The
2023 season was the
Los Angeles Rams' 86th in the
National Football League (NFL), their 87th overall, their 57th in the
Greater Los Angeles Area, the fourth playing their home games at
SoFi Stadium and their seventh under
head coachSean McVay. Despite struggling in the first half of the season dealing with injuries and a 3–6 record, the Rams went 7–1 in their final eight games, improving on their 5–12 record from the
previous season after a Week 13 win against the
Cleveland Browns.[1] After a close win against the
Giants on New Years Eve, Los Angeles clinched its fifth winning season in six years. A loss from the
Seattle Seahawks later that day helped the Rams clinch their return to the playoffs after a one-year absence.[2] In the Wild Card Round, the Rams lost to the
Detroit Lions, led by their former quarterback
Jared Goff.
For the first time since
2019,
Jalen Ramsey was not on their opening day roster, as he was traded in the offseason to the
Miami Dolphins for a 2023 third-round draft pick and tight end
Hunter Long.[3] The team came to an agreement to part ways with Linebacker
Bobby Wagner after one season with the Rams before returning to the
rivalSeattle Seahawks on a one-year contract. This was also the last season with
Aaron Donald on the team, as he announced his retirement on March 15, 2024.
Offseason
Coaching changes
Following considerable press speculation that he was likely to step away following his first
losing season as head coach,[4]Sean McVay announced that he would return in 2023 for his seventh season with the Rams.[5]
The Rams announced that they were terminating the contracts of several assistants. Among those who were not being retained were offensive line coach
Kevin Carberry, defensive backs coach Jonathan Cooley, special teams coordinator
Joe DeCamillis, assistant defensive line coach Skyler Jones and defensive assistant
Lance Schulters.[6]
Additionally, offensive coordinator
Liam Coen voluntarily resigned to return to the
University of Kentucky, where he had previously served as offensive coordinator.[7]
Former
New York Jets offensive coordinator
Mike LaFleur was hired by the Rams for the same position.[8] Mike LaFleur's older brother
Matt LaFleur, now head coach of the
Green Bay Packers, served in the same capacity in
2017, during Sean McVay's first season as Rams head coach.
Nick Caley, who had spent the previous six seasons as tight ends coach of the
New England Patriots, was hired to take on the same role with the Rams.[9]
The Rams won in a season opener for the sixth time in seven seasons under head coach
Sean McVay, defeating the host Seahawks for the third time in the team's last four visits to
Lumen Field. Trailing 13–7 at halftime, Los Angeles dominated in the third and fourth quarters as linebacker
Ernest Jones had a team-high nine total tackles including three tackles for loss, while
Jordan Fuller added eight tackles from his safety position. Defensive tackle
Aaron Donald was credited with four tackles and a half-sack in his first game back from injury as the Rams defense held Seattle to just a single first down and 12 total offensive yards in the second half. Also returning to the starting lineup, quarterback
Matthew Stafford completed 24 of 38 passes for 334 yards, while wide receivers
Tutu Atwell (six receptions) and rookie
Puka Nacua (10 receptions)[13][14] both had 119 yards receiving in place of the injured
Cooper Kupp. Second-year running back
Kyren Williams led the Rams in rushing with 52 yards on 15 carries with two touchdowns while fellow running back
Cam Akers added 29 yards on 22 carries with a rushing TD. Kicker
Brett Maher made his debut for the Rams, converting three field goals and three PATs. Offensively, the Rams rolled to 426 yards in total offense without committing a turnover or giving up a sack. With the upset win, the Rams started their season 1–0.
Week 2: vs. San Francisco 49ers
Week 2: San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams – Game summary
The Rams stayed close to but ultimately could not overcome the visiting 49ers, losing to San Francisco for the ninth consecutive time in the regular season. Playing in its home opener, Los Angeles seized a 17–10 lead in the second quarter as running back
Kyren Williams scored twice, once on a 6-yard touchdown pass from quarterback
Matthew Stafford and then again on a 4-yard TD run with 1:45 remaining before intermission. But the 49ers rallied to tie the score on the final play of the first half, as San Francisco quarterback
Brock Purdy scored on a quarterback sneak as time expired. Stafford completed 34 of 55 passes for 307 yards but had two interceptions in the second half, both of which led to field goals by 49ers kicker
Jake Moody. Rams wide receiver
Puka Nacua set an NFL rookie record for most receptions in a single game with 15 receptions (breaking the previous record of 14 shared by four players) for 147 yards. Linebacker
Ernest Jones led the Rams' defensive effort with 10 total tackles. Kicker
Brett Maher converted all three of his field goal attempts, the last a 38-yarder on the game's final play.
Week 3: at Cincinnati Bengals
Week 3: Los Angeles Rams at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary
Meeting in the regular season for the first time since
Super Bowl LVI, the Rams fell to the host Bengals on
Monday Night Football. After trading two field goals each in a 6–6 first half, Los Angeles got its only lead on kicker
Brett Maher's 42-yard field goal, his third of the evening. But Cincinnati then scored 13 unanswered points, taking the lead on a 14-yard touchdown run by running back
Joe Mixon and two more field goals from kicker
Evan McPherson. The Rams closed to within a field goal as wide receiver
Tutu Atwell scored on a 1-yard pass from quarterback
Matthew Stafford with 2:31 remaining. Playing in only his third career game, wide receiver
Puka Nacua had five receptions for 72 yards. Stafford threw for 269 yards and a score, but was intercepted twice and sacked six times as the offensive line had to shuffle its lineup due to injuries. Defensive tackle
Aaron Donald had eight tackles including a sack while cornerback
Ahkello Witherspoon recorded the team's first interception of the season in the loss.
Week 4: at Indianapolis Colts
Week 4: Los Angeles Rams at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary
Rookie wide receiver
Puka Nacua continued a prolific season start with nine receptions for 163 yards, including a 22-yard catch for his first
NFL touchdown to beat the Colts in overtime. The Rams scored on their first four possessions of the game and held a 23–0 lead midway through the third quarter as running back
Kyren Williams scored on a pair of 3-yard touchdown runs, while kicker
Brett Maher converted three field goals. But Maher missed on two other field goal attempts as the Colts fought back on the strength of rookie quarterback
Anthony Richardson, who passed for 200 yards and two TDs (while also throwing a pair of successful conversion passes) and ran for 56 yards and another score. Indianapolis tied the game 23–23 with just under two minutes remaining in regulation to force overtime. Having won the coin toss and electing to receive, the Rams marched 75 yards in eight plays as quarterback
Matthew Stafford led the team despite visibly limping. On the game's final play, Stafford connected with Nacua over the middle at the Colts' 8-yard line, and the rookie wide receiver weaved his way through a pair of defenders for the game-winning score. Defensively, linebacker
Ernest Jones had a team-high 10 tackles while defensive tackle
Aaron Donald had four, with both players recording sacks.
