The 2023 season was the Los Angeles Rams' 86th in the National Football League (NFL), their 87th overall, their 57th in the Greater Los Angeles Area, the fourth playing their home games at SoFi Stadium and their seventh under head coachSean McVay. Despite struggling in the first half of the season, dealing with injuries and a 3–6 record, the Rams went 7–1 in their final eight games, which was 5 wins more than their injury-plagued season they had the year before after a Week 13 win against the Cleveland Browns.[1] After a close win against the Giants on New Years Eve, Los Angeles clinched its fifth winning season in six years. A loss from the Seattle Seahawks later that day helped the Rams clinch their return to the playoffs after a one-year absence.[2] In the Wild Card Round, the Rams lost to the Detroit Lions, led by their former quarterback Jared Goff.
For the first time since 2019, Jalen Ramsey was not on their opening day roster, as he was traded in the offseason to the Miami Dolphins for a 2023 third-round draft pick and tight end Hunter Long.[3] The team came to an agreement to part ways with Linebacker Bobby Wagner after one season with the Rams before returning to the rivalSeattle Seahawks on a one-year contract. This was also the last season with Aaron Donald on the team, as he announced his retirement on March 15, 2024.
The Los Angeles Rams drew an average home attendance of 73,150 in 8 home games in the 2023 NFL season, the 6th highest in the league.[4]
Following considerable press speculation that he was likely to step away following his first losing season as head coach,[5]Sean McVay announced that he would return in 2023 for his seventh season with the Rams.[6]
The Rams announced that they were terminating the contracts of several assistants. Among those who were not being retained were offensive line coach Kevin Carberry, defensive backs coach Jonathan Cooley, special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis, assistant defensive line coach Skyler Jones and defensive assistant Lance Schulters.[7]
Additionally, offensive coordinator Liam Coen voluntarily resigned to return to the University of Kentucky, where he had previously served as offensive coordinator.[8]
Former New York Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur was hired by the Rams for the same position.[9] Mike LaFleur's older brother Matt LaFleur, now head coach of the Green Bay Packers, served in the same capacity in 2017, during Sean McVay's first season as Rams head coach.
Nick Caley, who had spent the previous six seasons as tight ends coach of the New England Patriots, was hired to take on the same role with the Rams.[10]
The Rams won in a season opener for the sixth time in seven seasons under head coach Sean McVay, defeating the host Seahawks for the third time in the team's last four visits to Lumen Field. Trailing 13–7 at halftime, Los Angeles dominated in the third and fourth quarters as linebacker Ernest Jones had a team-high nine total tackles including three tackles for loss, while Jordan Fuller added eight tackles from his safety position. Defensive tackle Aaron Donald was credited with four tackles and a half-sack in his first game back from injury as the Rams defense held Seattle to just a single first down and 12 total offensive yards in the second half. Also returning to the starting lineup, quarterback Matthew Stafford completed 24 of 38 passes for 334 yards, while wide receivers Tutu Atwell (six receptions) and rookie Puka Nacua (10 receptions)[14][15] both had 119 yards receiving in place of the injured Cooper Kupp. Second-year running back Kyren Williams led the Rams in rushing with 52 yards on 15 carries with two touchdowns while fellow running back Cam Akers added 29 yards on 22 carries with a rushing TD. Kicker Brett Maher made his debut for the Rams, converting three field goals and three PATs. Offensively, the Rams rolled to 426 yards in total offense without committing a turnover or giving up a sack. With the upset win, the Rams started their season 1–0.
