The Los Angeles Rams pulled off an improbable comeback to defeat the San Francisco 49ers, 27-24, and earn their first win of the 2024 season.
The Rams trailed by as many as 14 points in the third quarter, but a pair of rushing touchdowns by Kyren Williams helped the team even the score.
After the defense came through with a key stop, a 38-yard punt return by Xavier Smith put the Rams in prime position to win the game.
With 42 seconds remaining in regulation, Matthew Stafford got the ball at midfield and advanced the Rams to the 49ers’ 25-yard line after defensive pass interference was called.
Williams then gained six yards on the ground, which set the stage for rookie kicker Joshua Karty connecting from 37 yards to seal the victory.
It was the 36th fourth-quarter comeback of Stafford’s career, which tied Drew Brees for fifth all-time in NFL history. “It’s cool anytime you’re getting mentioned with guys like Drew Brees who did such amazing things in this league for such a long time. I feel humbled again to be in that same breath. I have a lot of respect for him and who he was as a player,” Stafford said of the accomplishment.
“Fourth quarter comebacks are great. [It] means your team can count on you in those moments. They’re also not so great [because it] means you’re down, so play better than the first three. It’s funny. Football’s a funny game. Sometimes one great quarter can erase three bad ones, so take them whenever you can get them.
“[It’s] tough to go out there and play four perfect quarters. I moved on pretty quick. [I got] excited about it in the locker room after the game, get home, see my four kids [and] they could care less. They’re excited that we won, but they want to tell me about something else they did. I move on pretty quickly. I’ll maybe shoot back, think about it and talk about it with some friends or family that night, but Monday morning I’m here working on the next team pretty quickly.”
Stafford is in his fourth season with the Rams and the 16th overall of his NFL career. Through three games, he has thrown for 754 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.
Xavier Smith will be Rams’ full-time punt returner
Smith’s big punt return did not go unnoticed as he will continue in that role for the Rams going forward. “He’ll continue to be the punt returner if that’s what you’re asking,” head coach Sean McVay told reporters.
“He did a good job. He had two ‘ops’ [opportunities] yesterday, one fair catch and then one big return that’s obviously well-documented. He’s really put a lot of work in. It’s a cool reflection of the work paying off, him continuing to just stay steady, and then being able to have the opportunity to deliver in an important moment for the team. He will be the punt returner moving forward. Happy for ‘X’.”
