The Los Angeles Rams were beaten soundly by the visiting Buffalo Bills on Thursday night. Though the 31-10 final score certainly was somewhat embarrassing for the Rams, there was one other issue that they shouldn’t be proud of.
The Rams’ offense had to use a silent snap count despite being the home team. Not only were the Rams the home team, but they are coming off a Super Bowl win. And the pro-Bills crowd made it seem somewhat like a road game for them.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford said he actually anticipated the need for a silent snap count.
When asked if the crowd noise at SoFi Stadium affected him tonight, Matthew Stafford said it did not.
"No. I mean, we prepared for it. We prepared to be on the silent count at home again. But it wasn't something that we haven't done before.”
— Sarah Barshop (@sarahbarshop) September 9, 2022
“No. I mean, we prepared for it. We prepared to be on the silent count at home again. But it wasn’t something that we haven’t done before,” Stafford said, via ESPN’s Sarah Barshop.
This is undoubtedly embarrassing for the Rams. Home teams are expected to have big advantages in football games, and much of that is due to the way home fans can influence a game. Being noisy makes it more difficult for opposing teams to communicate, and it also can hurt the confidence of players.
It must not be fun to feel like you’re on the road even when you’re at home.
Bills fans are a passionate group, and their team is expected to be excellent this season, which likely led to the big crowd they delivered. There was a Bills Mafia takeover in Los Angeles this week.
Bills mafia has made its way to Southern California ahead of the season opener tomorrow night against the Rams. The current scene in Hermosa Beach. pic.twitter.com/OeR7wljfKR
— Lindsey Thiry (@LindseyThiry) September 8, 2022
The Rams dealt with a similar situation in Week 18 last season against the 49ers, who have a large fanbase in Los Angeles.
The Rams are still somewhat new to the city after moving back to Los Angeles in 2016. But the team probably is wondering what more they have to do to get strong fan support after winning the Super Bowl last season.
