Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – The Los Angeles Rams shook off a slow start with a quick-fire pair of third-quarter touchdowns to hand the reeling Baltimore Ravens a 17-3 NFL defeat on Sunday. It was tied at 3-3 at halftime after the Rams thwarted Baltimore on four attempts to score from less than five yards out, Los Angeles ending the goal-line stand by stopping Derrick Henry on fourth down.
The Rams took the lead on Kyren Williams’ three-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter, and after Zay Flowers fumbled on Baltimore’s ensuing possession, Los Angeles needed just two plays to hit the end zone again on Matthew Stafford’s eight-yard pass to Tyler Higbee. Stafford, who connected on 17 of 26 passes for 181 yards and the touchdown, credited the Rams defense with coming through on a “weird” windy day in Baltimore. “Obviously (we) fed off our defense and special teams getting the ball back for us a couple of times,” Stafford said. “Just a weird one,” he added. “Didn’t execute as good as we possibly can, missed some opportunities to score touchdowns in the red zone but found a way to win, which is what matters most.”
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In their second straight game without injured star quarterback Lamar Jackson, the Ravens fell to 1-5, extending the team’s worst start to a season since 2015 and casting further doubt on their chances of turning things around in time to reach the postseason. Cooper Rush’s struggles in place of Jackson saw the Ravens send in Tyler Huntley in the fourth quarter.
The Indianapolis Colts continued their strong start, improving to 5-1 with a 31-27 home victory over the Arizona Cardinals, who saw tight end Travis Vokolek stretchered off early with a frightening neck injury. Coming off a blowout victory over the Raiders, the Colts had to rally to remain unbeaten at home.
Jonathan Taylor plunged in for a touchdown with 4:32 remaining to put Indianapolis up 31-27, and the Colts defense stymied a potential go-ahead drive by Arizona in which quarterback Jacoby Brissett marched the Cardinals 78 yards. However, after a third-down sack, they came up short on an attempt to Trey McBride in the end zone.
Last minute field goals lifted the Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Chargers to victories, with the Panthers shocking the Cowboys 30-27 in Charlotte and the Chargers edging the Dolphins 29-27 in Miami. Panthers running back Rico Dowdle rushed for 183 yards with 56 receiving yards and a touchdown against his former team, and Ryan Fitzgerald booted the game-winning field goal on the final play. “They wasn’t buckled up,” Dowdle said of a Dallas team that let him depart as a free agent after last season.
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert escaped pressure to hit Ladd McConkey for a 42-yard gain and set up Cameron Dicker’s fifth field goal, a 33-yarder with five seconds left to seal their win. The day’s action started in London, where the Denver Broncos sacked New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields nine times on the way to a 13-11 victory. The Broncos trailed 11-10 after giving up a safety in the third quarter, but Wil Lutz’s 27-yard field goal with 5:06 remaining put them back in front, and Jonathon Cooper and Justin Strnad sacked Fields to seal a win that dropped the Jets to 0-6.
© 2024 AFP
