Dubai: The Los Angeles Rams are set to make NFL history when they face Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills on Monday night, becoming the first team to play four of its first five games of a season in prime time.
The Rams opened their campaign against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1, in a game televised on Thursday night in the United States. They then faced the New York Giants on Monday Night Football in Week 2 before returning to prime time against the Denver Broncos on Sunday Night Football in Week 3.
Their only Sunday afternoon game came against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 4. Now, they return to the national spotlight against Allen and the Bills in Week 5.
Allen will lead Buffalo into the matchup against Matthew Stafford and Rams, providing another marquee name for a game the NFL has clearly identified as one of its major attractions.
The unusual schedule reflects the Rams’ status as one of the league’s expected top teams, as well as the NFL’s growing number of prime-time opportunities.
There was a time when Monday Night Football was the league’s primary prime-time showcase, making a schedule like this difficult to construct. The NFL now has regular Thursday, Sunday and Monday night games, along with additional games on special dates throughout the season.
However, the growing number of high-profile games outside the traditional Sunday afternoon window has also reduced the number of marquee matchups available during the weekend’s main slate.
The Rams’ prime-time run will continue later in the season. After Monday’s game against the Bills, they are scheduled to play their next five games on Sunday afternoon, although any of those contests could be moved through the league’s flex scheduling.
They also have a Thanksgiving Eve meeting with the Green Bay Packers, a Thursday night game against the Kansas City Chiefs and a Christmas Night matchup against the Seattle Seahawks.
For the Rams, Monday night against Allen and the Bills marks another chapter in a schedule that would have been almost impossible for an NFL team to receive for much of the league’s history.
