Getty Los Angeles Rams star cornerback Jalen Ramsey (L) sends a strong message to Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs (R) ahead of the season opener.
The Buffalo Bills facing off against the Los Angeles Rams makes for one incredibly exciting NFL season opener as it pits the defending Super Bowl Champions against the team with the highest odds to win the championship this year.
Leading up to the primetime matchup, Bills star Stefon Diggs acknowledged the level of talent he’ll be facing at SoFi Stadium, in particular, Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who’s tasked with the job of defending Buffalo’s top wide receiver.
“I ain’t a hater, I’m not that type of guy,” Diggs told reporters about the Rams on Sunday. “Those guys put a lot of time and a lot of effort to get to where they were and they were blessed to get a ring. Everybody that’s chasing one, you want that feeling… If anything, it’ll motivate and inspire me to go even harder.”
Stefon Diggs will use the stage of Thursday night’s game as motivation because he’s not a hater #BillsMafia @WKBW
As for facing Ramsey, Diggs couldn’t help but give the five-time Pro Bowler props. “They got a good defense, they’ve had success for a while now. He found his niche in that defense. He’s definitely a competitor, one of the best out there, so that’s something that I look forward to personally.”
“He’s a good a** player,” Diggs added. “Everybody knows that.”
However, when Ramsey was asked about how felt about going up against Diggs, he was less complimentary. “He’s good,” Ramsey said via Rams Wire on Tuesday. “But like I said, I’m not here to blow smoke and talk about how good this person may be or may not be. Everybody knows who all these players are around the league. There are a lot of good players in the league. It’s the NFL, right? But I got a lot of belief in what we do over here. That’s what I’ll talk about.”
The 27-year-old Florida State alum said of the Bills, “They probably feel confident. They probably feel the same way that we feeling, but like when Thursday comes it’s football. I don’t want to really be nice to nobody.”
Ramsey Doesn’t Care for the Bills Hype, ‘Not Gonna Boost Them Up Like Ya’ll Want’
Only focused on us over here. 🤝
In addition to the Bills being early Super Bowl favorites, +600 at Caesars Sportsbook before the season starts, the Bills are 2.5-point favorites to beat the Rams on Thursday night.
As a Super Bowl champ, and part of a team looking to run it back this season, the amount of hype surrounding Buffalo and quarterback Josh Allen must be frustrating for Ramsey.
“I ain’t gonna lie to y’all,” Ramsey added. “I’m not about to sit up here and boost them up like y’all might want, like maybe other people are doing. I ain’t doing that. I ain’t gonna be extra. They good but we good, too, over here. So we’ll see them on Thursday, we’re gonna play football. But I ain’t gonna sit here and boost nobody up. I got respect for ‘em, but I got more respect for the game and the way I prepare and the way my teammates have been preparing and our trust and belief in each other. I’ll boost us up, I’ll talk about us and our preparation, but they can do that with them over there. We’re gonna go out there Thursday and put our best effort out there and do what we gotta do.”
Diggs’ New Commercial Gives Fans a Chance to Win Super Bowl Tickets
Several NFL analysts see the Bills vs. Rams primetime Thursday Night Football matchup as a preview of what Super Bowl LVII will look like. Experts believe there’s a strong chance that when these two top teams meet again, they’ll be fighting for the Lombardi Trophy on February 12, 2023.
Free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who was part of this Rams’ championship team last season, and who’s become a strong possible midseason target for the Bills, believes this season may come down to Buffalo vs. Los Angeles. Beckham tweeted on Tuesday, “These two teams are both just 😍😍… Just sayin I think the two teams that are opening up the season could be playin each other again at the end…”
Fueling the hyps, Diggs announced while posting his new “Rookie Mistake of the Year” commercial with Snickers on Instagram that he’s giving fans a chance to win tickets to the big game. In order to win, fans can submit a video, photo, or written examples of their Rookie Mistakes on snickers.com/rookiemistake for a chance to win two tickets to the Super Bowl, which will take place at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.