The Playbook
Hollywood loves a good comeback story.
asserted
Hollywood → love → story
So do the Los Angeles Rams.
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Rams → do → ?
After three quarters of offensive ineptitude in Philadelphia, the Rams rallied with a fourth quarter resurrection that would have made Rocky Balboa proud.
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Balboa → rally → resurrection
And now the Rams have a chance to prove their comeback over the Eagles last week was no fluke when former NFL MVP Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills come rolling into town for a showdown on Monday Night Football.
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Allen → have → Football
Buffalo arrives at SoFi Stadium at 3-1 and looking to rebound from their first loss of the season, a 29-26 defeat to the New England Patriots.
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Buffalo → arrive → Patriots
The Rams will be waiting at 2-2, fresh off their stunning comeback that saved their season from an early spiral.
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that → wait → spiral
After not playing against the Eagles, reinforcements are on the way, as Aaron Donald and Jaylen Watson are expected to return to practice this week, with Rams’ head coach Sean McVay optimistic both could play on Monday.
uncertain
both → play → Monday
Donald missed the Eagles game with back soreness, while Watson has been sidelined with a dislocated right shoulder since the second quarter against Denver in Week 3.
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Watson → miss → Week
Their potential returns would provide a considerable boost to a defense that just delivered its finest performance of the season without either player or injured pass rusher Myles Garrett.
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that → provide → player
The Rams sacked Jalen Hurts four times, limited Philadelphia to 93 passing yards and held the Eagles without a third-down conversion in 12 attempts.
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Rams → sack → attempts
Byron Young was a one-man demolition crew, recording 2½ sacks while defensive coordinator Chris Shula consistently made Hurts uncomfortable in the pocket.
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Hurts → record → pocket
The Bills lead the NFL in scoring at nearly 32 points per game, with Allen, James Cook and an assortment of receiving weapons capable of turning a routine possession into a track meet.
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Bills → lead → meet
Allen has thrown for at least 245 yards in three of four games, while Cook is averaging 5.1 yards per carry.
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Cook → throw → carry
“They have a quarterback that’s playing as well as anybody in this league,” McVay said.
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McVay → have → league
Still, Allen has thrown interceptions in consecutive games, including a costly late pick against New England.
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Allen → throw → England
The Rams must capitalize on those mistakes rather than allowing Buffalo’s quarterback to escape pressure and manufacture something spectacular.
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quarterback → capitalize → something
On the other side of the field, Matthew Stafford has his own turnover problem.
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Stafford → have → problem
Despite throwing for more than 300 yards in three consecutive games, Stafford has been intercepted in all four contests, including twice in each of his last two.
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Stafford → throw → two
That’s a dangerous habit against a Buffalo offense that rarely needs additional possessions.
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that → ’ → possessions
Fortunately, Stafford has his favorite weapon back.
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Stafford → have → weapon
Puka Nacua returned against Philadelphia and immediately reminded everyone why he’s indispensable, recording 125 receiving yards and scoring a rushing touchdown.
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he → return → touchdown
Kyren Williams added 80 rushing yards, two touchdowns and 10 receptions, giving McVay the offensive balance that had been missing in Denver.
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that → add → Denver
Buffalo’s defense, meanwhile, has surrendered at least 29 points in three of four games and more than 250 passing yards per contest.
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defense → surrender → contest
That’s an invitation Stafford and Davante Adams should be eager to accept.
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Stafford → ’ → ?
But the Rams have another problem that seems to be an annual headache: special teams.
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that → have → problem
Los Angeles ranks near the bottom of the NFL in starting field position and kick coverage, while penalties continue to sabotage promising drives.
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penalties → rank → drives
The Rams committed eight penalties for 100 yards against Philadelphia, and Harrison Mevis missed another field goal.
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Mevis → commit → goal
Those mistakes are irritating against ordinary opponents. Against Allen, they’re potentially fatal.
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they → ’re → Allen
Two years ago, the Rams survived a 44-42 shootout against Buffalo at SoFi Stadium despite Allen accounting for six touchdowns.
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Allen → survive → touchdowns
If things play out the way we think they will, Monday could deliver another offensive fireworks show.
uncertain
Monday → play → show
The question is whether the Rams can reproduce their fourth-quarter magic for all four quarters instead of waiting until their season is hanging by a thread to play like the team that were the preseason Super Bowl favorites.
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that → reproduce → team
Because play like you did for the first three quarters in Philadelphia against Buffalo, and there might not be enough time for another Hollywood ending.
uncertain
you → play → ending
The NFL’s most dangerous improvisational quarterback meets an aggressive defense that just looked the best they have all season against an Eagles team that was in the playoffs last season.
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that → meet → playoffs
Josh Allen can beat defenses with his arm, his legs or his uncanny ability to turn a busted play into a 30-yard gain.
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Allen → beat → gain
Rams’ defensive coordinator Chris Shula’s challenge is making sure Allen doesn’t beat the Rams with all three.
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beat → make → three
Los Angeles enters Monday allowing the second-fewest passing yards per game in the NFL, but Buffalo presents a different challenge than Philadelphia.
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Buffalo → enter → Philadelphia
Shula must generate pressure with his defensive front without sacrificing containment, particularly against an offensive line that surrendered just one sack on 33 Allen pass attempts against New England.
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that → generate → England
Donald potentially returning gives the Rams another interior disruptor, while Byron Young’s emergence provides speed off the edge.
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emergence → return → edge
The blueprint is simple: Collapse the pocket, maintain rush-lane discipline and force Allen to play quarterback rather than escape artist.
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blueprint → collapse → quarterback
The Rams have been flirting with disaster all season, but Buffalo’s vulnerable secondary offers Stafford an opportunity to finally make opponents pay.
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opponents → flirt → opportunity
…and 3 more, not listed.
The Aporia
