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Sarah Barshop, ESPN Workers Author
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — When quarterback Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams offense took the sphere with simply lower than 12 minutes to go within the fourth quarter, the crew was down 10 factors to the division rival San Francisco 49ers and staring a 0-3 begin within the face.
However this can be a place Stafford, in his sixteenth NFL season, had been in earlier than. Getting into the fourth quarter, he had 44 profession game-winning drives within the fourth quarter or OT, probably the most amongst energetic quarterbacks.
And on Sunday afternoon, Stafford added to that, main the Rams down the sphere for a drive that ended with a Kyren Williams landing to tie it after which a second drive that ended with a Joshua Karty area objective with 5 seconds remaining, as L.A. won 27-24.
Stafford’s forty fifth game-winning drive within the fourth quarter or extra time is the seventh most for the reason that 1970 merger, in line with ESPN Analysis.
Stafford obtained the ball again in a tie recreation with 42 seconds to go after a Rams defensive cease on the San Francisco 45 compelled the 49ers to punt. And whereas the sideline was celebrating that cease, when defensive captain Kobie Turner regarded round, he famous the calmness that exuded from the quarterback.
“Everyone’s hurrahing and everyone’s tremendous excited and Matt is simply nonetheless,” Turner stated. “He is simply calm and he is occurring the sphere, it seems prefer it’s a traditional day.
“And so while you form of see that presence, by no means being too excessive, by no means being too low, and also you see the fireplace that he performs with, you recognize and you’ve got full confidence in the truth that he will put us in the most effective conditions.”
The Rams’ victory of their dwelling opener improved their report to 1-2, avoiding a 0-3 begin for the primary time since 2011, when the crew completed 2-14.
“There is no doubt that down within the fourth quarter with the ball in my hand, I obtained slightly further heartbeat going,” Stafford stated. “However I am enthusiastic about these alternatives. That is what I need. I wish to be in these moments.
“I really feel like the fellows on our crew know that and hopefully they feed off of that and know that hey, if we’re on protection and we are able to get the ball again for the offense, [we’ve] obtained a man that is carried out it earlier than. And I do know the fellows within the huddle, we imagine in one another. Regardless of the circumstances are, we obtained a darn good shot.”
The 14-point comeback victory was the most important below coach Sean McVay and was the franchise’s largest comeback since 2012, in line with ESPN Analysis.
“What a job by our group, simply persevering with to battle, persevering with to struggle,” McVay stated. “And there is a variety of guts. There’s a variety of resilience on this group. And it is only one recreation, however I am actually pleased with them. … Lots of guts, a variety of grit. I am actually pleased with this group.”
McVay’s postgame information convention was a far cry from per week in the past, when the Rams misplaced 41-10 to the Arizona Cardinals in a recreation that had him saying the one optimistic factor to take from the sport is that it “is over now and we are able to transfer ahead.” In that loss, the Rams misplaced a prime receiver for the second time in two weeks, as Cooper Kupp sprained his left ankle and can miss an prolonged time frame.
However in that information convention, McVay challenged himself and his crew to determine the way to reply from the loss, regardless of beginning the season with an 0-2 report.
“I noticed a crew reply after a very humbling week final week,” McVay stated after the win over the 49ers. “And three hours won’t ever outline you good or unhealthy except you permit it to. And we have got to do job of with the ability to construct on this.”
