Rams’ defense paves the way for road win over Baltimore Ravens

BALTIMORE — The Rams won’t be in London until the end of the week.

But they got something of a preview and head start on Sunday.

Rams 17, Ravens 3, end of fourth quarter

The Rams started on their 15-yard line after forcing a fourth-down stop.

Kyren Williams ran the ball four times before Matthew Stafford bobbled a jet sweep handoff on third-and-12 and the Rams recovered.

The Rams punted and their defense limited the Ravens to 19 yards on their ensuing drive before running out the clock.

Rams 17, Ravens 3, 3:51 left in the fourth quarter

Tyler Huntley replaced Cooper Rush at quarter and briefly changed the game for the Ravens, presenting a much stronger run threat. Huntley scrambled out of pressure, including a 19-yard gain on fourth-and-12 at the Baltimore 49, but the Rams eventually adjusted.

On second-and-two at the Rams’ seven, Larrell Murchison sacked Huntley for an eight-yard loss. On third down, Huntley passed to Zay Flowers for no gain. The Rams’ Nate Landman made his 17th tackle of the game on the play. On fourth down, Huntley couldn’t evade pressure and was forced to heave the ball out of bounds.

The Rams took over in position to run off the clock and seal their win.

Rams 17, Ravens 3, 13:33 left in the fourth quarter

The Rams were rolling at the end of the third quarter, forcing a Ravens fumble that Tyler Davis recovered.

The Rams took over at their 31-yard line and went to work trying to further stretch their lead.

A few Baltimore penalties help the Rams move up field. Injured Rams running back Blake Corum returned for the drive and ran for nine yards, moving the ball into the red zone.

But the Ravens’ defense dialed up the pressure and Matthew Stafford was sacked for a loss of five yards on fourth-and-three at the Baltimore 11, turning the ball over on downs.

Rams 17, Ravens 3, 10:20 left in the third quarter

Matthew Stafford tossed an eight-yard touchdown pass to tight end Tyler Higbee as the Rams built on their momentum.

The touchdown was set up by a turnover.

Edge rusher Jared Verse forced receiver Zay Flowers to fumble after a catch and safety Quentin Lake recovered the ball.

Two plays later, Stafford found a wide-open Higbee for the touchdown.

Lake intercepted a pass early in the game and Verse stopped Derek Henry short of the goal line at the end of the first half.

Stafford has completed 16 of 25 passes for 174 yards and a touchdown.

Rams 10, Ravens 3, 11:52 left in the third quarter

Kyren Williams rushed a three-yard touchdown to put the Rams in the lead for the first time.

Williams’ 30-yard catch on a pass from quarterback Matthew Stafford set up the scoring run.

Stafford started the drive with a 21-yard pass to Davante Adams and also completed passes to tight ends Davis Allen and Tyler Higbee and receiver Konata Mumpfield

Stafford has completed 14 of 23 passes for 153 yards.

Rams 3, Ravens 3, halftime

The Rams stopped running back Derek Henry on a fourth-and-goal rushing attempt from the one-yard line with less than 10 seconds left to stay even at the break.

The Rams were fortunate that a missed field-goal attempt, untimely penalties, dropped passes and a foot injury suffered by star receiver Puka Nacua did not result in a deficit.

Late in the second quarter, the Rams wasted what looked like a great opportunity after they were forced to punt with less than four minutes left.

Troy Reeder forced LaJohntay Wester to fumble during the return and the Rams recovered the ball. But the Rams were penalized for an ineligible player downfield.

Ethan Evans punted again, and Wester returned the kick 36 yards to the Rams’ 32-yard line.

The Ravens drove to the one-yard line, but the Rams stopped Mark Andrews twice and then stuffed Henry.

Matthew Stafford has completed eight of 15 passes for 80 yards.

Nacua has two catches for 28 yards. Nacua left the game because of an ankle injury but was back on the sideline before halftime.

Henry has rushed for 90 yards in 18 carries.

Ravens 3, Rams 3, 9:50 left in the second quarter

Joshua Karty kicked a 36-yard field goal to tie the score — but it was a costly drive for the Rams.

Rams receiver Puka Nacua was assisted off the field by trainers after attempting to catch a pass in the end zone.

Nacua, who went into the game as the NFL’s leading receiver, had attempted to come down with a second-down pass from Matthew Stafford. Nacua was taken to the locker room.

Running back Blake Corum also left the field limping and went to the locker room.

The field goal came at the end of a 12-plays, 48-yard drive.

The Rams wasted an earlier opportunity after safety Quentin Lake intercepted a pass, the first of his career.

On the ensuing play, the Ravens sacked Matthew Stafford and forced a fumble that the Ravens recovered. The Rams’ defense, however, later stopped the Ravens on fourth down, setting up the field goal drive.

