Rams Convert 15-Play Stall Into 24-9 Derby Victory

The Los Angeles Rams scored their first touchdown of the game with less than twenty seconds left in the first half.

Matthew Stafford passed for 157 yards and one score, while Blake Corum and Kyren Williams each found the end zone in a 24-9 win over the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium on Sunday. The Rams (4-4) improved to two wins in a row for the first time this season. Puka Nacua finished with 11 receptions for 80 yards and a touchdown.

The offense stalled for the first 30 minutes. The Rams gained only 24 yards on their first 15 plays. They went without a first down on their first five drives, a mark that stands as a first in the career of head coach Sean McVay. The team trailed 9-3 before securing their initial first down on a 40-yard completion to Tutu Atwell near the end of the second quarter.

The Chargers (0-7) extended their winless start to seven games, their worst beginning since 2000. Justin Herbert passed for 257 yards but threw two interceptions. The offense under Mike McDaniel accumulated 295 total yards, yet the defense could not stop the Rams late in the game. The Bolts remain the only winless team in the NFL.

Both teams started with interceptions. Quentin Lake returned a short pass from Herbert 45 yards to set up the Rams' opening field goal. The Chargers responded with back-to-back successful flea-flickers to move into position for their second field goal in the second quarter. Herbert has thrown at least one interception in all seven of his games this season.

The Rams took control in the second half. Corum rushed for 73 total yards, including a 23-yard touchdown run on a 55-yard drive that started immediately after halftime. Williams ran in for the first score of the game in the final seconds of the first half. Nacua caught an 18-yard screen pass for a third-quarter touchdown two plays after Trent McDuffie intercepted a Rams pass.

The Rams have won two of the three editions of this local rivalry since both teams moved to Los Angeles a decade ago. The Rams played without injured wide receiver Davante Adams. The Chargers missed safety Derwin James, who was placed on injured reserve on Saturday. He missed his fourth consecutive game with a hamstring injury.

Injury updates included linebacker Daiyan Henley, who hurt his shoulder in the first quarter but returned. Rams cornerback Jaylen Watson left the game early in the second half with a shoulder injury. He had missed a game last month with a dislocated shoulder. McDuffie injured his back in the second half while returning from a two-game absence with a groin injury. He remained on the sideline wearing his helmet for the final minutes.

The Chargers host Houston on Sunday. The Rams travel to Washington for their next game.