The Los Angeles Rams have secured their first win of the season in Sunday’s matchup with the Carolina Panthers, hanging on for a 30-27 victory.
After a scoreless first quarter, both teams came alive to create an exciting game in the second half.
Only a few minutes into the second quarter, the Rams finally got some points on the board after a largely unsuccessful 26-yard drive. Kicker Greg Zuerlein trotted out and nailed the long 49-yard field goal to give Los Angeles an early lead.
The very next play on Carolina’s own 15-yard line, Rams linebacker Samsun Ebukam recovered a fumble after a broken up backward pass by Cam Newton. The Rams looked to back up running back Malcolm Brown, not Todd Gurley, to carry the team ten yards to the end zone, and he did exactly that for the first touchdown of the season.
Two drives later towards the end of the half, the Rams continued to look to Brown. During the Rams fourth drive of the second quarter, Brown put up an impressive 17-yard run. The drive eventually ended with a 56-yard field goal from Zuerlein.
At this point, the Rams looked to be getting into the swing of things while the Panthers still could not find solid ground. At the end of the first half, the Panthers went 47 yards in one minute and eight seconds to set up Joey Slye for a 46-yard field goal, making the score 13-3 heading into the halftime locker room.
After a 66-yard drive to open the third quarter, the Rams once again finished with a field goal. The Panthers answered the next drive by capping off a 60-yard drive with a Christian McCaffrey touchdown.
On their next possession, the Rams turned to the ever-reliable Brown once more. In between a flurry of passes from Jared Goff, Brown rushed for 21 yards, ending the Rams eighth drive with another touchdown.
The Rams had a comfortable 23-10 lead in the fourth quarter, however, after a Johnny Hekker punt was blocked, a Goff interception, and a Panthers touchdown, things started to heat up. The score sat at 23-20, and the Rams looked to their stars to carry them.
Gurley carried the team in a mid-fourth quarter drive, going for 41 yards. Goff and tight end Tyler Higbee eventually connected for a five-yard touchdown pass.
During the next Panthers drive, Cory Littleton seemed to seal the game with a 26-yard interception. However, after a missed field goal, the Panthers marched down the field for one last touchdown, cutting the Rams lead to just three. After a failed onside kick, the Rams secured the game with a few more Gurley carries to lock up their first win of the year.
Gurley led the way on the ground for the Rams, finishing with 14 carries for 97 yards. Brown also had a strong day with 11 carries for 53 yards and two touchdowns.
