Jalen Ramsey made the play of the game for the Los Angeles Rams when they needed it most, enabling the defending Super Bowl LVI champions to bounce back after suffering an opening night defeat.
The All-Pro cornerback intercepted Marcus Mariota with 1:07 left in the fourth quarter and the Rams held on to defeat the Atlanta Falcons 31-27 despite a late game rally on Sunday at SoFi stadium in week 2 of the NFL season.
The Rams never trailed in the game but nearly blew a 28-3 third-quarter lead only before Ramsey recorded his first takeaway of the year to lift Los Angeles to victory.
“I told my teammates it was gonna come back to me and it did,” Ramsey said. “I just continued to focus and do my job. That was going through my mind because in the past we pressed to make those plays. And when you do that, it doesn’t end up well for you.”
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“I’ve been doing it long enough to know you never take a win for granted in this league. It’s too difficult to come by,” Rams coach Sean McVay said.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford threw three touchdowns for 272 yards and two interceptions. Cooper Kupp caught two TD passes and finished with 108 yards on 11 receptions.
“We had too many turnovers, too many things that we didn’t capitalize on, but we found a way to be able to get it done,” McVay said.
Allen Robinson had four catches for 53 yards and a score, bouncing back after having only one reception in his Rams debut against the Bills. Tyler Higbee also contributed with seven catches for 71 yards while Darrell Henderson Jr. had 10 carries for 47 yards and a rushing score as Los Angeles led 21-3 at halftime.
“It was good to be able to get some of those players that you guys were on me about, involved and really be able to utilize the entirety of our roster,” McVay said.
“Those guys were some primaries early on in the game and they did a great job, and then Cooper got his opportunities and made great plays as he always does,” Stafford said.
Mariota finished 17 of 26 for 196 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Drake London caught a four-yard score in the third and Mariota found Olamide Zaccheaus for an 11-yard touchdown in the fourth to get within 31-17.
“I think just flush it and we can take the good and the bad. Don’t be afraid to look at yourself critically and get better from it,” said Mariota on what the coaching staff preached after the loss.
Lorenzo Carter provided an even bigger spark for the Falcons after returning a 26-yard score after Troy Anderson blocked a punt to make it a 31-23 game with 4:57 left in the fourth. The Falcons then stayed aggressive and converted a two-point conversion pass from Mariota to London to get Atlanta within six, 31-25.
The Falcons had one final chance to complete its comeback but Mariota launched a pass intended for Bryan Edwards only to see Ramsey make an unbelievable play by high pointing the ball for the game-clinching interception with 1:07 left.
“Really proud of the resilience I saw from this group,” McVay said.
The Rams will next travel for their first road game of the season with a divisional matchup against the Arizona Cardinals (0-2) on Sunday at 1:25 p.m.
“Every week is different. You got to go out there and prove it every single week,” McVay said.
