gets a long stretch of home cooking. There's no way the Ravens lose at home on Monday night.

Prediction: Ravens 27, Colts 14

Pretty cool segment by Michael Robinson on Stafford's play so far this season. I still think the 3rd & 16 throw against AZ was his best throw of the year so far. Absolutely insane. 2:24 mark.

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Jones got a bad concussion....

barkely fucked up his ankle...

galloday also...

Ok what had seemed like the Matt Nagy countdown has now become a temporary stay of execution in Chi-Town and a couple of boneheads have put there job in jeopardy.
What say you?

The Hags were struggling already and now Russ is out for at least a month. They have Steelers, Saints, Jags and Packers. Could be looking at 3-6.
Niners are also not in good shape, assuming a loss to the cards. If Jimmy comes back maybe the make a run, all that talk about Lance was just noise until further notice. They have Colts, Bears, Cards and Rams, they need 3-4 to get back to .500.

So, it looks like a 2 horse race for now and the Rams can’t afford any slip ups. The cards have the browns, Texans, Packers and 9ers, so hopefully they go 2-2.
The Rams have Lions, Texans, Giants and Texans. They should beat all those teams but don’t want to get overconfident.

So which is it, ladies and gentlemen...?

I'm sure we have had more than I know. Rich and Dave...I saw this. Not sure if anyone has pics of them. This could be cool to get them in

Asking the question in England usually ends with 4 out of 5 people (unless it's Man Utd) saying it's their home town, or their dad followed that team, but I know it's a lot more quirky in the US.

As per my avatar, I'm a Derby County fan and our nickname is The Rams. So in 1984 when I was getting into this new version of football I needed a team to support and the Rams seemed ideal.

I did toy with the Pats for a while as they had England in the name, but I much more fancied going to LA to see a game than Foxboro.

Plus I just LOVED the unis.

I'd have more rings now if I'd gone with the Pats, but I'd have no soul.

Sunday Night Football: Buffalo Bills vs. Kansas City​

The last time the Buffalo Bills played the Kansas City Chiefs, a trip to the Super Bowl was on the line. The Bills got off to a 9-0 start in the AFC Championship Game before the Chiefs scored 21 points in the second quarter on their way to controlling the rest of the game, winning easily 38-24 to secure a second straight Super Bowl appearance. A team with one of the league's strongest home-field advantages continued its streak of cruising through the postseason at Arrowhead Stadium. In the Andy Reid era, the Chiefs haven't had to travel for a road AFC playoff game since 2015.

That's what makes this highly anticipated regular-season rematch on "Sunday Night Football" so important. This year, the Bills look to flip the script by forcing teams to travel to frigid Buffalo in January, securing a little home-field advantage of their own. After an awkward season-opening loss to the Steelers, they're well on their way, cruising to three straight wins to produce an NFL-leading point differential of +90. (The undefeated Arizona Cardinals, by comparison, sit second at +55).

Those dominant performances have given the Bills a two-game lead in the AFC East. They've also got a game in hand on the Chiefs, sitting at 2-2 after two brutal fourth-quarter collapses to the Baltimore Ravens and Los Angeles Chargers. A leaky defense has left them vulnerable, sitting last in their own division and outside of playoff position if the year ended today.

Can the Bills deliver an early knockout blow? A win here puts the Chiefs three games behind the Bills, costing them the tiebreaker and all but eliminating their chances for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Bills have one of the easiest NFL schedules the rest of the way, with just two remaining opponents currently possessing a winning record (at Buccaneers, vs Panthers). It's an early do-or-die moment for Patrick Mahomes and Reid, looking to reconjure this magic from the AFC Championship Game.

Those pictures on Instagram, posted on #ThrowbackThursday, show the Chiefs haven't lost their swagger. Can they put their money where their mouth is Sunday night?

Sunday Night Football: Buffalo (3-1) at Kansas City (2-2)

Kickoff: Sunday, Oct. 10 at 8:20 p.m. ET
TV: NBC
Spread: Chiefs -2.5

Three Things to Watch

1. Patrick Mahomes vs. Bills' defense

The former NFL MVP has gotten a little sloppy with the football. In his last seven regular-season games, Mahomes has thrown seven interceptions. That's unheard of for a quarterback who threw seven picks in his previous 26 games before that.