Ravens 3, Rams 0, 2:27 left in the first quarter

These updates are typically reserved for scoring changes, but Joshua Karty’s missed 26-yard field goal attempt is worth noting.

The Rams’ kicking-game problems don’t seem to end.

The Rams have had four kicks blocked, including an extra-point attempt in their 26-23 overtime defeat by the San Francisco 49ers.

The Rams had two field-goal attempts blocked by the Philadelphia Eagles, including a potential game-winner that was returned for a game-ending touchdown.

Ravens 3, Rams, 7:22 left in the first quarter

Tyler Loop kicked a 37-yard field goal to give the Ravens the early lead.

The Ravens took the opening possession and did everything possible to stave off the Rams pass rush, running the ball on all but three plays during the 12-play, 53-yard drive.

Derek Henry rushed for 40 yards in six carries.

Encroachment penalties against Josaiah Stewart and Jared Verse on consecutive plays helped the Ravens keep alive their drive.

Rams safety Kam Curl left the field during the drive because of an unspecified injury.

Matthew Stafford has been regarded as one of the NFL’s top arm talents since he was selected No. 1 overall in the 2009 draft. The 17th-year pro ranks among the top 10 all-time in several passing categories.

But the Rams star quarterback has never finished a season No. 1 in yards passing.

Stafford, 37, came close a few times during his 12-season tenure with the Detroit Lions. He finished third behind Drew Brees and Tom Brady in 2011, second behind Brees in 2012, third behind Peyton Manning and Brees in 2013, and third behind Brady and Philip Rivers in 2017.

Like all of the Rams’ inside linebackers, Shaun Dolac began his career as an undrafted free agent.

And six games into his rookie season, he could have an expanded opportunity on Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens.

Dolac to this point has only played on special teams.

But with starting linebacker Omar Speights doubtful because of a high ankle sprain, Dolac could start or play in a rotational role with Nate Landman and veteran Troy Reeder.

“I take pride in my preparation throughout the week, whether I’m going to get snaps on defense or not,” Dolac said. “I take it all the same way, and trust my coaching and my abilities and training that it’s going to show when I get in the game.”

Dolac said he signed with the Rams, knowing that there was a road for undrafted players to make the team, especially at inside linebacker. Speights, Landman and Reeder all were undrafted free agents when they began their careers.

“The Rams are known for giving guys like us a chance,” Dolac said. “A lot of undrafted guys show up here and they make the team. But it also just shows the work ethic we have as undrafted guys.

“Everybody in our linebacker room has a lot of grit and just continues to show up every day, continues to put one foot in front of the other no matter what the outcome of the game,” Dolac said. “And you see it throughout our play as well.”

Defensive coordinator Chris Shula said that even though Dolac is a young player, “you can almost talk to him like a coach,” because he understands the game.

“You might say a concept and you can just tell he gets it right away,” Shula said. “He’s in here studying and looking at the tape. He’s in here early and you can tell that when you’re installing stuff in front of the room, he’s already heard it and you’re just saying it for the second time. ... He’s a guy that can handle a lot of information.”

Like most rookies, Dolac said it took him a beat during training camp to calm himself. He was still playing the game he began playing when he was 6 years old.

“Once I really just got a grip on that and slowed everything down for myself, it came naturally and I was able to make plays and study the playbook and make sure that I was trusted,” he said.

When he ran out onto the field for the season opener against the Houston Texans at SoFi Stadium, he took it all in.

“Just to look around the stadium and see like, ‘This is what I’ve dreamed of. This is what I set out to accomplish, and it’s right in front of me,” Dolac said. “And it also set another reality of just now I’ve got a new role and a new responsibility to the guys in the locker room, to the coaching staff and to the organization and fans to prove that I deserve to be here and give it my best shot and just do my job to the best of my ability.”

Rams wide receiver Tutu Atwell is among the players who will not be playing in Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens.

Atwell was added to the injury report Thursday with a hamstring injury and was listed as questionable heading into the game. Here are the rest of the inactives for the Rams and Ravens:

It took five games, and a full recovery from a training camp injury, but Rams rookie tight end Terrance Ferguson could be on the verge of a breakout performance in Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens and M&T Bank Stadium.

Ferguson, a second-round draft pick from Oregon, caught his first NFL pass in last Sunday’s 26-23 overtime defeat by the San Francisco 49ers.

And it was impressive.

Ferguson hauled in a third-down pass from Matthew Stafford for a 21-yard gain, showing the speed and athleticism that convinced general manager Les Snead to use the Rams’ top pick to select him.

Ferguson described the opportunity as “a blessing.”