The Rams stayed close to but ultimately could not overcome the visiting 49ers, losing to San Francisco for the ninth consecutive time in the regular season. Playing in its home opener, Los Angeles seized a 17–10 lead in the second quarter as running back Kyren Williams scored twice, once on a 6-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Matthew Stafford and then again on a 4-yard TD run with 1:45 remaining before intermission. But the 49ers rallied to tie the score on the final play of the first half, as San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy scored on a quarterback sneak as time expired. Stafford completed 34 of 55 passes for 307 yards but had two interceptions in the second half, both of which led to field goals by 49ers kicker Jake Moody. Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua set an NFL rookie record for most receptions in a single game with 15 receptions (breaking the previous record of 14 shared by four players) for 147 yards. Linebacker Ernest Jones led the Rams' defensive effort with 10 total tackles. Kicker Brett Maher converted all three of his field goal attempts, the last a 38-yarder on the game's final play.
Meeting in the regular season for the first time since Super Bowl LVI, the Rams fell to the host Bengals on Monday Night Football. After trading two field goals each in a 6–6 first half, Los Angeles got its only lead on kicker Brett Maher's 42-yard field goal, his third of the evening. But Cincinnati then scored 13 unanswered points, taking the lead on a 14-yard touchdown run by running back Joe Mixon and two more field goals from kicker Evan McPherson. The Rams closed to within a field goal as wide receiver Tutu Atwell scored on a 1-yard pass from quarterback Matthew Stafford with 2:31 remaining. Playing in only his third career game, wide receiver Puka Nacua had five receptions for 72 yards. Stafford threw for 269 yards and a score, but was intercepted twice and sacked six times as the offensive line had to shuffle its lineup due to injuries. Defensive tackle Aaron Donald had eight tackles including a sack while cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon recorded the team's first interception of the season in the loss.
Rookie wide receiver Puka Nacua continued a prolific season start with nine receptions for 163 yards, including a 22-yard catch for his first NFL touchdown to beat the Colts in overtime. The Rams scored on their first four possessions of the game and held a 23–0 lead midway through the third quarter as running back Kyren Williams scored on a pair of 3-yard touchdown runs, while kicker Brett Maher converted three field goals. But Maher missed on two other field goal attempts as the Colts fought back on the strength of rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson, who passed for 200 yards and two TDs (while also throwing a pair of successful conversion passes) and ran for 56 yards and another score. Indianapolis tied the game 23–23 with just under two minutes remaining in regulation to force overtime. Having won the coin toss and electing to receive, the Rams marched 75 yards in eight plays as quarterback Matthew Stafford led the team despite visibly limping. On the game's final play, Stafford connected with Nacua over the middle at the Colts' 8-yard line, and the rookie wide receiver weaved his way through a pair of defenders for the game-winning score. Defensively, linebacker Ernest Jones had a team-high 10 tackles while defensive tackle Aaron Donald had four, with both players recording sacks.
Wide receiver Cooper Kupp was strong in his return to the field, but the host Rams lost for the second time at home, giving up a late TD in the first half and were held scoreless afterward against the undefeated Eagles. Both teams started the game by driving 75 yards to score on their opening possessions, with quarterback Matthew Stafford throwing to wide receiver Tutu Atwell for a 3-yard touchdown to tie the score 7–7. After Philadelphia took a 10–7 lead with 2:15 remaining in the second quarter, Los Angeles responded with a six-play, 75-yard drive that ended as Stafford connected with rookie wide receiver Puka Nacua for a 22-yard go-ahead touchdown that came with 0:32 left. However, the Eagles retaliated quickly behind quarterback Jalen Hurts, who found wide receiver A. J. Brown for a 38-yard gain. Rams cornerback Derion Kendrick was flagged for a horse-collar tackle and pass interference, and those back-to-back penalties put the Eagles on the goal line, with Hurts taking back the lead for the Eagles on a 1-yard run as time ran out in the first half. Though the Eagles only scored in the second half on a pair of 26-yard field goals by kicker Jake Elliott in the fourth quarter, Philadelphia controlled the rest of the game, dominating on time of possession (37:55 to 22:05) and limiting the Rams to just 81 yards in total offense after halftime. Kupp, who had not played since Week 10 of the 2022 season, caught eight passes for 118 yards while Nacua had seven catches for 71 yards and a score. Though Stafford completed 21 of 37 passes for 222 yards and two scores, he was sacked four times in the second half and the Rams were held to just 53 yards rushing. Cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon recorded a turnover for the third straight game with an interception of a Hurts pass in the end zone, while linebacker Ernest Jones led the team with 15 total tackles (10 solo) with three tackles for loss as the Rams fell to 2–3.
