Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford took several big hits on Sunday night against the Lions, and he was playing behind a banged-up offensive line. But he kept coming, leading the Rams back from 14 points down to take a fourth-quarter lead before the Lions eventually won in overtime.
To Lions coach Dan Campbell, that was the ultimate sign of just what a dangerous opponent Stafford is.
“Stafford, man, it’s almost like you don’t want to hit him because when you hit him he plays better. He just continued to make plays,” Campbell said.
Stafford did get better as the game went on, and his late-game heroics were particularly impressive considering he was doing it behind a patchwork offensive line and without wide receiver Puka Nacua. The Rams lost in overtime when their defense gave up a touchdown on the offensive drive, and Stafford never touched the ball. But the Rams’ loss doesn’t negate the way Stafford stepped up.
The Rams and Lions played another close game at Ford Field and while it took overtime in this instance, Detroit once again came out on top.
In the extra period, running back David Montgomery powered the Lions’ offense to a game-winning touchdown drive — giving the club a 26-20 victory without Los Angeles ever touching the ball.
That score came after the Lions had given up a 17-3 lead to trail 20-17. Jameson Williams’ 52-yard touchdown reception early in the third quarter put Detroit up by 14. And at that point, it looked like Detroit would be able to pull away, as Los Angeles had several injury issues.
Receiver Puka Nacua went down with a knee issue late in the first half and did not return in the second. Already without both starting tackles, the Rams’ backup left tackle and starting left guard went down and didn’t return.
But that was no matter, as Los Angeles was able to rattle off 17 straight points to gain a three-point advantage. Kyren Williams muscled in a 2-yard touchdown run after a defensive pass interference penalty put the offense in the shadow of the goal line. It looked like the Rams had tied the game on their next drive with a jet sweep, but third-string left tackle AJ Arcuri was flagged for a hold on Aiden Hutchinson, negating the play.
Los Angeles settled for a 26-yard field goal to make the score 17-13.
It was Cooper Kupp — who tied a career-high with 14 receptions and set a new career-high with 21 targets — who caught the go-ahead, 9-yard touchdown with 4:30 left in regulation from Matthew Stafford.
While the Rams had a chance to close it out on offense with a four-minute drive after forcing a three-and-out on Detroit’s ensuing possession, they couldn’t get it done. A false start on backup right tackle Warren McClendon put L.A. behind the chains, and Stafford’s pass to Kupp on third-and-10 fell incomplete.
Detroit had an opportunity to win it in regulation after advancing deep into Rams territory. But on fourth-and-5, the club had to settle for Jake Bates’ 32-yard field goal with 17 seconds to go to tie it up.
After winning the overtime coin toss, the Lions simply bullied the Rams down the field on the way to victory. Kalif Raymond started the possession with a 12-yard end around. Then Montgomery rolled down the field with 21- and 9-yard carries.
Once Montgomery took conductive runs for 6 and 8 yards to move down to the L.A. 1, head coach Sean McVay took a timeout just to give his defense a blow. But it was over on the next play — Montgomery powered his way through the line for a 1-yard score to end it.
The Rams had opened the game’s scoring with rookie kicker Joshua Karty’s 41-yard field goal in the first quarter. Bates equalized with a 25-yard field goal in the second before Jahmyr Gibbs twisted his way into the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown with 1:57 left in the first half.
Montgomery finished the contest with 91 yards on 17 carries with a TD. Williams had five catches for 121 yards with a touchdown, plus a 13-yard carry.
Quarterback Jared Goff was efficient, finishing 18-of-28 for 217 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
Much like the matchup in the wild card round back in January, the Rams had issues scoring in the red zone, finishing 2-of-5 — 2-of-4 in goal-to-go situations. Stafford ended the game 34-of-49 for 317 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Williams averaged just 2.8 yards per carry, finishing with 50 yards on 18 attempts. Kupp had 110 yards.
At 1-0, the Lions will continue their tour of teams they beat in last year’s postseason with the Buccaneers coming to town in Week 2.
The Rams will be on the road again next Sunday to face the Cardinals in Arizona.
The first Sunday Night Football matchup of the 2024 season will have a little extra time.
The Rams and Lions are headed to overtime after Jake Bates hit a 32-yard field goal with 17 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
Detroit’s Jared Goff had an opportunity with 24 seconds left on third-and-5 from the Los Angeles 14, but he threw incomplete to running back Jahmyr Gibbs.
Los Angeles was down 17-3 in the third quarter but scored 17 consecutive points to go up 20-17 with Cooper Kupp’s 9-yard touchdown reception with 4:30 left in regulation.
The game will end in a tie if there’s no winner after the 10-minute overtime period.
The Lions are starting to blow it open against the Rams.
Jameson Williams caught a 52-yard touchdown pass to give Detroit a 17-3 lead with 10:29 left in the third quarter.
The Lions had third-and-3 and elected to take a shot on the outside. Williams beat cornerback Tre’Davious White with a double move — despite White being flagged for illegal contact — and was wide open down the left sideline as quarterback Jared Goff hit him for the score.
Williams now has three receptions for 89 yards and a 13-yard run.
Goff is 9-of-13 passing for 129 yards with a touchdown.
With several injuries along their offensive line along with receiver Puka Nacua, the Rams may have a tough time getting things going on offense through the rest of the game.
Puka Nacua will not return on Sunday.
The Rams announced that Nacua has been downgraded to out a knee injury.
Nacua suffered the injury in the second quarter while making a catch in Detroit territory. He was examined in the medical tent and briefly attempted to play on the Rams’ last drive of the first half. But he then went back to the sideline before being carted to the locker room at halftime.
The Rams’ offensive line has gotten even more banged up. Left tackle Joe Noteboom — who was playing for the suspended Alaric Jackson — is dealing with an ankle injury, but did not start the second half.
