Here’s what you need to know from Sunday’s win at SoFi Stadium.
The Los Angeles Rams needed some time to knock off the rust from the offseason after their starters sat out the entire preseason, and it showed on Sunday in the opener against the Houston Texans. They got off to a slow start but Matthew Stafford started to find a groove in the second half, as did Kyren Williams.
Despite trailing for the entire first half, the Rams came away with a narrow 14-9 win. They overcame a near-comeback by the Texans in the fourth quarter, with the day being saved by new linebacker Nate Landman and his forced fumble late in the fourth quarter.
Puka Nacua was once again a stud, catching 10 passes for 130 yards. Davante Adams made his Rams debut with four catches for 51 yards, and Williams carried it 18 times for 66 yards and a touchdown.
It was actually Davis Allen who scored the game-winning touchdown, which came with 12:28 left in the third quarter. There were no scores after that, so it proved to be the difference.
Final score: Rams 14, Texans 9
Numbers to know
60,000: Matthew Stafford became the 10th quarterback to reach 60,000 career passing yards, hitting that milestone in the fourth quarter.
13: Puka Nacua went over the 100-yard mark for the 13th time in his career.
10: Kam Curl and Nate Landman tied for the team lead with 10 tackles each.
3: Kyren Williams scored the Rams’ season-opening touchdown for the third straight year.
51: Adams had 51 yards in his Rams debut, coming on four catches (eight targets).
It was over when…
…Matthew Stafford hit Puka Nacua for a 29-yard gain on third-and-8 late in the fourth quarter, icing the game for the Rams and giving them the win. It was victory formation after that, a beautifully drawn-up play by Sean McVay.
3 stars of the game
- Puka Nacua – 10 catches, 130 yards
- Byron Young – 9 tackles, 1 sack, 2 QB hits
- Nate Landman – 10 tackles, 1 QB hit, 1 FF
Play of the game
Nate Landman has been known for his ability to force fumbles and that was on display late in the fourth quarter when he made a game-saving play for the Rams. He punched the ball out of the running back’s hands, getting it back for the Rams when Houston was driving toward a game-winning score.
What’s next?
The Rams will hit the road in Week 2, heading across the country to Nashville for a matchup with the Tennessee Titans next Sunday. It’s an early 1 p.m. ET kickoff for the Rams as they look to leave Tennessee with a win and improve to 2-0.
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