NFL

Bills vs Rams: 5 players to watch in 2022 NFL opener - Allen, Kupp, Diggs...

The Buffalo Bills and the Los Angeles Rams open up the 2022 season at SoFi Stadium on Thursday, as Sean McVay’s men begin their bid to retain their NFL title.

GRANT HALVERSONAFP

The 2022 NFL season kicks off on Thursday, as the Los Angeles Rams begin their title defence against the favourites to win the next Super Bowl: the Buffalo Bills. Ahead of the opening match of the campaign, here’s a look at the players who can be expected to have the biggest say in the outcome of the game at SoFi Stadium.

Josh Allen

The fifth-year quarterback is one of the heavy favourites to be named league MVP. This is a consequence of the fact that in his last two seasons, the quarterback has registered 805 passes, 8,951 yards, 73 touchdowns, 25 interceptions and two postseason appearances.

Bills quarterback Josh Allen.GRANT HALVERSONAFP

Cooper Kupp

Kupp is coming off one of the best ever seasons by a wide receiver. The Eastern Washington alum is the fourth WR to win the triple crown since 1970 (as the league leader in receptions, yards and touchdowns), was third in the MVP voting, won Offensive Player of the Year and was named Super Bowl LVI MVP.

Stefon Diggs

Much of the Allen’s growth is thanks to Stefon Diggs. In two years with the Bills, the Maryland product has 230 receptions, 2,760 yards, 18 touchdowns, two Pro Bowl invitations and a first-team All-Pro selection.

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Jalen Ramsey

If the Bills have one of the best WRs in Diggs, the Rams have Jalen Ramsey, an elite cornerback. The former Jaguars player is a two-time All-Pro and has earned three Pro Bowl picks during his time with the Rams; however, a shoulder injury that landed him in surgery this offseason means he may not be at his best on Thursday.

Von Miller

The pass rusher could be the final piece in the jigsaw for a Bills defence that finished up as the best in the league in 2021 by allowing only 4,637 total yards. For the Texas A&M graduate, the match will have a special flavour as he will face the Rams, a franchise that acquired him in a trade with the Denver Broncos in the middle of last season.

Bills vs Rams: video preview

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