INGLEWOOD – The Rams entered the second half with a four-point lead, thanks to some gutsy running by Kyren Williams and a pick-six by rookie Jaylen McCollough. Receiving the second-half kick, they had a chance to put some distance between themselves and the Green Bay Packers.
On the precipice of another red-zone trip, however, disaster struck. Then struck again, and again, and again.
First, it was a Williams fumble, recovered by Packers safety Xavier McKinney. Quarterback Jordan Love found tight end Tucker Kraft two plays later, alone in the Rams zone, and he broke a Darious Williams tackle with a stiff arm for a 66-yard touchdown. The next drive, Rams QB Matthew Stafford overthrew Tutu Atwell, and McKinney came away with the interception. The Packers drove, and Kraft dove across the goal line for a second score on a screen pass.
That four-point lead had quickly dissolved into a two-possession deficit, and there would be no recovery as the Rams fell 24-19, a loss they must linger on for the entirety of their bye week.
The Rams (1-4) gave it a good go at a comeback. Stafford orchestrated an 11-play, 86-yard touchdown drive, finished with a pass to Demarcus Robinson. And Darious Williams broke up a Love pass on third down to force a punt by the Packers (3-2) with 2:57 to play.
But tight end Colby Parkinson was unable to control Stafford’s pass on fourth down with a minute to play, the ball bouncing off his hands and onto the turf.
At first, the Rams looked capable of avoiding such a dour note entering the bye. The offense was able to move, particularly on the ground with 18 carries for 88 yards in the first half.
Aggressiveness from head coach Sean McVay on fourth down was a double-edged sword; one high throw from Stafford turned the ball over on downs inside the Green Bay 5. But a successful run by Williams kept alive a drive that ended in a touchdown.
And the Rams defense put together one of its best halves of the season. It forced three three-and-outs in the Packers’ first four drives. Aside from a 53-yard pass to Jayden Reed, the Rams held Love to 8-for-14 passing for 66 yards in the first half.
And with the Packers backed up by their own goal line, Rams outside linebacker Byron Young shoved Love toward the back of the end zone. Desperate to avoid a safety, Love chucked the ball away. But McCollough was in perfect position for an interception, and he tiptoed his way down the sideline and past the pylon for the Rams’ first defensive TD since 2022.
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