INGLEWOOD, Calif. – A fourth quarter filled with timely playmaking on both sides of the ball rallied the Rams (3-1) to a 27-20 win over the Colts (3-1) on Sunday at SoFi Stadium.
Getting the ball back with 1:51 remaining after the Colts were forced to punt in big part because of outside linebacker Jared Verse's strip-sack for a 10-yard loss, the Rams regained the lead 27-20 on an 88-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Matthew Stafford to wide receiver Tutu Atwell. It was Atwell's first touchdown of the season and just his second catch all season.
Safety Kam Curl's second interception of the game accounted for third turnover caused by Los Angeles' defense, and gave them the ball back with 53 seconds left. With Indianapolis down to two timeouts, L.A. was able to drain the remaining clock to secure the win.
Wide receiver Puka Nacua finished with a career-high 170 receiving yards and one touchdown in the win; his 13 receptions were two shy of tying that single-game career high. Stafford finished 29 of 41 for 375 yards and three touchdowns overall; his 375 passing yards marked a new personal best in his Rams tenure.
Here is the complete game recap, presented by Cedars-Sinai:
Rams safety Kam Curl's interception on a Daniel Jones deep ball on the opening drive translated to a 42-yard field goal by Karty for an early 3-0 Los Angeles lead.
A 38-yard return on the following kickoff by Indianapolis wide receiver Anthony Gould put the Colts near midfield to start the ensuing series. However, Indianapolis still had to settle for a field goal because of an offensive pass interference penalty against wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr., as well as a holding penalty against left tackle Bernhard Raimann. Kicker Spencer Shrader's ensuing successful 52-yard attempt tied the game 3-3 with 4:55 left in the first quarter.
After a turnover on downs – following the Colts successfully challenging that Stafford was short of the line to gain on a QB sneak on 4th and 1 – Indianapolis itself went for it on 4th and 1 at the Rams 2 and converted on a handoff to tight end Tyler Warren for a 2-yard rushing touchdown, taking a 10-3 lead early in the second quarter.
Stafford's 31-yard completion to Nacua down the left sideline set the Rams up at the Colts 13, but a holding penalty against wide receiver Xavier Smith and a screen pass to Corum that lost six yards set the drive back. Again, L.A. had to settle for a field goal, with Karty's 37-yarder cutting its deficit to four with 5:33 left in the first half.
The Rams regained the lead 13-10 on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to Adams with seven seconds left in the first half.
The Colts nearly took the lead on a 76-yard touchdown pass from Jones to wide receiver AD Mitchell, but Mitchell lost the ball before crossing the goal line, and the ball instead went out of the endzone for a touchback. The Rams were unable to capitalize, however, and forced to punt on the ensuing possession.
After a scoreless third quarter, Indianapolis regained the lead 17-13 on a 2-yard touchdown pass from Jones to wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. with 11:34 left in the fourth quarter.
On the next series, Indianapolis recovered a fumbled handoff by Los Angeles at the L.A. 17. That drive stalled in part because of an offensive pass interference penalty on Warren, and the Colts settled for a 38-yard field goal by Shrader to extend their lead to 20-13 with 8:58 to go in the fourth quarter.
A little over five minutes later, Stafford fired a 9-yard touchdown pass to Nacua to tie the game 20-20 with 3:20 to play.
The Colts nearly took the lead on the ensuing series, only to have a 53-yard touchdown run by running back Jonathan Taylor nullified by a holding penalty against them. Two plays later, Verse's strip-sack on Jones forced the Colts into a 3rd and 28 from their own 29 after it was recovered by left tackle Bernhard Raimann.
Stafford's 88-yard touchdown pass to Atwell, then Curl's interception stopped the Colts' comeback attempt short, allowing the Rams to drain the final 53 seconds as the Colts could only stop the clock twice on their way to the victory.