Week 5: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Week 5: Philadelphia Eagles at Los Angeles Rams – Game summary
Wide receiver
Cooper Kupp was strong in his return to the field, but the host Rams lost for the second time at home, giving up a late touchdown in the first half and were held scoreless for the entire second half against the undefeated Eagles. Both teams started the game by driving 75 yards to score on their opening possessions, with quarterback
Matthew Stafford throwing to wide receiver
Tutu Atwell for a 3-yard touchdown to tie the score 7–7. After Philadelphia took a 10–7 lead with 2:15 remaining in the second quarter, Los Angeles responded with a six-play, 75-yard drive that ended as Stafford connected with rookie wide receiver
Puka Nacua for a 22-yard go-ahead touchdown that came with 0:32 left. However, the Eagles retaliated quickly behind quarterback
Jalen Hurts, who found wide receiver
A. J. Brown for a 38-yard gain. Rams cornerback
Derion Kendrick was flagged for a horse-collar tackle and pass interference, and those back-to-back penalties put the Eagles on the goal line, with Hurts taking back the lead for the Eagles on a 1-yard run as time ran out in the first half. Though the Eagles only scored in the second half on a pair of 26-yard field goals by kicker
Jake Elliott in the fourth quarter, Philadelphia controlled the rest of the game, dominating on time of possession (37:55 to 22:05) and limiting the Rams to just 81 yards in total offense after halftime. Kupp, who had not played since Week 10 of the
2022 season, caught eight passes for 118 yards while Nacua had seven catches for 71 yards and a score. Though Stafford completed 21 of 37 passes for 222 yards and two scores, he was sacked four times in the second half and the Rams were held to just 53 yards rushing. Cornerback
Ahkello Witherspoon recorded a turnover for the third straight game with an interception of a Hurts pass in the end zone, while linebacker
Ernest Jones led the team with 15 total tackles (10 solo) with three tackles for loss as the Rams fell to 2–3.
Week 6: vs. Arizona Cardinals
Week 6: Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams – Game summary
Running back
Kyren Williams ran for 158 yards on 20 carries as the Rams seized control in the second half to win their first home game of the season. After totaling just five rushing yards on three carries in the first and second quarters, Los Angeles received the kickoff after halftime and proceeded to march down the field with nine consecutive run plays that totaled 62 yards down to the Arizona 13. From there, quarterback
Matthew Stafford threw a touchdown pass to wide receiver
Cooper Kupp to take a lead that L.A. would never relinquish. Following a Cardinals punt, Stafford's 30-yard pass to wide receiver
Tutu Atwell and Williams' 31-yard run down to the Arizona 11 led to a field goal by kicker
Brett Maher. The Cardinals then mounted their best offensive drive of the game, reaching the Los Angeles 12 before linebacker
Christian Rozeboom got his first career interception. The Rams then drove 88 yards in 12 plays with Williams capping it off with a 5-yard TD run that was initially ruled a fumble and touchback but reversed following an instant replay review. Linebacker
Byron Young ended Arizona's next possession with a sack of Cardinals quarterback
Joshua Dobbs and a forced fumble which he recovered himself that led to Maher's fourth field goal to complete the day's scoring. The Rams defense held Arizona in check with just 27 rushing yards allowed after halftime. Stafford passed for 226 yards and a score while Kupp led his team with seven receptions for 148 yards and his first TD of the season as L.A. improved its record to 3–3.
Week 7: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 7: Pittsburgh Steelers at Los Angeles Rams – Game summary
Wide receiver
Puka Nacua had eight receptions for 154 yards, but the Rams faded in the second half against the visiting Steelers to fall to 3-4. Following a scoreless first quarter, Los Angeles came back from a 3-0 deficit with a 41-yard field goal by placekicker
Brett Maher, who later failed to convert an extra point after wide receiver
Tutu Atwell caught a 31-yard scoring pass from quarterback
Matthew Stafford just 17 seconds before halftime for a 9-3 lead. On the first play of the third quarter, Stafford threw an interception to Steelers defensive end
T.J. Watt, who returned it 24 yards to L.A.'s 7-yard line. Three plays later, quarterback
Kenny Pickett's 1-yard TD run put Pittsburgh back in the lead 10-9. The Rams responded with a nine-play, 75-yard drive that was capped by a 1-yard touchdown run by running back
Darrell Henderson, who led the Rams on the ground with 61 yards on 18 carries after being signed as a free agent when starter
Kyren Williams was placed on injured reserve. Stafford converted a pass to wide receiver
Cooper Kupp for a two-point conversion to give the Rams a 17-10 advantage. But the Steelers rallied for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter and L.A. was denied a final chance to come back when Pittsburgh's Pickett converted on a fourth-and-1 play after a highly questionable spot of the ball. Defensive end
Michael Hoecht led the Rams with seven tackles including two sacks in the loss, the franchise's fifth straight to Pittsburgh dating back to
2003.