“All the time you put in, the work in the dark, all the times that people don’t see,” Ferguson said. “Just getting the opportunity, with coaches trusting me and the team trusting me to make a play on third down was a blessing.”

Ferguson is part of a tight end group that includes veteran Tyler Higbee, Colby Parkinson and Davis Allen. He impressed during offseason workouts, but he suffered a hamstring injury during training camp that limited him to one preseason game.

Ferguson played five special teams snaps in the opener against the Houston Texans and four offensive snaps against the Tennessee Titans. His most impressive play was when he ran down and tackled a Titans player after a blocked kick.

Despite being inactive the next two games, he remained patient.

“We’re all human — we all want to be out there,” he said, adding, “Being patient is tough. It’s one of the hardest things to do in life because you want everything to happen on your time and you want this and that. But I’m just really trusting God and the people around me in the organization.”

Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said that while Ferguson enjoyed enormous success in college, there is an adjustment period for young tight ends in the NFL.

“It’s just a different league so just understanding how fast these windows are going to close, how fast when you catch a ball you’re going to have to transition, how you have to keep on fighting and grinding when you’re attached in the run game,” LaFleur said. “All those little things that he’s more than capable of and has shown but again, that’s an adjustment. It’s one thing to see it, it’s another thing to go do it and then consistently do it to understand, and I like where he is at.”

So does coach Sean McVay.

“He’s answered the bell with all the opportunities that he’s had,” McVay said, adding, “If he continues on this trajectory. ... You want to continue to get him more and more involved.”

Ferguson is ready.

“If you make the most of your opportunities,” he said, “eventually more will come.”

Kyren Williams did not know if the questions would come, but if they did he was prepared.

The Rams running back was less than a week removed from fumbling at the one-yard line during a 26-23 overtime defeat by the San Francisco 49ers.

Now he is in Pacific Palisades, preparing to work with youth flag football players practicing for the first time since last January’s wildfires.

VIDEO | 02:02

Rams looking to win in Baltimore before heading off to London

• Share via Close extra sharing options

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • X
  • LinkedIn
  • Threads
  • Reddit
  • WhatsApp
  • Copy Link URL Copied!

Gary Klein breaks down what to expect from the Rams as they prepare to face the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday before flying to London ahead of their Week 7 contest against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

“If they ask me, ‘Man, why did you fumble?’” Williams said, raising the pitch of voice to resemble a child’s, “I’m going to tell them exactly why it happens — because it happens.

“They’re wondering more than anything. They’re not trying to knock you down. So for me, tell them how it was, be accountable. Be honest about it and tell them, ‘Man, mistakes happen. ... I’m going to grow from this mistake and it’s not going to define who I am.’”

Williams, 25, is eager to get back onto the field on Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens and show that he has moved on from his mistake.

The third-year pro, who received a $23-million extension before the season, is an integral part of an offense that features quarterback Matthew Stafford, the NFL’s leading passer, and receiver Puka Nacua, the league’s leading receiver.

Williams has rushed for 368 yards and a touchdown. He has 16 catches for 118 yards and three touchdowns.

The Rams are getting a break by not having to face Lamar Jackson, the Baltimore Ravens’ star quarterback and two-time NFL most valuable player who will be sidelined on Sunday because of a hamstring injury.

But Rams edge rusher Jared Verse is somewhat disappointed.

“I want to play Lamar just because he’s one of the best quarterbacks currently,” said Verse, who has two sacks. “Then, you put him in that conversation of not just [greatest] running quarterbacks but quarterbacks ever. He’s up in that conversation.”

Verse acknowledged that Jackson is on his bucket list of quarterbacks he wants to sack. Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen are on his list as well.

“I thought Tom Brady was going to come back,” he said, chuckling. “I thought I was going to get my shot at him. There’s a couple of dudes in the league that I definitely have my eye on that I want to get at least one time.”

Cooper Rush is expected to start at quarterback for the Ravens.

“Rush throws a lot more different challenges at you,” Verse said. “He gets the ball out a lot quicker. He has to know who he’s going to get it to and if he’s not open, he’s going to move on to a second read pretty fast.”

MIAMI — A few weeks ago, the Rams and Chargers got off to matching 2-0 starts for the first time since 2001, triumphant launches that even prompted some wistful and way-too-premature ponderings of an All-Los Angeles Super Bowl.

Now, like two bottle rockets veering wildly off course, the NFL franchises cross paths again and face similar predicaments.

The Rams are playing an opponent on Sunday that will be without its star quarterback and other noteworthy starters.

Sound familiar?

A week after the Rams lost to the seemingly undermanned San Francisco 49ers, they will travel to play the Lamar Jackson-less Baltimore Ravens and M&T Bank Stadium. It’s the start of an extended road trip that will see the Rams remain in Baltimore to prepare for their Oct. 19 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London.