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The Los Angeles Rams opened their season with a gritty 14-9 victory over the Houston Texans in front of 71,346 fans at SoFi Stadium.
By Earl Heath | Contributing Sports Writer
The Los Angeles Rams opened their season with a gritty 14-9 victory over the Houston Texans in front of 71,346 fans at SoFi Stadium.
Linebacker Nate Landman delivered the decisive play, forcing a fumble with less than two minutes remaining to preserve the win.
Stafford Reaches Career Milestone
Quarterback Matthew Stafford threw for 245 yards and a touchdown while becoming just the 10th quarterback in NFL history to surpass 60,000 career passing yards. He reached the milestone on a fourth-quarter completion to Puka Nacua, making him the second-fastest player ever to hit the mark (223 games), trailing only Drew Brees (215).
“It’s cool, it’s an amazing thing, and I’m sure as hell glad we did it in a win,” Stafford said.
Nacua Delivers Again
Third-year receiver Puka Nacua continued his rise as a star, finishing with 10 catches for 130 yards despite taking a hard hit that left him needing stitches. He briefly exited for concussion testing but returned to make key plays late, including a 24-yard third-down grab that helped seal the game.
“Tried to come back in here and make sure I could count to 10 on my hands,” Nacua joked afterward.
Newcomer Davante Adams had four receptions for 51 yards in his Rams debut, while running back Kyren Williams added 66 rushing yards and a touchdown.
Defense Seals It
After a scoreless first half for Houston, the Rams took the lead in the third quarter on a touchdown pass from Stafford to tight end Davis Allen. Williams’ earlier rushing score had opened the Rams’ scoring.
The Texans, led by Rancho Cucamonga native C.J. Stroud, pushed late but couldn’t break through. Stroud threw for 188 yards and marched Houston into the red zone in the final minutes. That’s when Landman punched the ball loose from Dare Ogunbowale, and rookie Braden Fiske pounced on the fumble with 1:43 remaining.
Head coach Sean McVay praised the team’s resiliency despite mistakes that nearly cost them the game.
“I thought we did as many things as we possibly could to not put that game away, but what I love about this group is they’re resilient,” McVay said. “They keep responding. I thought we really found a way.”
Week 1 Consistency
The win improved McVay’s record in season openers to 7-2. Since 2017, only the Chiefs and Eagles have matched or surpassed the Rams’ strong Week 1 record.