Week 8: at Dallas Cowboys
Week 8: Los Angeles Rams at Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
Traveling to
AT&T Stadium, the Rams were dominated throughout by the Cowboys to fall to 3-5 on the season. Dallas quarterback
Dak Prescott threw for 304 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Cowboys to a 33-3 lead late in the second period. Rams quarterback
Matthew Stafford passed for 162 yards and a touchdown to wide receiver
Ben Skowronek in the third quarter, but earlier threw a costly interception to Dallas cornerback
DaRon Bland, who returned it 30 yards for a first quarter touchdown. Stafford also made a diving catch of a pass from
Tutu Atwell on a two-point conversion play following his TD pass to Skowronek, but was injured on the play and knocked out of the game. Defensively, linebacker
Ernest Jones led the Rams with eight total tackles, while safety
Jordan Fuller had six tackles and an interception, and defensive tackle
Aaron Donald added four tackles including a pair of sacks on Prescott. Running back
Royce Freeman ran for 44 yards and a touchdown, while tight end
Tyler Higbee caught five passes for 45 yards in L.A.'s loss.
Week 9: at Green Bay Packers
Week 9: Los Angeles Rams at Green Bay Packers – Game summary
Playing at
Lambeau Field for the fourth time in as many years, the Rams lost their third straight game. Kicker
Lucas Havrisik, who was signed after Los Angeles had cut
Brett Maher two weeks earlier, converted a 52-yard field goal for the Rams' only points of the game. Quarterback
Brett Rypien, starting in place of the injured
Matthew Stafford, threw for 130 yards and an interception in an ineffective performance, while
Royce Freeman had 32 rushing yards as the Rams offense was held to a season-low 187 total net yards. On defense, rookie defensive tackle
Byron Young had 10 total tackles including two sacks, while fellow rookie
Kobie Turner also had 10 tackles and added a sack from his nose tackle position as the Rams' record fell to 3–6 on the season.
Week 11: vs. Seattle Seahawks
Week 11: Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Rams – Game summary
Trailing 13–0 in the second quarter, the Rams battled back to take a late lead, then held on to earn a season sweep of the Seahawks. Returning to the starting lineup, quarterback
Matthew Stafford led Los Angeles on a nine-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a 4-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to rookie wide receiver
Puka Nacua with nine seconds left in the first half. Nacua had a team-high five receptions for 70 yards while running back
Royce Freeman added 73 yards on 17 carries and
Darrell Henderson scored on a 1-yard run midway through the fourth quarter to cut the Seahawks' lead to within two points, 16–14. L.A.'s defensive effort was once again led by middle linebacker
Ernest Jones, who had a team-high 12 tackles and combined with outside linebacker
Byron Young for a sack of Seahawks quarterback
Geno Smith, who was forced out of the game late in the third quarter. Cornerback
Derion Kendrick intercepted a pass by Seattle backup QB
Drew Lock, and the Rams pounded out a 13-play drive down to the Seattle 4. From there, rookie kicker
Lucas Havrisik converted a 22-yard field goal with 1:34 remaining. The Seahawks tried to rally behind Smith, who drove his team down to the Rams 37-yard line. From there, Seattle kicker
Jason Myers, who had converted from 54, 43, and 52 yards earlier in the game, missed from 55 yards with three seconds left and L.A. ran out the clock to end a three-game losing streak. Rookie punter
Ethan Evans, who averaged 52.6 yards per punt across five punts with a long of 65, was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 11.
