The Rams’ Monday Night Football matchup with the Falcons unraveled largely behind an uncharacteristically rough night from Matthew Stafford, as Los Angeles fell short under the bright lights. Stafford struggled
to find a consistent rhythm, misfiring on throws he normally makes and failing to ignite an offense that never fully got on track. While the defense battled to keep the game within reach, the Rams couldn’t overcome the quarterback’s off night and a series of stalled drives, allowing Atlanta to seize control and hand Los Angeles a frustrating prime-time loss. Stafford missed multiple throws throughout the game, leaving there to be uncertainty with the team as they enter the playoffs in two weeks. Here were the noteworthy plays that caused Los Angeles’s loss.
1. Kyren Williams stonewalled on 4th down, (Rams 0 – Falcons 7), 1:00 remaining in 1st Quarter
Facing a critical fourth-down opportunity, the Rams handed the ball to Kyren Williams hoping to extend the drive and build momentum early. Atlanta’s defense read the play quickly, swarming Williams at the line of scrimmage and stopping him short of the marker. The turnover on downs halted a promising possession and kept Los Angeles from answering the Falcons’ early touchdown. It set the tone for a night where small margins and missed chances consistently worked against the Rams. DJ Humphries, the Rams backup left tackle, was beat off the snap; allowing for Kyren to be knocked short of the first down marker.
2. Matthew Stafford throws pick six to Jesse Bates, (Rams 0 – Falcons 14), 8:30 remaining in 2nd Quarter
Matthew Stafford’s pick 6 to Jessie Bates came when he was targeting Konata Mumpfield downfield but overthrew him, leaving the ball in a spot where Bates could make a play. Bates intercepted the pass roughly around the intermediate middle of the field and returned it 34 yards to the end zone for a touchdown, giving the Falcons a 14–0 lead.
3. Matthew Stafford throws second pick deep downfield, (Rams 0 – Falcons 14), 1:48 remaining in 2nd Quarter
Stafford’s second pick came on a deep attempt intended for Xavier Smith that sailed into coverage, giving Falcons rookie safety Xavier Watts the opportunity to make the interception near Atlanta’s 7-yard line.
4. Rams defense gives up 93 yard rushing TD to Bijan Robinson, (Rams 0 – Falcons 21), 1:28 remaining in 2nd Quarter
On the play immediately following Stafford’s second interception, Atlanta handed the ball to Robinson from deep in their own territory, and he hit a crease to the left before cutting back upfield. Robinson made the first Rams defender miss near the line of scrimmage and then outran the pursuit, turning what should’ve been a short gain into a coast-to-coast score. The Los Angeles defense was caught in pursuit angles too wide to catch him, and there were multiple missed opportunities in the second level where linebackers and defensive backs failed to wrap up or take efficient pursuit angles, allowing Robinson to maintain full speed.
5. Stafford stares down Terrance Ferguson; throws 3rd interception, (Rams 17 – Falcons 24), 9:13 left in 4th Quarter
After climbing back into the game in the 2nd half, the Rams were driving downfield once again but Stafford telegraphed a 4th & 2 pass attempt to Terrance Ferguson. Xavier Watts read the play the whole way and jumped right in front of Ferguson who ran the ball back to ATL’s 42 yard line.
6a. Bijan Robinson picks up 10 yards on 3rd & 1 to set up GW field goal, (Rams 24 – Falcons 24), 0:43 left in 4th Quarter
The Rams were able to tie the game at 24 all courtesy of a 11 yard touchdown screen pass to Puka Nacua. However, with limited time remaining, the Falcons were able to control the clock and use Bijan Robinson’s legs to play ball control. After his first two runs collected 5 yards and 4 yards, Bijan picked up 10 yards on 3rd & 1 to put the Falcons in field goal range and move the chains so that LA had to burn its three timeouts.
6b. Zane Gonzalez hits 51 yard GW Field Goal, (Rams 24 – Falcons 27), 0:21 left in 4th Quarter
Zane Gonzalez had one field goal blocked in the 3rd quarter by Jared Verse but when it mattered most, Gonzalez drilled a 51 yarder right down the middle between the uprights.
7. Stafford misses Xavier Smith deep downfield, (Rams 24 – Falcons 27), 0:16 left in 4th Quarter
Yet again, the Rams had opportunities to tie the game if they simply executed. With no timeouts and needing chunk plays, Sean McVay schemed up a beautiful play to get Xavier Smith wide open deep downfield. Stafford missed him on 1st & 10 and it would have put the Rams in field goal range and stopped the clock. Alas, the Rams couldn’t complete any passes on the final drive.
Right now, the Rams have played bad football for the last 5 quarters (dating back to Seattle game). They will need to get on better footing heading into the playoffs if they want to be at Super Bowl LX.
