Stafford already boosting Rams over adversity, late deficits

LOS ANGELES — Two games into his new career with the Los Angeles Rams, Matthew Stafford has added another fourth-quarter comeback to his impressive list.

And the Rams are already showing a knack for overcoming adversity with Stafford leading the way.

Stafford rallied the Rams from a momentary deficit early in the fourth and eventually led Los Angeles to a 27-24 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.

The veteran quarterback didn’t do it alone, of course. His offensive line and receivers all came through, and the defense held Indy to 83 yards on 14 snaps in the fourth quarter, highlighted by Jalen Ramsey’s all-but-clinching interception with 2:13 to play.

After a messy, choppy and ultimately satisfying win in their road opener, the Rams are off to a 2-0 start for the fourth consecutive season. The drama in Indy aside, they appear to have a much-improved offense and another solid version of the defense that topped the NFL last year.

“We were on the road, in a hostile environment, and we found ways to win,” said receiver Robert Woods, who had five catches for 64 yards on Sunday.

Stafford and his offense needed only four plays to reverse the Rams’ first deficit of the season in that fourth quarter, going 70 yards for a TD with impressive precision. Los Angeles then drove for the winning field goal after Indianapolis tied the game.

Tom Brady and defending champion Tampa Bay are visiting SoFi Stadium, but the Rams seem confident they’ve installed a foundation that will hold up throughout the final 15 games of the regular season.

WHAT’S WORKING

A long season looms ahead, but it’s undeniable that McVay’s move for Stafford has revitalized his offense so far. The Rams are gaining 6.88 yards per play after managing just 5.5 and 5.7 in the past two seasons. A team that didn’t crack the NFL’s top 10 in scoring in 2019 or 2020 has 61 points in two games, and Stafford is third in the NFL with 10.7 yards per passing attempt.

WHAT NEEDS HELP

Special teams are on the verge of being a problem. Los Angeles gave up a big kickoff return in each of its first two games, and a miscommunication between punt protector Nick Scott and new long snapper Matt Orzech resulted in a touchdown for the Colts when Orzech’s snap hit Scott and was recovered by Indianapolis in the end zone.

INJURED

Running back Darrell Henderson made it to the second half of Week 2 before he was sidelined with a rib injury, the latest in the series of setbacks that have dogged his career. The Rams haven’t yet disclosed its severity.