– by Adesina O. Koiki
A Lot of Sports Talk editor-in-chief
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INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA — The latest challenge to the Los Angeles Rams’ charge towards locking up home field advantage in next month’s playoffs was the challenge from the team that occupied that position in the postseason one year ago, one that played with the desperation and urgency of a team fighting for their playoff lives. In a show of what eventual champions are usually constituted of, the Rams, despite their lofty position, matched their opponents’ urgency, especially in the second half, as their two-week mini gauntlet began with an impressive win.
Matthew Stafford bounced back from an early interception and threw two second-half touchdowns, both to tight end Colby Parkinson, as the Rams stormed back from a 10-point deficit to defeat the Detroit Lions 41-34 inside SoFi Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Los Angeles’ balanced offensive attack included 159 rushing yards, with the backfield duo of Kyren Williams and Blake Corum each rushing for over 70 yards and a touchdown, with the former scoring twice.
The victory officially clinches a playoff spot for the Rams, who remain tied with the Seattle Seahawks for both the NFC West Division lead and for the No. 1 overall seed in the conference. The two will play in Seattle on Thursday night, with Los Angeles looking for the season sweep after its win over the Seahawks last month in Inglewood.
“When we’re firing on all cylinders … man,” said Rams nose tackle Kobie Turner, part of the defense that held the Lions to just 10 second-half points. “You put your foot on the gas, and you leave everybody behind.”
*Editor’s note: Above the byline is the photo gallery from Sunday afternoon’s game, with photos taken by Las Vegas-area photographer Christopher Trim. After clicking on a photo to enlarge the picture, press the left and right arrow buttons on either side of the caption to scroll through the rest of the pictures that appear on the first page, Also, click on the numbers and/or arrow appearing immediately below the picture grid to load the next set of photos. There are 51 pictures in total.
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