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The Los Angeles Rams shook off an early deficit and surged in the second half, rolling past the Tennessee Titans 33-19 in front of 59,069 fans at Nissan Stadium.
After trailing 13-10 at halftime, the Rams erupted for 20 unanswered points behind quarterback Matthew Stafford, wide receiver Davante Adams, and a balanced offensive attack.
By Earl Heath | Contributing Sports Writer
The Los Angeles Rams shook off an early deficit and surged in the second half, rolling past the Tennessee Titans 33-19 in front of 59,069 fans at Nissan Stadium.
After trailing 13-10 at halftime, the Rams erupted for 20 unanswered points behind quarterback Matthew Stafford, wide receiver Davante Adams, and a balanced offensive attack.
Stafford, Adams Lead the Charge
Stafford threw for 298 yards and two touchdowns, finding Adams six times for 106 yards. Adams also hauled in his first touchdown of the season, becoming just the 20th player in NFL history to surpass 12,000 career receiving yards.
The veteran receiver tied Antonio Brown, Calvin Johnson, Brandon Marshall, and Jimmy Smith for the 11th-most 100-yard games in league history with 46. Only Julio Jones (47) has more since Adams entered the league in 2014.
“This is much more sweet when you get a W for sure,” Adams said. “I’ve had a few different ones over the last few years where it’s harder to feel good about it. This one feels good.”
Nacua, Corum Add Spark
Third-year wideout Puka Nacua caught eight passes for 91 yards and added a game-changing 45-yard run on a fourth-down conversion. Rookie running back Blake Corum capped the scoring with a 1-yard touchdown plunge with 6:45 remaining.
Even without starting left guard Steve Avila and tight end Colby Parkinson, the Rams outgained Tennessee 439-252 and controlled the second half.
“I was pleased with the way we finished that game,” head coach Sean McVay said. “I thought we had really great command in the second half. That’s a really tough football team, and our guys responded.”
Tough Start for Rookie QB Ward
The loss spoiled the home debut for Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward, the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft. Ward went 19 of 33 for 175 yards and a touchdown to fellow rookie Elic Ayomanor. Tennessee has now dropped eight straight games dating back to last season.
“Frustrating to start a season 0-2, certainly,” Titans coach Brian Callahan said. “I still believe in our football team, but right now we haven’t put together a game worth winning against two really good football teams to start the season.”
The Titans were without right tackle JC Latham and nose tackle T’Vondre Sweat. Practice squad call-up John Ojukwu filled in for Latham.
Injuries and Notes
The Rams suffered a setback on defense when cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon broke his clavicle in the second quarter. Linebacker Jared Verse, last year’s AP Defensive Rookie of the Year, briefly exited late in the first half but returned after the break.
With the win, McVay improved to 18-8 in games with 10 a.m. Pacific kickoffs.
What’s Next
The Rams (2-0) host Philadelphia next week in a rematch of last year’s NFC Divisional playoff loss. The Titans (0-2) welcome AFC South rival Indianapolis on Sept. 21.