Running back Kyren Williams ran for 158 yards on 20 carries as the Rams seized control in the second half to win their first home game of the season. After totaling just five rushing yards on three carries in the first and second quarters, Los Angeles received the kickoff after halftime and proceeded to march down the field with nine consecutive run plays that totaled 62 yards down to the Arizona 13. From there, quarterback Matthew Stafford threw a touchdown pass to wide receiver Cooper Kupp to take a lead that L.A. would never relinquish. Following a Cardinals punt, Stafford's 30-yard pass to wide receiver Tutu Atwell and Williams' 31-yard run down to the Arizona 11 led to a field goal by kicker Brett Maher. The Cardinals then mounted their best offensive drive of the game, reaching the Los Angeles 12 before linebacker Christian Rozeboom got his first career interception. The Rams then drove 88 yards in 12 plays with Williams capping it off with a 5-yard TD run that was initially ruled a fumble and touchback but reversed following an instant replay review. Linebacker Byron Young ended Arizona's next possession with a sack of Cardinals quarterback Joshua Dobbs and a forced fumble which he recovered himself that led to Maher's fourth field goal to complete the day's scoring. The Rams defense held Arizona in check with just 27 rushing yards allowed after halftime. Stafford passed for 226 yards and a score while Kupp led his team with seven receptions for 148 yards and his first TD of the season as L.A. improved its record to 3–3.
Wide receiver Puka Nacua had eight receptions for 154 yards, but the Rams faded in the second half against the visiting Steelers to fall to 3-4. Following a scoreless first quarter, Los Angeles came back from a 3-0 deficit with a 41-yard field goal by placekicker Brett Maher, who later failed to convert an extra point after wide receiver Tutu Atwell caught a 31-yard scoring pass from quarterback Matthew Stafford just 17 seconds before halftime for a 9-3 lead. On the first play of the third quarter, Stafford threw an interception to Steelers defensive end T.J. Watt, who returned it 24 yards to L.A.'s 7-yard line. Three plays later, quarterback Kenny Pickett's 1-yard TD run put Pittsburgh back in the lead 10-9. The Rams responded with a nine-play, 75-yard drive that was capped by a 1-yard touchdown run by running back Darrell Henderson, who led the Rams on the ground with 61 yards on 18 carries after being signed as a free agent when starter Kyren Williams was placed on injured reserve. Stafford converted a pass to wide receiver Cooper Kupp for a two-point conversion to give the Rams a 17-10 advantage. But the Steelers rallied for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter and L.A. was denied a final chance to come back when Pittsburgh's Pickett converted on a fourth-and-1 play after a highly questionable spot of the ball. Defensive end Michael Hoecht led the Rams with seven tackles including two sacks in the loss, the franchise's fifth straight to Pittsburgh dating back to 2003.
Traveling to AT&T Stadium, the Rams were dominated throughout by the Cowboys to fall to 3-5 on the season. Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott threw for 304 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Cowboys to a 33-3 lead late in the second period. Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford passed for 162 yards and a touchdown to wide receiver Ben Skowronek in the third quarter, but earlier threw a costly interception to Dallas cornerback DaRon Bland, who returned it 30 yards for a first quarter touchdown. Stafford also made a diving catch of a pass from Tutu Atwell on a two-point conversion play following his TD pass to Skowronek, but was injured on the play and knocked out of the game. Defensively, linebacker Ernest Jones led the Rams with eight total tackles, while safety Jordan Fuller had six tackles and an interception, and defensive tackle Aaron Donald added four tackles including a pair of sacks on Prescott. Running back Royce Freeman ran for 44 yards and a touchdown, while tight end Tyler Higbee caught five passes for 45 yards in L.A.'s loss.
Playing at Lambeau Field for the fourth time in as many years, the Rams lost their third straight game. Kicker Lucas Havrisik, who was signed after Los Angeles had cut Brett Maher two weeks earlier, converted a 52-yard field goal for the Rams' only points of the game. Quarterback Brett Rypien, starting in place of the injured Matthew Stafford, threw for 130 yards and an interception in an ineffective performance, while Royce Freeman had 32 rushing yards as the Rams offense was held to a season-low 187 total net yards. On defense, rookie defensive tackle Byron Young had 10 total tackles including two sacks, while fellow rookie Kobie Turner also had 10 tackles and added a sack from his nose tackle position as the Rams' record fell to 3–6 on the season.
Trailing 13–0 in the second quarter, the Rams battled back to take a late lead, then held on to earn a season sweep of the Seahawks. Returning to the starting lineup, quarterback Matthew Stafford led Los Angeles on a nine-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a 4-yard touchdown pass to rookie wide receiver Puka Nacua with nine seconds left in the first half. Nacua had a team-high five receptions for 70 yards while running back Royce Freeman added 73 yards on 17 carries and Darrell Henderson scored on a 1-yard run midway through the fourth quarter to cut the Seahawks' lead to within two points, 16–14. L.A.'s defensive effort was once again led by middle linebacker Ernest Jones, who had a team-high 12 tackles and combined with outside linebacker Byron Young for a sack of Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith, who was forced out of the game late in the third quarter. Cornerback Derion Kendrick intercepted a pass by Seattle backup QB Drew Lock, and the Rams pounded out a 13-play drive down to the Seattle 4. From there, rookie kicker Lucas Havrisik converted a 22-yard field goal with 1:34 remaining. The Seahawks tried to rally behind Smith, who drove his team down to the Rams 37-yard line. From there, Seattle kicker Jason Myers, who had converted from 54, 43, and 52 yards earlier in the game, missed from 55 yards with three seconds left and L.A. ran out the clock to end a three-game losing streak. Rookie punter Ethan Evans, who averaged 52.6 yards per punt across five punts with a long of 65, was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 11.
The Rams turned in their most dominant performance of the season, combining for 457 yards (229 passing, 228 rushing) in total offense while winning at Arizona for the ninth straight time dating back to 2015. L.A. head coach Sean McVay improved his lifetime record against the Cardinals to 13-2 with the victory. Returning to the starting lineup after four weeks on injured reserve, running back Kyren Williams had a spectacular performance, running for 143 yards on 16 carries and catching six passes for 61 yards and two touchdowns and was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week. Quarterback Matthew Stafford completed 25 of 33 pass attempts for 229 yards and a season-high four touchdown passes, with two of those going to tight end Tyler Higbee, who caught five passes for 29 yards. Running back Royce Freeman added 77 yards on 13 carries, including a 23-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter and wide receiver Tutu Atwell caught three passes for 76 yards. The Rams defense corralled Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray with constant pressure. Rookie nose tackle Kobie Turner had two of L.A.'s four sacks as the Rams won back-to-back games for the first time since early in the 2022 season.