Week 12: at Arizona Cardinals
Week 12: Los Angeles Rams at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary
The Rams turned in their most dominant performance of the season, combining for 457 yards (229 passing, 228 rushing) in total offense while winning at Arizona for the ninth straight time dating back to
2015. L.A. head coach
Sean McVay improved his lifetime record against the Cardinals to 13-2 with the victory. Returning to the starting lineup after four weeks on injured reserve, running back
Kyren Williams had a spectacular performance, running for 143 yards on 16 carries and catching six passes for 61 yards and two touchdowns and was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week. Quarterback
Matthew Stafford completed 25 of 33 pass attempts for 229 yards and a season-high four touchdown passes, with two of those going to tight end
Tyler Higbee, who caught five passes for 29 yards. Running back
Royce Freeman added 77 yards on 13 carries, including a 23-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter and wide receiver
Tutu Atwell caught three passes for 76 yards. The Rams defense corralled Cardinals quarterback
Kyler Murray with constant pressure. Rookie nose tackle
Kobie Turner had two of L.A.'s four sacks as the Rams won back-to-back games for the first time since early in the
2022 season.
Week 13: vs. Cleveland Browns
Week 13: Cleveland Browns at Los Angeles Rams – Game summary
Period
1
2
3
4
Total
Browns
7
3
3
6
19
Rams
10
3
7
16
36
at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
Date: December 3
Game time: 1:25 p.m. PST
Game weather: Cloudy, 67 °F (19 °C) (fixed roof)
Game attendance: 72,887
Referee: John Hussey
TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez and Laura Okmin
In a critical contest for both teams, Los Angeles defeated the visiting
Browns to improve to 6–6. Cleveland struck first by taking the opening kickoff and driving 75 yards in nine plays to finish with a 24-yard touchdown pass from veteran backup quarterback
Joe Flacco to running back
Jerome Ford. The Rams responded by scoring on their next two drives to take a 10–7 lead, first with kicker
Lucas Havrisik booting a 44-yard field goal, then after forcing a Browns punt, quarterback
Matthew Stafford found rookie wide receiver
Puka Nacua deep down the middle. Nacua caught the pass in stride and outran the Cleveland defenders for a 70-yard touchdown pass to give L.A. its first lead of the game. Nacua, who surpassed 1,000 receiving yards for the season in only 12 games, had four receptions for 105 yards (his fifth 100-yard receiving game of the season) as well as two carries for 34 yards on the ground. After the Browns and Rams traded punts and field goals in the second quarter, Cleveland took its first possession of the second half and drove down to the L.A. 6-yard-line. But the Rams defense stiffened and forced the Browns to settle for a 24-yard field goal by
Dustin Hopkins. The Rams retook the lead on the following drive, as a 31-yard run by Nacua and a 30-yard pass from Stafford to wide receiver
Demarcus Robinson set up a first-and-goal at the Browns 10. Two plays later, Stafford and Robinson connected again for a 7-yard touchdown pass and a 20–13 lead. Cleveland responded by putting together another methodical and time-consuming drive that ended with an 8-yard touchdown pass from Flacco to tight end
Harrison Bryant, but the extra point attempt from kicker Hopkins sailed wide right, thus allowing the Rams to maintain a slim 20–19 lead. The Browns forced the Rams to punt on the next possession, but on the very first play of Cleveland's ensuing drive, Flacco threw a long pass that was intercepted by former Brown
John Johnson, who returned the interception 42 yards to Cleveland's 24-yard line. It took the Rams five plays to score as Stafford (22–37, 279 yards, 0 INTs) threw his third TD pass of the day, a 3-yard strike to wide receiver
Cooper Kupp that gave L.A. an eight-point lead. Starting from their own 30, the Browns failed to move the chains after four tries, turning over the ball on downs with 2:29 remaining. Running back
Kyren Williams (21 carries, 88 yards) ran the ball four straight times, with his last carry scoring from one yard out with two minutes remaining. The Rams defense punctuated the win in the final seconds as Flacco was sacked at the one by rookie nose tackle
Kobie Turner on third down. Backed into his own end zone, Flacco was sacked on fourth down by both Turner and defensive tackle
Aaron Donald for the game's final points as the Rams won three straight games for the first time since their Super Bowl-winning season and remained a contender in the NFC playoff race.[15] The victory also propelled the Rams to 2nd place in the division as they held tiebreaker against the Seattle Seahawks.
