5 Takeaways From the Rams' Week 7 Win Over Lions

What are the main takeaways we learned from the Rams' Week 7 victory against the Lions?

Hunter Hodies | Oct 25, 2021

The Los Angeles Rams continued their winning ways on Sunday, as they took down the Detroit Lions to improve to 6-1 on the season. It was a sluggish first three quarters, but L.A. was able to outscore Detroit 11-0 in the final quarter to pull away and ultimately win, 28-19.

Here are five key takeaways from the Rams' Week 7 win over the Lions:

1. Jalen Ramsey sealed it with a fantastic interception

It looked the Lions were going to potentially tie and even take the lead on the Rams late in the fourth quarter until Ramsey had other ideas. He read Jared Goff's eyes like a hawk as he got in front of a route in the end zone and intercepted him. L.A. ended up getting a field goal off that turnover to put the game out of reach but it wouldn't have happened without Ramsey being the All-Pro cornerback that he is. This is why the Rams traded for him in the first place and he's been providing that value ever since he got to L.A. He also finished the game with six total tackles, one tackle for loss and one quarterback hit. Great players make great plays in the biggest moments and Ramsey is no exception to that.

2. It was a day to forget for the special teams

The Rams' special teams are usually regarded as some of the NFL's best but they were anything but that on Sunday. Lions coach Dan Campbell brought out all the stops (as a desperate coach would) and the Rams had no counter for them. They gave up an onside kick right after the Lions scored to go up 7-0, plus gave up two fake punts later in the game as well. The onside kick certainly came at a shocking moment in the game but when your opponent is 0-6, they're going to try anything and everything to get its first win of the season. L.A. ended up stopping Detroit on that drive before Campbell successfully pulled off a fake punt attempt with a pass from punter Jack Fox. Later in the game, C.J. Moore got 38 yards on the second fake punt conversion. Seeing a team convert those three plays in the same game is extremely rare in the NFL and there's no doubt McVay will make sure that doesn't happen again this season.

3. Cooper Kupp can't be stopped

It's been said many times already this season but Kupp is a one-man wrecking crew in this Rams offense. No matter what defenses throw at him, he's still able to get open and make plays on a weekly basis and it didn't stop against the Lions. Kupp finished the game with 10 receptions for 156 yards and two touchdowns, marking the second straight game he's been over 100 yards and had two scores. His 156 yards are the second-most he's had all season, just behind his 163-yard performance against the Colts on Sept. 19. His first touchdown came on a quick slant route on 3rd and 1 inside the 5-yard line which gave L.A. the lead 17-13 for a brief time. Kupp then went in motion and caught a pass from Stafford to give the Lions the lead again, 25-19 which they wouldn't relinquish. He also caught plenty of deep and intermediate balls throughout this matchup and is showing how versatile he is on a weekly basis. No one in the NFL has an answer for Kupp right now.

4. Matthew Stafford took advantage of his former team

Stafford's so-called 'revenge game' against the Lions looked very similar to his other games, delivering big plays through the air. Stafford finished the contest with 334 yards passing and three touchdowns on 28-of-41 completions. His line kept him upright all game long which allowed him to pick apart the Lions' defense. He was connecting on short routes, medium routes and even long routes as both Kupp and Robert Woods had strong games. His best throw of the day came when the Rams needed it the most. Facing 3rd and seven from the 11-yard line, Stafford dialed up a gorgeous jump-ball throw to Van Jefferson in a place where only he could catch it. Jefferson caught it and it cut the Lions' lead down to 13-10 for a short time. Had that not happened, L.A. would've kicked a field goal and been down 13-6 which could've been a four-point swing in this contest. Stafford now has 19 touchdowns to four interceptions on 2,172 yards through the air.

5. They found a way to win, despite a "C" level performance

Sometimes, trap games can be hard and that's exactly what this one was. It doesn't help that Goff and Stafford were facing off against their former teams, but L.A. looked very unprepared to start this game. Detroit marched down the field, eventually leading 13-3 at one point in the first half while also holding the lead once again in the final quarter by the score of 19-17. McVay made the necessary adjustments to ensure his squad would win as the Rams outscored the Lions 11-0 in the final frame to win by nine points. Some good teams would wilt in these circumstances but the Rams showed that they are different and can still win games while not being nearly close to their A-game. It was a game they couldn't afford to lose, especially because the Arizona Cardinals moved to 7-0 at the same time. The offense woke up when it needed to and the defense also got some splash plays (especially at the end with Ramsey). With those combined, L.A. now holds a 6-1 record heading into its matchup against the Houston Texans next Sunday at 10 a.m. PT at NRG Stadium.

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Published Oct 25, 2021

HUNTER HODIES

Hunter covers the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated.