After blowing a 16-0 lead to the Denver Broncos a week ago, the Los Angeles Rams — a preseason Super Bowl favorite — looked well on their way to another dispiriting loss Sunday.
asserted
Rams → blow → loss
The Rams were trailing 20-10 and had the ball 98 yards away from the end zone with less than eight minutes to go in the fourth quarter on a day they had already committed several mistakes against an opponent they had not beaten since 2020.
asserted
they → trail → 2020
Staring a 1-3 record in the face, Los Angeles instead stepped up and saved its season.
asserted
Angeles → star → season
The Rams improved to 2-2 in Week 4, scoring two late touchdowns to beat the Philadelphia Eagles, 24-20.
asserted
Rams → improve → Eagles
The win was Los Angeles coach Sean McVay’s first against Eagles coach Nick Sirianni, and absolved the Rams from a steep climb to make the playoffs.
asserted
win → absolve → playoffs
Los Angeles came alive in the final half of the fourth quarter.
asserted
Angeles → come → quarter
After a fourth-down stop by the defense, reigning MVP Matthew Stafford led a 10-play, 98-yard drive — during which he completed seven passes — to first cut the lead to 20-17.
asserted
he → reign → 20
After a three-and-out by Philadelphia, the Rams once again went on a 10-play drive, this time covering 79 yards.
asserted
Rams → go → yards
The possession was capped by three Kyren Williams runs, the last of which Williams punched into the end zone after breaking a slew of tackles.
asserted
Williams → cap → tackles
“By any freaking means, get your butt in the end zone,” Williams told the FOX broadcast postgame of his mindset during his game-winning score.
asserted
Williams → get → score
McVay said postgame Williams’ run was “gutsy.”
asserted
run → say → ?
“If you say you wouldn’t want that guy in your foxhole, then you’re in the wrong foxhole,” he added.
asserted
he → say → foxhole
Los Angeles’s late heroics made up for what was an otherwise sloppy effort.
asserted
what → make → ?
He completed 32 of 51 passes for 317 yards, but he threw for no touchdowns and two interceptions.
asserted
he → complete → touchdowns
Stafford has now thrown at least one pick in every game this season, and has six interceptions after throwing only eight all last season.
asserted
Stafford → throw → eight
There were plenty of other miscues: A missed field goal, a pass interference penalty that led to a touchdown, a kickoff out of bounds, and a sideline interference penalty that derailed an offensive possession.
asserted
that → be → possession
The combination of errors led to a 10-point deficit entering the final quarter.
asserted
combination → lead → quarter
“I’m so proud of this team and how we fought, and how we stayed connected with everything that went wrong,” Williams said.
asserted
Williams → ’m → everything
“Not every game is going to go exactly how you want it,” Stafford said.
asserted
Stafford → go → it
“Sometimes you’re going to have to find ways to win football games, that’s what we did today.”
asserted
we → go → what
Stafford, Williams and the rest of the Rams’ offense certainly owes a debt of gratitude to the defense.
asserted
Stafford → owe → defense
Los Angeles was playing without legendary defensive linemen Aaron Donald and Myles Garrett, and still sacked Jalen Hurts four times.
asserted
Angeles → play → Hurts
The Rams held the Eagles to only 172 total yards, including a prehistoric 68 passing yards.
asserted
Rams → hold → yards
Philadelphia was additionally 0-for-12 on third-down attempts, and Los Angeles also held firm on fourth, turning the Eagles over on downs three separate times.
asserted
Angeles → hold → downs
“I think a lot of teams would have folded in those situations, but our defense kept giving us a reason to believe,” McVay said.
asserted
McVay → think → reason
“There’s no style points in this league, but I do think a lot of growth can come from this.”
asserted
lot → ’ → this
The Rams will certainly need to grow to reach the heights of their preseason expectations, as their season has been up and down so far.
asserted
season → need → expectations
Los Angeles lost its season opener in Australia after a controversial travel plan, then came back to blow out the Giants in Week 2.
asserted
Angeles → lose → Week
But then the Rams crumbled in the second half of a 30-26 loss to the Broncos, all while the team has also dealt with injuries to key players.
asserted
team → crumble → players
The tests won’t stop for Los Angeles, however, as next up on the schedule are the 3-1 Buffalo Bills.
asserted
Bills → stop → schedule
Said McVay about his team Sunday: “Tough times don’t last, tough people do.”
asserted
people → say → team
The Aporia