Week 14: at Baltimore Ravens
Week 14: Los Angeles Rams at Baltimore Ravens – Game summary
BAL – Odell Beckham Jr. – 4 receptions, 97 yards, TD
In a wild back-and-forth contest that had eight lead changes during regulation, the Rams fell to the host Ravens in overtime. Facing the NFL's top-rated defense, Los Angeles rolled up over 400 yards in total offense and took an early lead on a 27-yard field goal by
Lucas Havrisik. But after a trade of punts, Baltimore reclaimed the lead near the end of the opening quarter on the first of three touchdown passes by quarterback
Lamar Jackson. The Rams responded quickly as wide receiver
Cooper Kupp caught a 6-yard TD pass from quarterback
Matthew Stafford. The Ravens retook the lead as Jackson threw a 46-yard score to former Rams wideout
Odell Beckham Jr., who was playing against his former team for the first time. Stafford then came back to lead an 11-play, 75 yard drive that ended with the Rams QB finding backup tight end
Davis Allen for a 7-yard touchdown. An interception of Jackson by cornerback
Ahkello Witherspoon led to a 51-yard field goal by Havrisik and a 20–14 lead. Two
Justin Tucker field goals tied the score at 20–20 in the third quarter, but an errant snap by the Ravens was kicked out of the end zone by Jackson for a safety and 22–20 Rams advantage. But a third Tucker field goal put Baltimore on top again. Stafford (294 yards passing) threw his third TD pass of the game, a 5-yard strike to
Demarcus Robinson, who had formerly played for the Ravens. But Baltimore rallied with Jackson's third touchdown pass of this game, this one 21 yards to wide receiver
Zay Flowers, and the same combination connected for a two-point conversion and a 31–28 lead. With 1:16 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Rams drove from their own 25 to the Baltimore 18 where Havrisik converted a 36-yard field goal with 11 seconds left in regulation. Neither team could score on their first offensive possessions, but disaster struck as
Ethan Evans' 50-yard punt was fielded by Ravens return man
Tylan Wallace, who evaded numerous Rams tacklers and returned the kick 76 yards for the game-winning touchdown. Rams running back
Kyren Williams had 114 yards on 25 carries. Linebacker
Ernest Jones had a team-high 10 tackles including a sack for the Rams in the loss, which broke a three-game win streak.
Week 15: vs. Washington Commanders
Week 15: Washington Commanders at Los Angeles Rams – Game summary
WAS – Terry McLaurin – 6 receptions, 141 yards, TD
LAR – Cooper Kupp – 8 receptions, 111 yards, TD
The Rams moved closer to a playoff berth, holding off a late Washington rally to improve to 7–7 on the season. Running back
Kyren Williams rushed for 152 yards including a 1-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, but his performance was marred by two fumbles in Commanders territory that ended potential Rams scoring drives. Kicker
Lucas Havrisik kicked two field goals as Los Angeles built a 13-0 halftime lead. The Rams started off the second half quickly as quarterback
Matthew Stafford found wide receiver
Cooper Kupp wide open down the left sideline for a 62-yard touchdown pass. Stafford, who completed 25 of 33 passes for 258 yards, threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to
Demarcus Robinson early in the fourth quarter as the Rams opened up a 28–7 lead. But after Havrisik missed a 43-yard field goal, Washington scored touchdowns on back-to-back drives behind backup QB
Jacoby Brissett to close to within 28–20 with 1:50 remaining. But the Commanders' attempt at an onside kick was foiled as Kupp batted the ball out of bounds. Five runs by Williams allowed the Rams to run the clock out. Kupp had eight receptions for 111 yards to lead the Rams on offense. Linebacker
Ernest Jones had a team-high seven tackles including a sack and safety
John Johnson had three tackles with an interception and a pass deflection in the victory.
