Matthew Stafford passed for 157 yards and a touchdown as the Los Angeles Rams recovered from a slow start to earn a 24-9 victory over the winless Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday at Inglewood, California. Blake Corum and Kyren Williams each ran for a touchdown as the Rams, now 4-4, won consecutive games for the first time this season.
Justin Herbert was 24 of 32 passing for 257 yards and two interceptions as the Chargers fell to 0-7 for the first time in franchise history. The Chargers failed to score a touchdown for the second consecutive game and are now on a 10-game losing streak, counting playoff games, going back to last season.
Chargers lead after a slow start
Los Angeles did not lead its offense to a first down over the first five offensive drives of the game, and the Chargers used the early part of the game to build a lead. Los Angeles grabbed a 3-0 lead in the first quarter after Quentin Lake intercepted Herbert and returned the ball 45 yards to the Chargers’ 19-yard line, and four plays later Brandon McManus kicked a 30-yard field goal.
The Chargers then turned their remaining three drives of the first half into points. Cameron Dicker kicked field goals of 34, 46 and 41 yards to give the Chargers a 9-3 lead, and at that point the home team had scored only on the drive that followed Lake’s interception.
Rams take the lead before halftime
Los Angeles used its final possession of the first half to go 66 yards in five plays and get a 1-yard touchdown run from Williams for a 10-9 lead just before halftime. The drive changed the game, since the home team had struggled to move the ball for most of the half and then scored a touchdown on a short, sharp drive right before the break.
Stafford completed 17 of 25 passes with an interception for the game, and he guided Los Angeles through the slow start into the lead. The halftime score gave the home team something it had not had all game, which was a lead, and the second half started with the home team in front.
Rams pull away in the second half
The home team continued its momentum into the second half by using its opening possession to go 79 yards in eight plays. Corum scored on a 23-yard run for a 17-9 lead, and the Rams had scored touchdowns on back-to-back drives either side of halftime after managing only a field goal in the first part of the game.
Two Rams possessions later, following an interception from Trent McDuffie, the Rams took a 24-9 lead with 3 minutes 48 seconds remaining in the third quarter when Stafford connected with Puka Nacua on an 18-yard touchdown pass. McDuffie returned for the game after missing the previous two games with a groin injury, and his interception set up the score that stretched the lead to 15 points.
Corum finished with a game-high 73 rushing yards, and his touchdown run was part of a second half in which the Rams scored 14 points and kept the Chargers out of the end zone. The Chargers had scored only through Dicker’s three field goals, and they could not find a touchdown for a second game in a row.
Oronde Gadsden II had five receptions for 52 yards for the Chargers, and Ladd McConkey had four receptions for 86 yards. The Chargers also started four rookies on the offensive line for two consecutive games, although veteran right tackle Joe Alt returned from a two-game absence with a neck injury. The changes up front did not produce a touchdown for a team that has now lost 10 games in a row, counting the playoffs, since last season.
The win moved the Rams to 4-4 and gave them consecutive wins for the first time this season. The Chargers stayed without a win at 0-7, and their losing streak, counting playoff games, now stands at 10 games going back to last season.