Unlucky number seven also applies to the total number of giveaways by the Chiefs' offense this season. Only the New York Jets and Jacksonville, teams with a combined record of 1-7, have more. It's unheard of for the league's second-ranked offense to be this careless with the football.

The Bills' defense will be more than happy to take it from them. The top-ranked unit has a league-leading 11 takeaways, producing an NFL-best turnover margin of plus-seven. They've allowed just 148 passing yards per game and just 4.92 yards per play, a buzzsaw for the last three quarterbacks they've seen: Jacoby Brissett, Taylor Heinicke and Davis Mills.

Of course, those three are all backup quarterbacks. One might say Mahomes is a little bit tougher of a challenge. His top target, wide receiver Tyreek Hill, racked up 186 yards and three touchdowns just last week.

But don't tell this Bills defense they can't get the job done.

"We feel like," Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier said, "With the way our guys are playing and the confidence they have going into this game, we're not the same team or defense that we were a year ago."

Winning their last two games by a combined score of 75-0, the Bills are just the third NFL team to post two shutouts four weeks into the season. Look for them to set the tone early and seek to put more pressure on Mahomes, who they sacked just once in last year's AFC Championship Game.

"Our goal is to slow them down," Frazier added. "I don't know that anybody really stops them."

2. Will Josh Allen get some help on the ground?

Allen, seeking an MVP trophy of his own, will look to match Mahomes punch-for-punch. He's racked up eight touchdown passes and just two interceptions the last three weeks for an offense that's looked to be on cruise control.

But where Allen might make the difference Sunday is with his legs. While the Chiefs' defensive struggles are well documented, they're especially vulnerable against the run, allowing a league-worst 5.41 yards per play. Allen, like Mahomes, has the ability to be a game-changer there and force defenses to respect him sprinting out of the pocket at any time.

He's not alone as a backfield threat. A season-high 199 rushing yards against the Texans showcased the 1-2 punch of Zack Moss and Devin Singletary. Neither one has a 100-yard rushing game this season but together they do a nice job of splitting carries and producing 4.54 yards per play on the ground, eighth in the NFL.

Just a few key runs will be all the Bills need to spread the defense and get wide receiver Stefon Diggs separation in coverage. Add in the emergence of Emmanuel Sanders and Allen could be set up for a career night.

3. Who will own the fourth quarter?

These are two very different teams when it comes to closing out games. The Chiefs have been outscored 28-7 during the fourth quarter in their two losses, producing key turnovers in each (fumble, interception) to seal their fate. There needs to be a moment where they put the recent past behind them.

The Bills? They've entered the fourth quarter averaging a 20-point lead these last three weeks. So it's been a while since they've been involved in a close one. Have they put the demons of their own fourth-quarter collapse against the Steelers behind them?

Wild Card: Josh Gordon

Gordon, the talented but troubled 30-year-old wide receiver, was put on the Chiefs' 53-man roster this week. Whether he'll play is anyone's guess as he's still learning the team's offensive scheme. Suspended six times for drugs and other issues, simply making it back onto a roster has to be considered a victory in itself.

Will Gordon step up and become this year's Antonio Brown comeback story? He won't play enough to give us the answer Sunday night. But simply using Gordon for a handful of plays could produce a red-zone threat capable of beating the Bills' defense one-on-one.

"The talent, you can just see how fast he is, how big he is, the way he's able to get in and out of cuts," Mahomes said to the Kansas City Star this week. "I think we'll try to do whatever we can to bring him up to speed as quickly as possible and utilize his skill set."

Final Analysis

On paper, it's hard not to like the Bills. They come in red hot, on a mission to get over the hump with both the offense and defense running on all cylinders.