Week 16: vs. New Orleans Saints
Week 16: New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Rams – Game summary
Playing their final home game of the season, the Rams won their fifth game in six weeks with a convincing victory over the Saints. Rookie wide receiver
Puka Nacua produced 180 yards in total offense and caught a 2-yard touchdown pass from quarterback
Matthew Stafford to complete L.A.'s 14-play, 95-yard opening drive. Stafford continued his strong play, completing 24 of 34 passes for 328 yards with a second TD pass to wide receiver
Demarcus Robinson. who caught six passes for 82 yards in the first half. Stafford threw two or more touchdown passes for the fifth straight game and had his fourth straight game without an interception. Running back
Kyren Williams had 104 yards on 22 carries with a third quarter touchdown on a 10-yard run as he became the Rams' first running back to rush for 1,000 yards since
Todd Gurley in
2018. Kicker
Lucas Havrisik converted three of four field goals as Los Angeles built a 30–7 lead early in the fourth quarter. The Rams defense was led by safety
John Johnson's eight total tackles while safety
Jordan Fuller added an interception. Linebacker
Ernest Jones and rookie defensive end
Kobie Turner each had a sack and L.A. held the Saints to just 35 rushing yards on 16 attempts. New Orleans rallied late with two touchdown passes from quarterback
Derek Carr to close within 30–22, but Nacua covered the onside kick attempt and the Rams ran out the clock. Nacua, who caught nine passes for 164 yards with a touchdown and ran twice for 16 yards, was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week.[16]
Week 17: at New York Giants
Week 17: Los Angeles Rams at New York Giants – Game summary
Los Angeles ensured itself of a winning season and ultimately a return to the postseason by holding off the host Giants for the Rams' sixth victory in seven weeks. The Rams built a 14–10 halftime lead behind a 4-yard rushing touchdown by running back
Kyren Williams and a 5-yard touchdown pass from quarterback
Matthew Stafford to wide receiver
Cooper Kupp. In the third quarter, on a third-and-four play from the Los Angeles 18, Stafford completed a short pass to wide receiver
Puka Nacua, who broke a tackle from New York cornerback
Adoree Jackson immediately after catching the pass and broke down the sideline for an 80-yard gain. Nacua's big play set up another short rushing touchdown from Williams for a 20-10 lead, but the ensuing extra point from kicker
Lucas Havrisik sailed wide of the uprights. Following an exchange of punts, the Giants responded with a big play of their own when quarterback
Tyrod Taylor hit wide receiver
Darius Slayton deep down the middle for an 80-yard touchdown (followed by a missed extra point) that cut the Rams' lead back to four. On the Rams' following drive, Stafford was picked off by Giants safety
Dane Belton, who advanced the ball well into Los Angeles territory before running out of bounds. However, the Giants could only muster a field goal after starting with advantageous field position thanks to a critical pass breakup in the end zone by Rams cornerback
Derion Kendrick on a third down. The Rams responded with a three-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, which was highlighted by Stafford's 37-yard pass to wide receiver
Demarcus Robinson and Williams' 28-yard rushing touchdown (his third rushing TD of the game). However, Havrisik missed yet another extra point to keep the Rams' lead at 26-19. Holding onto that same lead with three and a half minutes remaining in the game, the Rams punted the ball back to New York. On the return, Giants return specialist
Gunner Olszewski broke free of the grasp of two L.A. defenders and ran to the end zone for a 94-yard touchdown to pull the Giants to within a point. An encroachment penalty on defensive lineman
Jonah Williams on the extra point attempt caused Giants head coach
Brian Daboll to attempt a two-point conversion from the Rams' 1-yard line. But on the attempt, Taylor failed to connect with wide open running back
Saquon Barkley, thus allowing the Rams to maintain a 26–25 lead. From that point, the Rams just needed to pick up one first down to win the game, but they went three-and-out and punted the ball back to New York. The Giants advanced the ball to the outskirts of field goal range, but kicker
