Rams Gut Out 20-19 Win Over Ravens, Extending Win Streak to Five Games With Playoffs Nearing

The Rams defeated the Ravens 20-19 in Week 17, moving to a record of 12-4.

Nicholas Cothrel | Jan 2, 2022

In this story:

The Rams entered Sunday's game in Baltimore riding a four-game win streak with the possibility of clinching the NFC West by defeating the Ravens and the Cardinals falling to the Cowboys during the afternoon slate.

Despite a sluggish start in which the Rams turned the ball over three times and never led in the game until the final minute, L.A. pulled off a 20-19 win over the Ravens to improve to 12-4 on the season.

After last week's efforts that included quarterback Matthew Stafford throwing three interceptions, his miscues continued into Week 17 in Baltimore. Stafford committed three turnovers for the second-consecutive game, throwing two interceptions – both by Ravens safety Chuck Clark – and fumbled a ball when brought down by Tyus Bowser for a sack.

The Rams scuffled to find any rhythm on offense in the first half, not scoring until 55 seconds left in the second quarter. The Rams capped off 179 net yards after two-quarters of play – 147 passing, 32 rushing – yet, turning over the ball haunted them to play from behind.

In a game that illustrated it wasn't Stafford's fondest outing, the Rams defense stepped up in critical moments, keeping the team within an arms reach until the end of regulation.

Defensively, the Rams logged five sacks and one interception to keep things close when the offense was trying to find itself. Miller recorded two sacks on the day, bringing his total to three since joining the Rams in mid-November.

“It’s a really, really resilient group, and guys made plays when we had to,” Rams safety Jordan Fuller said, whose interception late in the first half wound up being a pivotal turn in the game.

The Rams played a game of catchup for the majority of the contest, finally taking the lead over the Ravens in the final minute when Stafford orchestrated a nine-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Odell Beckham Jr. hauling in a touchdown grab in the corner of the end zone to put the Rams ahead by one.

“I got it tatted on the off-season,” Beckham said after the game. “It says, ‘Pressure: I Live for It.’ It’s just those moments when you’re so locked into the game and you know you have an opportunity.

“I don’t really think that I’m thinking, ‘Division is on the line. The game (is on the line).’ You’re thinking about just the game at the moment. We’ve got to make this play."

Rams coach Sean McVay then opted to go for a two-point conversion in an attempt to go up by three, but Sony Michel was stopped behind the line of scrimmage by Tony Jefferson, resulting in a failed two-point try.

Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley received the opportunity to register a fourth-quarter comeback, knowing he has Justin Tucker standing on the sidelines – the most successful long-distance kicker in NFL history – but the defensive front of the Rams contained the dual-threat quarterback, finishing him off with a sack by Miller to seal it.

Sunday marked the second game in which the Rams displayed they can gut out victories even when they aren't at their best. While they’ll need to elevate their play heading into the playoffs, it’s quite notable that L.A. has turned over the ball six times in the last eight quarters of football and still have found ways to secure two victories.

“Wow, what a great, gutsy win,” McVay said. “It certainly wasn’t perfect, but you talk about playing as a team, picking each other up as a team when you needed it.

“We found a lot of different ways to do things that we can’t do as we move forward (in the playoffs), but we ended up overcoming it.”

With Stafford's erratic day beginning to look like the wheels could come off, he bounced back in the second half, relying heavily on Cooper Kupp and Beckham to ignite the downfield throwing attack.

Kupp led the team with six catches for 95 yards and a touchdown. In doing so, Kupp passed Rams' Hall of Famer Isaac Bruce for the franchise's single-season receiving yards record. With one game remaining, Kupp has recorded 1,829 receiving yards.

The Rams will host the San Francisco 49ers at SoFi Stadium in Week 18 on Sunday, Jan. 9 at 1:25 p.m., a team that McVay has vastly struggled to beat. The 49ers hold a 3-6 record against the McVay-led Rams through five seasons.

More from Ram Digest:

Nick Cothrel is the publisher of Ram Digest. Follow Nick and Ram Digest on Twitter @NickCothrel & @RamDigestSI for more Rams coverage.

Published Jan 2, 2022

NICHOLAS COTHREL

Nick Cothrel covers the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated.