Cooper Kupp’s second straight week with a touchdown proved to be the game-winner Sunday afternoon. (Photo by Los Angeles Rams)
By Matt Barrero, Assistant Sports Editor
LOS ANGELES 17, NEW YORK (GIANTS) 9
INGLEWOOD, CALIF.
A postgame scuffle was the most action Sunday’s game saw all afternoon, but after all, was said and done the Los Angeles Rams improved to 3-1 while the New York Giants found themselves another week without a victory.
In a game that had a combined 10 punts and saw both teams finish with under 300 total yards offensively, the faster the game ended, the better. It was as boring as boring could get.
OK so it wasn’t all too bad.
Besides the end game shenanigans, there were two plays that solidified the Rams victory on Sunday.
With 6:56 left in the game, Jared Goff connected with Cooper Kupp on a perfect pass just over the head of Giants linebacker Blake Martinez. Kupp showed off some acceleration after the catch and sped past his would-be tacklers into the endzone for a 55-yard touchdown that gave the Rams a 17-9 lead.
Following the touchdown, both teams would exchange drives with no adjustment to the score itself. The Rams would punt on their drive, giving the Giants possession on their own 20-yard line with just over two minutes left in the ballgame only down eight points. Giants quarterback Daniel Jones sparked the offense in the final minutes and drove all the way down to the Rams 18-yard line on just five plays.
With 52 seconds left, and the Giants looking to force the game into overtime, Jones targeted wide receiver Damion Ratley standing at the 5-yard line but was intercepted by a diving cornerback Darious Williams. Williams’ clutch defensive play sealed the game and earned the Rams third victory of the season, keeping them in second place in the NFL’s toughest division (NFC West).
At the end of the game, both teams exchanged handshakes, but it was Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey and Giants wide receiver Golden Tate that made things a bit more interesting. The two exchanged punches and caused players from both teams to break up the melee. While no news was mentioned as to what caused the scrap today, ESPN writer Lindsey Thiry reported that the two have had off-field issues regarding a family situation over the past year. Ramsey has two young daughters with Tate’s younger sister Breanna Tate, though the two are no longer together.
OFFENSIVE PERFORMANCE –
Jared Goff had the best numbers following Sunday’s victory finishing the day with 200 yards passing and completing 25 of his 32 pass attempts. His one touchdown pass to Kupp proved to be the game-winning score. Kupp finished his day with five receptions for 69 yards and the touchdown. Tight end Gerald Everett scored the only other touchdown of the game on a 2-yard rush during the Rams opening drive.
DEFENSIVE PERFORMANCE –
The “Mob Squad” did their job as a group recording five sacks from five different players. Safety Taylor Rapp led the team with eight total tackles while defensive tackle Aaron Donald had a quiet afternoon finishing with just two tackles and shared a sack with linebacker Samson Ebukam. The interception at the end of the game from Darious Williams solidified an overall solid outing from the defensive side of the ball.
FINAL THOUGHTS –
Consistency is Key: For the fourth time in as many years under Sean McVay, the Rams have made it through the first quarter of the season with at least three wins through the first four weeks of the season.
Second Half Studs: While Sunday’s game lacked the offensive firepower from the rest of the league (Rams and Giants finished with the lowest combined score on the day), the Rams once again showed how good of a team they are in the second half. Defensively, the Rams only allowed three points to be scored by the Giants in the entire second half. This marks the third time in the four games played where the Rams did not allow their opponent to score more than three points or score any touchdowns in the entire second half.
INJURIES –
Safety Jordan Fuller did not suit up Sunday afternoon. Fuller left last week’s game in the first half following a shoulder injury.
Linebacker Micah Kiser did not return to Sunday’s game after suffering a groin injury sometime in the third quarter.
COMING UP –
The Rams will travel to the nation’s capital to take on the Washington Football Team (1-3) at 10:00 a.m. PST on FOX. Washington is coming off a 31-17 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
The Giants will look to earn their first victory of the season when they enter ‘Jerry’s World’ to take on their NFC East rival, Dallas Cowboys at 1:25 p.m. PST on CBS. The Cowboys are surprisingly off to a 1-3 start after losing to the Cleveland Browns 49-38 last Sunday.
