The Rams got their top two receivers back on the field with high-quality results, as Los Angeles defeated Minnesota 30-20 on Thursday night.
Puka Nacua played for the first time since Week 1, finishing with seven catches for 106 yards to help pace the offense. Cooper Kupp was on the field for the first time since Week 2 and had five receptions on eight targets for 51 yards with a touchdown.
That made for a good night for quarterback Matthew Stafford, who finished 25-of-34 for 279 yards with four TDs and an interception.
Both offenses started off hot, as the game’s first four possessions all ended in touchdowns.
Quarterback Sam Darnold first connected with tight end Josh Oliver for a 5-yard touchdown. Stafford responded with a 5-yard touchdown to Kyren Williams to tie the game.
Then Darnold hit Trent Sherfield for a 10-yard touchdown and Stafford responded with a 7-yard TD pass to Kupp to make the score 14-14.
That tie held through halftime, with a Stafford interception in the third quarter leading to a 23-yard field goal by Will Reichard, putting Minnesota up 17-14.
Stafford came right back from his interception to bring the Rams down the field with an eight-play, 70-yard drive, ending with a 25-yard touchdown down the left sideline to Demarcus Robinson. That put the Rams ahead for the first time, 21-17.
When Jalen Nalor dropped an off-schedule pass from Darnold on third-and-4 from the 17, Minnesota elected to settle for a 35-yard field goal to make the score 21-20 with 12:47 left in the fourth quarter.
And as a response, Los Angeles put together a strong, 10-play, 70-yard drive ending with a Stafford 10-yard touchdown to Robinson on third-and-4. That possession took 6:30 off the clock, narrowing Minnesota’s opportunities.
Robinson had just two catches for 35 yards, but both went for touchdowns.
The Vikings couldn’t do anything with their next drive, as Jared Verse and Michael Hoecht split a sack on second down to bring up third-and-21. Minnesota punted after another incomplete pass.
Armed with two timeouts and the two-minute warning, the Vikings couldn’t get off the field on third-and-9, as Stafford connected with Kupp for a 27-yard gain.
Though Minnesota used its second and third timeout, the club caught a break after the two-minute warning when Kupp was driven out of bounds on a short throw to the left. That allowed the Vikings to take over at their own 5-yard line with 1:46 left.
But on second-and-10, Darnold was taken down for a sack in the end zone for a safety, effectively ending the game. Byron Young pulled Darnold’s facemask on the play, but the foul was not called. Had it been, the Vikings would have had a first down at the 20 with 1:36 left.
For Minnesota, left tackle Christian Darrisaw had to leave the contest with what appeared to be a significant knee injury suffered at the end of the first half. He was able to walk off the field but with heavy trainer assistance.
Darnold completed each of his first eight passes, but slowed down from there. He finished 18-of-25 for 240 yards with two touchdowns.
Justin Jefferson caught eight passes for 115 yards, giving him 31 career games with at least 100 receiving yards. Per the NFL, that’s the most by a player in his first five seasons in league history — breaking a tie with Randy Moss.
With the win, the Rams are now 3-4 and in the thick of things in a down year for the NFC West. They will head to Seattle to take on the Seahawks in Week 9.
The Vikings have now lost two in a row after starting 5-0. They’ll be at home to face the Colts on Sunday Night Football in Week 9.
