The Rams had not been shut out in the first half of any regular-season game under head coach Sean McVay — until Sunday’s matchup against the Saints.
New Orleans has blanked Los Angeles 6-0 over the first two quarters.
It could have been 9-0 had Blake Grupe not missed a 36-yard field goal wide left to start the second quarter. But he did hit a pair of 54-yard field goals, including one at the end of the half.
The last time the Rams did not score in the first half of a regular-season game was Week 14 of 2016, when Atlanta beat Los Angeles 42-14. That was the last game Jeff Fisher coached before he was fired the next day.
The only other time it happened in the McVay era was the first half of Super Bowl LIII, which the Rams lost to the Patriots 13-3.
Los Angeles’ best chance for points in the first half was on fourth-and-4 from the New Orleans 25. But the Rams elected to go for it instead of attempting a field goal, with Matthew Stafford’s pass deep down the right side to Cooper Kupp falling incomplete.
While the Rams averaged 6.5 yards per carry between Kyren Williams and Blake Corum, Stafford finished just 4-of-10 for 23 yards in the half. Los Angeles was 1-of-5 on third down.
New Orleans had 12 first downs in the first half, with Derek Carr going 15-of-23 for 83 yards. Alvin Kamara has 80 yards rushing on 12 carries and three catches for 5 yards.
The Rams will receive the second-half kickoff.
