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The Rams got their top two receivers back on the field with high-quality results, as Los Angeles defeated Minnesota 30-20 on Thursday night.
Puka Nacua played for the first time since Week 1, finishing with seven catches for 106 yards to help pace the offense. Cooper Kupp was on the field for the first time since Week 2 and had five receptions on eight targets for 51 yards with a touchdown.
That made for a good night for quarterback Matthew Stafford, who finished 25-of-34 for 279 yards with four TDs and an interception.
Both offenses started off hot, as the game’s first four possessions all ended in touchdowns.
Quarterback Sam Darnold first connected with tight end Josh Oliver for a 5-yard touchdown. Stafford responded with a 5-yard touchdown to Kyren Williams to tie the game.
Then Darnold hit Trent Sherfield for a 10-yard touchdown and Stafford responded with a 7-yard TD pass to Kupp to make the score 14-14.
That tie held through halftime, with a Stafford interception in the third quarter leading to a 23-yard field goal by Will Reichard, putting Minnesota up 17-14.
Stafford came right back from his interception to bring the Rams down the field with an eight-play, 70-yard drive, ending with a 25-yard touchdown down the left sideline to Demarcus Robinson. That put the Rams ahead for the first time, 21-17.
When Jalen Nalor dropped an off-schedule pass from Darnold on third-and-4 from the 17, Minnesota elected to settle for a 35-yard field goal to make the score 21-20 with 12:47 left in the fourth quarter.
And as a response, Los Angeles put together a strong, 10-play, 70-yard drive ending with a Stafford 10-yard touchdown to Robinson on third-and-4. That possession took 6:30 off the clock, narrowing Minnesota’s opportunities.
Robinson had just two catches for 35 yards, but both went for touchdowns.
The Vikings couldn’t do anything with their next drive, as Jared Verse and Michael Hoecht split a sack on second down to bring up third-and-21. Minnesota punted after another…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/thursday-night-football-matthew-stafford-031556611.html
Author : ProFootball Talk on NBC Sports
Publish date : 2024-10-25 03:15:56
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