Getty Cooper Kupp and Matthew Stafford get the Rams' title defense started against the much-fancied Buffalo Bills.
The Los Angeles Rams against the Buffalo Bills is likely many people’s pick as the eventual matchup for Super Bowl LVII. Before then, the defending champion Rams will welcome loaded AFC East powerhouse Buffalo to SoFi Stadium to kick off the 2022 NFL regular season on Thursday.
Shootout is the word that immediately comes to mind about a game featuring two of the most dynamic offenses in football. The Rams are still led by quarterback Matthew Stafford and his favorite target, receiving triple crown winner and Super Bowl MVP, Cooper Kupp. They are quite the double act, but the Bills won’t be fazed when Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs take the field.
For lovers of defense, there are no shortage of star names on the other side of the ball. The Rams are all about Aaron Donald, while the Bills added Von Miller to an already well-stocked unit.
Miller was a midseason arrival from the Denver Broncos who helped the Rams lift last season’s Lombardi Trophy. Now he’ll be aiming to act as a similar spark-plug for a Bills team unable to get beyond the Kansas City Chiefs in recent seasons.
The game (8:20 p.m. ET start time) will be televised on NBC, but if you don’t have cable, you can watch a live stream on FuboTV or DirecTV Stream, which both include NBC in the most markets and come with a free trial.
Those are the two best live stream options if you’re cutting cable, but there are also some other alternatives, so here’s a full guide on the different ways to watch the Bills vs Rams streaming live online:
Heavy may earn an affiliate commission if you sign up via a link on this page
FuboTV
You can watch a live stream of NBC and 100-plus other TV channels on FuboTV, which comes with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can watch the Bills vs Rams live on the FuboTV app or FuboTV website.
Compatible devices for the FuboTV app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
You can also watch the game live on the NBC Sports app or NBCSports.com. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but you can use your Fubo credentials to do that.
DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream has four different channel packages: “Entertainment,” “Choice,” “Ultimate” and “Premier.” NBC is included in every one, and you can pick any package and any add-on you want with your free five-day trial:
Once signed up for DirecTV Stream, you can watch the Bills vs Rams live on the DirecTV Stream app or DirecTV Stream website.
Compatible devices for the DirecTV Stream app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Samsung TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
You can also watch the game live on the NBC Sports app or NBCSports.com. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but you can use your DirecTV Stream credentials to do that.
Peacock TV
If you’ve used up all your free trials for other streaming services, this is the cheapest way to watch a live stream of the game, since you can watch all NFL on NBC games via Peacock Premium, which currently has a limited-time offer of $1.99 per month for your first 12 months:
Once signed up for Peacock, you can watch the Bills vs Rams live on the Peacock TV app or Peacock TV website.
Compatible devices for the Peacock TV app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, PlayStation 4 or 5, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
Sling TV
You can watch a live stream of NBC (live in select markets) and 40-plus other TV channels via Sling TV’s “Sling Blue” package. This option doesn’t include a free trial, but it’s the cheapest long-term streaming service with sports channels, and you can get your first month half off:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch the Bills vs Rams live on the Sling TV app or Sling TV website.
Compatible devices for the Sling TV app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), airTV Mini, Oculus, Portal, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
You can also watch the game live on the NBC Sports app or NBCSports.com. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but you can use your Sling credentials to do that.
Hulu With Live TV
You can watch a live stream of NBC and 65+ other TV channels via Hulu With Live TV, which also includes access to both ESPN+ and Disney+ at no extra cost:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch the Bills vs Rams live on the Hulu app or Hulu website.
Compatible devices for the Hulu app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, PlayStation 4 or 5, Nintendo Switch, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
You can also watch the game live on the NBC Sports app or NBCSports.com. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but you can use your Hulu credentials to do that.
If You Live in Canada: DAZN
Viewers in Canada can watch a live stream of every NFL game (preseason, regular season, postseason), NFL Network and NFL RedZone via DAZN, which comes with a free trial:
Once signed up, viewers in Canada can watch the Bills vs Rams live on the DAZN app or DAZN website.
Compatible devices for the DAZN app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Samsung Smart TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
Bills vs Rams Preview
As curtain-raising games go, the NFL hit it out of the park by putting these two teams together right off the bat. Few rosters in the league are so loaded with talent as those belonging to the Rams and the Bills.
The former has retained most of the key players from last season’s successful Super Bowl run, with only a couple of notable exceptions. Odell Beckham Jr. made an impact during the playoffs and opened the scoring against the Cincinnati Bengals in the big game, but he remains on the free-agent market after injuring his knee in the Super Bowl.
Beckham came in as a replacement for Robert Woods, whose precise route-running and physical blocking from the wide receiver position were crucial in the Rams’ offense. Woods tore his ACL back in November and has since been traded to the Tennessee Titans.
The departure of “Bobby Trees” means Kupp’s new running mate is Allen Robinson, signed in free agency from the Chicago Bears. Like Woods, Robinson runs clean routes and knows how to work the middle. He’ll benefit from Stafford, who will send Robinson better throws than he was used to chasing in Chicago, per PlayerProfile NFL:
Catchable Target Rate (2021)
Cooper Kupp
✅ 81.2% (19th)
Allen Robinson
❌ 71.2% (72nd)
Robinson adds another safe pair of hands to the passing game designed by head coach Sean McVay, but things will still run through Kupp. It makes sense after No. 10 tallied 145 receptions, 1,947 yards and 16 touchdown catches last season.
The Bills would normally feel confident about keeping any receiver, even Kupp, under wraps, thanks to a stellar secondary. It’s a group underpinned by safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer, both of whom own the deep halves of the field.
As good as Poyer and Hyde are, the Buffalo defensive backfield gets its star power on the outside from cornerback Tre’Davious White. Unfortunately for head coach Sean McDermott and defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, White will begin the season on the PUP list, ruling him out of at least the first four games.
Surprisingly, McDermott has so far neglected to name a starter to replace White in Week 1. The main choices are first-round draft pick Kaiir Elam or fellow rookie Christian Benford, taken in the sixth round.
Frazier hinted he will “mix it up” between Elam and Benford, while McDermott said both “have worked extremely hard,” per Katherine Fitzgerald of The Buffalo News. The Bills allowed the fewest yards through the air in the league last season, but deciding who can fill White’s role will go a long way toward determining how they cope with Stafford and Co.
At least McDermott can trust his offense to keep pace. Allen and Diggs are the headline acts, but the unit got a boost when tight end Dawson Knox signed a lucrative contract extension, reported by NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, on Wednesday, September 7:
Source: #Bills TE Dawson Knox gets a four-year, $53.6 million extension with over $31 million guaranteed.
“I love the people in Buffalo, hopefully I’ll be here a long time,” Knox said this week, noting fan support after his brother’s passing. This ensures he’ll remain a while.
Knox caught nine touchdowns in 2021 and can feast on defenses that pay too much attention to wideouts Diggs and Gabriel Davis. Diggs can expect to see a lot of Rams’ shutdown cornerback Jalen Ramsey, but if the rest of the defense can’t handle Allen, Davis and Knox, the Bills will make an early statement about their Super Bowl credentials in 2022.