Guard Steve Avila has been ruled out with a knee injury. Jonah Jackson, who started the game at center, has moved over to left guard while rookie Beaux Limmer has entered to play center. AJ Arcuri has come in to play left tackle.
With right tackle Rob Havenstein inactive due to an ankle injury, Warren McClendon is in at right tackle.
The Lions and Rams have gone back and forth on offense, but a Detroit touchdown late in the second quarter has the home team ahead 10-3 at halftime on Sunday Night Football.
After Los Angeles did not convert on fourth-and-4 from the Lions’ 23, the Lions got their first touchdown drive started with the speedy Jameson Williams, as he caught a 37-yard pass over the middle to put the Lions in Rams territory. While quarterback Jared Goff missed Williams deep down the middle of the field on the next play, running back Jahmyr Gibbs caught a screen pass for a 14-yard gain to the L.A. 27.
Williams briefly left the contest after going down at the end of a 13-yard end around, but was back in the game a couple of plays later. And Gibbs scored the game’s first touchdown with a 1-yard run, twisting himself over the goal line for the score with 1:57 left in the second quarter.
The Rams had a chance to get points on a two-minute drive, but quarterback Matthew Stafford threw a poor interception to safety Kerby Joseph over the middle of the field on second-and-goal from the 8-yard line.
It was the second time the Rams advanced deep into Detroit territory without getting points in the first half.
Los Angeles has multiple injury concerns on offense, headlined by Puka Nacua. The second-year wideout went down with a knee injury in the second quarter, tried to come back and play, but was on the sideline as the Rams finished their two-minute drive.
Left tackle Joe Noteboom — who is playing for the suspended Alaric Jackson — also is questionable to return with an ankle injury.
Lions quarterback Jared Goff is 7-of-10 passing for 75 yards. Williams has two catches for 37 yards to lead the team. David Montgomery has nine carries for 35 yards — including a 3-yard run on fourth-and-2 — and Gibbs has five carries for 18 yards.
Stafford is 16-of-26 for 119 yards with an interception. Kyren Williams has five carries for 23 yards. Nacua has four catches for 35 yards, Cooper Kupp has six receptions for 30 yards, and newcomer Colby Parkinson has three receptions for 45 yards.
Rookie kicker Joshua Karty got the Rams on the board with a 41-yard field goal while Detroit’s Jake Bates equalized with a 25-yard field goal early in the second quarter.
The Rams are 1-of-4 on third down while the Lions are 2-of-5.
Detroit will receive the second-half kickoff.
The Rams suddenly are hurting.
They began the game without offensive tackles Alaric Jackson and Rob Havenstein, and now have lost left tackle Joe Noteboom. Noteboom was carted to the X-ray room in the second quarter.
The Rams call him questionable to return with an ankle injury.
That leaves AJ Arcuri, called up from the practice squad, as the next and last tackle available. He now is playing left tackle. The Rams left Warren McClendon, who played through an ankle issue for most of the preseason, at right tackle.
Receiver Puka Nacua left briefly with a knee injury. He was questionable to return but is back in the game, likely not at 100 percent.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford got his right ankle taped on the trainer’s table, but he did not miss a play.
The Rams will not have right tackle Rob Havenstein for Sunday Night Football.
He is among the team’s inactives with an ankle injury.
Havenstein made the trip to Detroit, and the Rams indicated he would be a game-time decision. He has yet to have a full practice, though, since his injury.
The Rams’ other inactives are running back Cody Schrader, outside linebacker Brennan Jackson, inside linebacker Elias Neal and defensive lineman Desjuan Johnson.
The Lions will have to wait another week until they get defensive tackle DJ Reader on the field. He returned to practice last week after missing the offseason and training camp while rehabbing a quad injury.
He is inactive.
The Lions signed defensive lineman Chris Smith from the practice squad to the active roster on Saturday and elevated defensive lineman Kyle Peko from the practice squad to boost their numbers in the defensive line.
Safety Ifeatu Melifonwu (ankle) also won’t play after being listed as doubtful.
Defensive end James Houston, safety Loren Strickland, linebacker Trevor Nowaske, offensive lineman Colby Sorsdal and offensive tackle Giovani Manu are the Lions’ other inactives.
It looks like defensive tackle D.J. Reader’s Lions debut will be on hold for at least another week.
Reader tore his quad while playing for the Bengals last year and he signed with the Lions as a free agent this offseason. Reader has been practicing with the team for the last few weeks, but he was listed as questionable on Friday and Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports he will not play against the Rams on Sunday night.
The Lions promoted Kyle Peko from the practice squad and signed Chris Smith to the 53-man roster from the practice squad to bolster their options on the defensive line.
Safety Ifeatu Melifonwu (ankle) is listed as doubtful while safety Loren Strickland (thumb) has been ruled out.
The Ravens’ offensive tackles were flagged for four illegal formation penalties on Thursday night, serving notice to the rest of the league that linemen lining up properly is going to be strictly enforced by NFL officials this season.
Lions coach Dan Campbell said he didn’t watch Thursday night’s game but heard about the penalties and made sure the issue was addressed with his team this morning. Campbell said the Lions were already aware that it had become a point of emphasis and that linemen would get at most one warning before they were flagged, but the penalties against the Ravens made it an issue for the team to address on Friday.
“I made that point this morning because I knew it had come up,” Campbell said on Friday. “They were gonna make a point of that, they’ll warn you once and then that’s it. There are no more. They’ll just start flagging them. So our guys know that and we’ll be ready for it.”
It’s unfortunate for the Ravens that they were the team the officials made an example of, but now every NFL offensive tackle should be well aware that there’s no more cheating back toward the backfield when lining up to pass block. That’s going to get flagged, perhaps multiple times a game.