Mason Crosby missed a go-ahead 54-yard field goal attempt, thus allowing the Rams to drain the clock and seal the win.[17] Rookie nose tackle
Kobie Turner had 2.5 sacks and defensive tackle
Aaron Donald had two sacks and a pass deflection as the Rams collected six sacks in total. With the win and a loss by rival Seattle later that day, the Rams clinched a playoff berth.[18]
Week 18: at San Francisco 49ers
Week 18: Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary
In a game that had both teams resting or limiting their starting lineups, the Rams ended a nine-game regular season losing streak to the 49ers by rallying to defeat their NFC West rivals at
Levi's Stadium. Getting his first start of the season in relief of
Matthew Stafford, quarterback
Carson Wentz completed 17 of 24 passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns, while also carrying the ball 17 times for 56 yards and another touchdown, a 12-yard run with 4:56 remaining. Opting for the two-point conversion, Wentz connected with wide receiver
Tutu Atwell in the end zone to give the Rams a 21-20 lead. Safety
Russ Yeast led the team with seven tackles including two pass deflections that helped stop the 49ers offense in the second half. Rams wide receiver
Puka Nacua had four receptions for 41 yards and scored L.A.'s first touchdown on a 19-yard pass play in the first quarter. Early in the third period, Nacua came out of the game after catching a pair of passes that ended his season with 105 receptions for 1,486 yards, setting new NFL rookie records for receptions and receiving yards. With the victory, Rams head coach
Sean McVay moved into second place in regular season coaching victories (70) in franchise history.
^
abcSan Francisco finished ahead of Dallas and Detroit based on conference record.
^
abDallas finished ahead of Detroit based on head-to-head victory.
^
abTampa Bay finished ahead of New Orleans based on common record. (Tampa Bay is 8–4 against Minnesota, Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, Atlanta, Carolina, Houston, Tennessee, Jacksonville, and Indianapolis, while New Orleans is 6–6 against the same teams.)
^
abcGreen Bay and Seattle finished ahead of New Orleans based on conference record.
^
abGreen Bay finished ahead of Seattle based on strength of victory, claiming the 7th and final playoff spot.
^
abMinnesota finished ahead of Atlanta based on head-to-head victory. Division tie break was initially used to eliminate Chicago (see below).
^
abMinnesota finished ahead of Chicago based on common record. (Minnesota is 5–7 against Tampa Bay, Los Angeles Chargers, Carolina, Kansas City, Green Bay, Atlanta, New Orleans, Denver, Las Vegas, and Detroit, while Chicago is 4–8 against the same teams.)
^
abChicago finished ahead of Atlanta based on head-to-head victory.
^
abWashington finished ahead of Arizona based on head-to-head victory.
^When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division.
Facing the Lions in the postseason for the first time since
1952, the Rams fell short in an NFC Wild Card Game. Playing his first game at
Ford Field since being traded from the Lions three years earlier, quarterback
Matthew Stafford completed 25 of 36 passes for 367 yards, including touchdown passes in the second quarter to wide receivers
Puka Nacua (50 yards) and
Tutu Atwell as Los Angeles fought back from a 14-3 deficit to trail 21-17 at halftime. Nacua added to his record-setting season by catching nine passes for 181 yards, breaking the NFL record for receiving yards by a rookie in a playoff game. Kicker
Brett Maher converted three field goals, but each score came with the Rams' scoring drive having stalled deep into Lions territory. Running back
Kyren Williams had 13 carries for 61 yards and caught one pass for nine yards in the loss. After giving up three touchdowns on Detroit's first three possessions, L.A.'s defense stiffened and held Detroit to only a single field goal the rest of the game. Safety
Quentin Lake and linebacker
Ernest Jones shared the team lead in tackles with nine each, with Jones adding two sacks. Former Rams quarterback
Jared Goff completed 22 of 27 passes for 277 yards and a touchdown while Lions wide receiver
Josh Reynolds caught five passes for 80 yards as both players had success against the team that originally drafted them.