Tough time in Dallas for Rams
The Rams fell 43-20 to the Cowboys in front of 93,448 fans. He later was replaced by replaced by Bret Rypian in the third quarter after injuring a thumb on a failed 2-point conversion pass and aggravating the injury after catching another. He finished the day completing 13 of 32 for 162-yards.
By Earl Heath
Contributing Sports Writer
The LA Rams were trying to put something together in Dallas but it fell apart early. It was not the home coming for Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford was looking for he returned to where he was a local standout prep player.
Stafford led scoring drives on either side of halftime to help the Rams (3-5) trim a 30-point deficit to 16. But the former Dallas high school standout, visiting his hometown team for the first time as a Super Bowl champion, sent the Cowboys on their way with an early mistake.
The Rams fell 43-20 to the Cowboys in front of 93,448 fans. He later was replaced by replaced by Bret Rypian in the third quarter after injuring a thumb on a failed 2-point conversion pass and aggravating the injury after catching another. He finished the day completing 13 of 32 for 162-yards.
Coach Sean McVay said he didn’t know the extent of Stafford’s injury. The quarterback didn’t speak to reporters after the game. On one play the Cowboys sent six pass rushers at him, Stafford threw behind Cooper Kupp to a waiting Bland for an easy 30-yard return and a 17-3 Dallas lead in the first quarter.
“We ended up recognizing that they were in a pressure situation, and we had a miscommunication between Matthew and Cooper in regards to a route concept that has been one that we’ve activated and had a lot of success with it,” McVay said. “That was a tough one for us. ”
Deron Bland brought an interception back 22 yards for a score against the Giants in the season opener before a 54-yarder in the year
The second-year cornerback is the third player since the 1970 merger with three pick-6s in the first seven games of a season. The NFL record for an entire season is four, last accomplished 30 years ago.
“I don’t know what to say,” said Bland, a fifth-round pick out of Fresno State who is tied with Baltimore’s Geno Stone for the league lead with four picks. “I keep finding the ball. I’m just trying to do my job.”
Bland’s first TD was created by fellow cornerback Trevon Diggs, whose big hit knocked the ball in the air. The last two have come since Diggs was sidelined by a season-ending knee injury.
“He’s that guy,” Prescott said. “Not a lot of guys being able to move positions like that and make the impact that he’s been able to make. Obviously when you lose a guy like Trevon, people wonder. Then when a guy like that steps in and he says, ‘Hey, I’m here and I’m ready to play,’ that’s important.”
Despite getting sacked three times in the first quarter — with a fourth wiped out by a defensive penalty — Prescott finished the first half 17 of 21 for 225 yards. He ended up with his first 300-yard game of the season (25 of 31 for 304 yards with an interception).
Rams receiver Puka Nacua had three catches to set a league record for the most catches through the first eight games of a career with 61. But he fell short of the 51 yards needed to set that mark as well, finishing with 43.
The Rams will play Green Bay and try to get back on track.
