Frank Schwab Senior writer Mon, October 12, 2026 at 1:01 PM UTC · 5 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The start of this season hasn't been perfect for the Buffalo Bills or Los Angeles Rams.
The Bills lost last week at home to the New England Patriots, letting New England back in the AFC East race. Their defense hasn't been great yet and Josh Allen has had some uncharacteristic mistakes the past couple weeks. The Rams have lost two games and almost lost last week at Philadelphia, saving a rough 1-3 start with a rally in the final five minutes. There has been inconsistency on offense and defense, which was rarely the case last season.
And, still, everyone knows the Bills and Rams have the ability to make a Super Bowl.
The oddsmakers believe in both teams. The Rams have the best Super Bowl odds and the Bills are No. 2 as they prepare to meet on Monday night at SoFi Stadium. It's one of the must-watch games of the regular season and would be a pretty fun rematch back in SoFi Stadium on Feb. 14 for the NFL championship.
While there are some early-season issues to be worked out for each team, they have also shown why they are among the top teams in the NFL. Allen was off to a torrid start to the season before some turnover issues the past two weeks. He's among the MVP favorites for good reason. The Rams defense was fantastic in the win over the Eagles last week, holding Philadelphia to 172 yards. Jalen Hurts had just 10 passing yards in the second half. And at some point that defense will add end Myles Garrett back, when he has recovered from knee surgery.
The last time these two teams played there were 86 points scored. The Rams won 44-42 in a 2024 regular-season game, despite Josh Allen making some history. He had three passing touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns, becoming the first NFL player to accomplish that in one game. He has repeated the feat once since. The Rams did enough to hang on, with Matthew Stafford throwing for 320 yards and two touchdowns, and Puka Nacua catching 12 passes for 162 yards and a score.
Everyone tuning in would be happy with another show like that. A repeat in February wouldn't be too bad, either.
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen have won the last two NFL MVP awards. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
While the Patriots are making it clear they will be a factor in the AFC East race, the Rams are in danger of falling three games back in the NFC West. The 49ers improved to 5-0 and have a win in hand over the Rams. That game in Australia was technically a home game for the Rams, so there is still a return date in San Francisco coming. It's a big game for both teams: The Bills haven't played well in two weeks and a loss would put them back in a tie for first place with the Patriots, while the Rams would like to get some momentum going after a lukewarm 2-2 start to the season. Due to the 49ers' blazing hot start, the Rams need it more. But not by much.
Kincaid has become such a big part of the offense that the head coach had to take the blame for his tight end having just one catch last week.
"I got to be better," Joe Brady said , via Athlon Sports. "There's no reason Dalton Kincaid should have two targets, especially with the flow of the game and how that goes. I got to find a way to get the ball in his hands and do a better job of that."
That usually means a big game is coming. The Rams have been very good against tight ends so far this season, but Kincaid has to be involved. He had 130 and 95 yards in the first two games of the season, then just 45 yards since then. The Bills have some injury issues at receiver, with Joshua Palmer out and D.J. Moore questionable. Kincaid is probably the No. 1 receiving option in the offense (though Moore has looked good when healthy), and Josh Allen is likely to look his way often on Monday night.
A wild Week 5 concludes with a potential Super Bowl preview when the Bills head to Los Angeles to face the Rams. This game opened Los Angeles -2.5 and respected action has pushed it through the key number of 3, all the way out to -3.5. The betting public is split on this game, but the majority of the money is on the Rams. Los Angeles has played only one true home game this season, and it resulted in a blowout 28-6 win over the New York Giants. Josh Allen and the Bills pose a stiffer test, although a defense ranked 26th by DVOA heading into Week 5 is a big concern. Can Buffalo's offense keep up?
Check out more of Ben's work at the Yahoo Sports betting hub .
Big things are expected when the Bills and Rams finish Week 5 on Monday night; the total is set at 54.5. Here are three themes to track from a fantasy perspective.
1. What is DJ Moore able to do? Moore was outstanding in the season opener, but he's been limited by his shoulder ever since. A healthy Moore might be the difference between Josh Allen, great player, and Josh Allen, MVP.
2. How do the Rams handle the backfield? For the first two weeks of the season, Kyren Williams and Blake Coram were both heavily involved. In the last two games, Williams has been a true bell cow, upping his receiving work. The first version of Williams is a strong player, but he's looked like a league-winner the past two weeks.
3. Can the Bills unlock Dalton Kincaid? Kincaid looked like a breakout superstar in the first two games; he's been on a milk carton since. It's not a coincidence that Buffalo's better results have come when Kincaid is heavily involved.
Check out more of Scott's work at the Yahoo Sports fantasy hub .
Source: Sport
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