By Josh Peter, USA Today
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The Los Angeles Rams are the reigning Super Bowl champions, and the Buffalo Bills are clearly unintimidated.
The Bills defeated the Rams, 31-10, Thursday at SoFi Stadium in the kickoff of the 2022 NFL season.
Before the game, the Rams unveiled their Super Bowl champions banner. At kickoff, the Bills officially unveiled a team expected to contend for this year’s Super Bowl title – in no small part because of their quarterback, Josh Allen.
Allen was intercepted twice in the first half, but was otherwise impressive during the season opener, passing for three touchdowns and and rushing for another. Allen completed 26 of 31 passes for 297 yards, while rushing for 56 yards. Three of those touchdowns came in the second half, which started with the game tied 10-10 and ended with the Bills humbling Rams.
Buffalo’s defense delivered, too. The Bills intercepted Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford three times and sacked him seven times.
On the NFL’s opening night, the Bills struck first.
On the game’s opening drive, they cover 75 yards in nine plays, capped by Allen’s 26-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Gabe Davis.
On the drive, Allen completed all five of his pass attempts for 58 yards. In fact, he completed his first 10 passes before a fluky interception.
With 39 seconds left in the first quarter, Allen threw a short pass to receiver Isaiah McKenzie that bounced off McKenzie’s chest and into the hands of Rams linebacker Terrell Lewis. But in retrospect, it was a harmless miscue on what for the Bills was a banner night.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Buffalo Bills defeat Los Angeles Rams in NFL 2022 kickoff game