Yet in some ways, this game means more to the Chiefs with all three division rivals looking like playoff contenders. Reid teams don't sit last in the AFC West at 2-3 midway through October. His team has looked disinterested at times this season, perhaps the product of too much winning, but understand the hole they need to dig out of. The Philadelphia Eagles found that out the hard way last week.

Games against teams like the Bills are where MVPs pull their teams across the finish line. Mahomes has done it before … and he'll do it again here.

Prediction: Chiefs 24, Bills 21

Sunday, Oct. 10

LATE GAMES
Cleveland Browns at Los Angeles Chargers, 4:05 pm (CBS)
Chicago Bears at Las Vegas Raiders, 4:05 pm (CBS)
San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals, 4:25 pm (FOX)
New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys, 4:25 pm (FOX)

EARLY GAMES
New York Jets at Atlanta Falcons (London), 9:30 am (NFL Network)
Philadelphia Eagles at Carolina Panthers, 1 pm (FOX)
Green Bay Packers at Cincinnati Bengals, 1 pm (FOX)
New England Patriots at Houston Texans, 1 pm(CBS)
Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 pm (CBS)
Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings, 1 pm (FOX)
Denver Broncos at Pittsburgh Steelers, 1 pm (FOX)
Miami Dolphins at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1 pm (CBS)
New Orleans Saints at Washington Football Team, 1 pm (CBS)

SNF
Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs, 8:20 pm (NBC)

Monday, Oct. 11

MNF

Indianapolis Colts at Baltimore Ravens, 8:15 pm (ESPN)

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ALREADY PLAYED

Thursday, Oct. 7

Los Angeles Rams ass stomping of Seattle Seahawks, 8:20 pm (FOX, NFL Network, Amazon)

Sunday, Oct. 10

EARLY GAMES
New York Jets at Atlanta Falcons (London), 9:30 am (NFL Network)

Philadelphia Eagles at Carolina Panthers, 1 pm (FOX)
Green Bay Packers at Cincinnati Bengals, 1 pm (FOX)
New England Patriots at Houston Texans, 1 pm(CBS)
Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 pm (CBS)
Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings, 1 pm (FOX)
Denver Broncos at Pittsburgh Steelers, 1 pm (FOX)
Miami Dolphins at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1 pm (CBS)
New Orleans Saints at Washington Football Team, 1 pm (CBS)

LATE GAMES
Cleveland Browns at Los Angeles Chargers, 4:05 pm (CBS)
Chicago Bears at Las Vegas Raiders, 4:05 pm (CBS)
San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals, 4:25 pm (FOX)
New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys, 4:25 pm (FOX)

SNF
Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs, 8:20 pm (NBC)

Monday, Oct. 11

MNF

Indianapolis Colts at Baltimore Ravens, 8:15 pm (ESPN)

---

ALREADY PLAYED

Thursday, Oct. 7

Los Angeles Rams ass stomping of Seattle Seahawks, 8:20 pm (FOX, NFL Network, Amazon)

Holy shit!!
What a fight!!

Is the scheme really that bad, as it doesn't look too different? The DL and LBs have looked impressive barring one or two gap issues. So where is the problem?

I have been far more disappointed with our safety play than corner backs. Fuller has been OK Rapp below average. I have seen a number of plays where the defensive call was great but they have arrived too late or not taken a good angle. Fuller is doing OK considering he has so much responsibility but Rapp just doesn’t make enough plays for my taste

I really liked him when we picked him and he had a strong rookie season so maybe he can round back into form during the bye week

Scott looks ready and perhaps deserves to start but is more of a free safety type and so they would need to change the playbook to accommodate him alongside Fuller

The CBs have had a tough job in weeks 1 to 5 playing against some elite WR threes. I don’t think Hall would have faired much better. Williams is not as sharp as we would like and is playing too far off, but that is correctable. He continues to play with good technique. Even Ramsey hasn’t looked as good in terms of shutting his assignment down but, like I said, I don’t think we can discount the lack of dynamic safety play.

There have been plays where the commentator rightly said the CB was expecting help but it got there too late, but I have seen plenty of instances where a safety is too late or just plumb misses their opportunity even when in the right place