In a critical contest for both teams, Los Angeles defeated the visiting Browns to improve to 6–6. Cleveland struck first by taking the opening kickoff and driving 75 yards in nine plays to finish with a 24-yard touchdown pass from veteran backup quarterback Joe Flacco to running back Jerome Ford. The Rams responded by scoring on their next two drives to take a 10–7 lead, first with kicker Lucas Havrisik booting a 44-yard field goal, then after forcing a Browns punt, quarterback Matthew Stafford found rookie wide receiver Puka Nacua deep down the middle. Nacua caught the pass in stride and outran the Cleveland defenders for a 70-yard touchdown pass to give L.A. its first lead of the game. Nacua, who surpassed 1,000 receiving yards for the season in only 12 games, had four receptions for 105 yards (his fifth 100-yard receiving game of the season) as well as two carries for 34 yards on the ground. After the Browns and Rams traded punts and field goals in the second quarter, Cleveland took its first possession of the second half and drove down to the L.A. 6-yard-line. But the Rams defense stiffened and forced the Browns to settle for a 24-yard field goal by Dustin Hopkins. The Rams retook the lead on the following drive, as a 31-yard run by Nacua and a 30-yard pass from Stafford to wide receiver Demarcus Robinson set up a first-and-goal at the Browns 10. Two plays later, Stafford and Robinson connected again for a 7-yard touchdown pass and a 20–13 lead. Cleveland responded by putting together another methodical and time-consuming drive that ended with an 8-yard touchdown pass from Flacco to tight end Harrison Bryant, but the extra point attempt from kicker Hopkins sailed wide right, thus allowing the Rams to maintain a slim 20–19 lead. The Browns forced the Rams to punt on the next possession, but on the very first play of Cleveland's ensuing drive, Flacco threw a long pass that was intercepted by former Brown John Johnson, who returned the interception 42 yards to Cleveland's 24-yard line. It took the Rams five plays to score as Stafford (22–37, 279 yards, 0 INTs) threw his third TD pass of the day, a 3-yard strike to wide receiver Cooper Kupp that gave L.A. an eight-point lead. Starting from their own 30, the Browns failed to move the chains after four tries, turning over the ball on downs with 2:29 remaining. Running back Kyren Williams (21 carries, 88 yards) ran the ball four straight times, with his last carry scoring from one yard out with two minutes remaining. The Rams defense punctuated the win in the final seconds as Flacco was sacked at the one by rookie nose tackle Kobie Turner on third down. Backed into his own end zone, Flacco was sacked on fourth down by both Turner and defensive tackle Aaron Donald for the game's final points as the Rams won three straight games for the first time since their Super Bowl-winning season and remained a contender in the NFC playoff race.[16] The victory also propelled the Rams to 2nd place in the division as they held tiebreaker against the Seattle Seahawks.
BAL – Odell Beckham Jr. – 4 receptions, 97 yards, TD
In a wild back-and-forth contest that had eight lead changes during regulation, the Rams fell to the host Ravens in overtime. Facing the NFL's top-rated defense, Los Angeles rolled up over 400 yards in total offense and took an early lead on a 27-yard field goal by Lucas Havrisik. But after a trade of punts, Baltimore reclaimed the lead near the end of the opening quarter on the first of three touchdown passes by quarterback Lamar Jackson. The Rams responded quickly as wide receiver Cooper Kupp caught a 6-yard TD pass from quarterback Matthew Stafford. The Ravens retook the lead as Jackson threw a 46-yard score to former Rams wideout Odell Beckham Jr., who was playing against his former team for the first time. Stafford then came back to lead an 11-play, 75 yard drive that ended with the Rams QB finding backup tight end Davis Allen for a 7-yard touchdown. An interception of Jackson by cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon led to a 51-yard field goal by Havrisik and a 20–14 lead. Two Justin Tucker field goals tied the score at 20–20 in the third quarter, but an errant snap by the Ravens was kicked out of the end zone by Jackson for a safety and 22–20 Rams advantage. But a third Tucker field goal put Baltimore on top again. Stafford (294 yards passing) threw his third TD pass of the game, a 5-yard strike to Demarcus Robinson, who had formerly played for the Ravens. But Baltimore rallied with Jackson's third touchdown pass of this game, this one 21 yards to wide receiver Zay Flowers, and the same combination connected for a two-point conversion and a 31–28 lead. With 1:16 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Rams drove from their own 25 to the Baltimore 18 where Havrisik converted a 36-yard field goal with 11 seconds left in regulation. Neither team could score on their first offensive possessions, but disaster struck as Ethan Evans' 50-yard punt was fielded by Ravens return man Tylan Wallace, who evaded numerous Rams tacklers and returned the kick 76 yards for the game-winning touchdown. Rams running back Kyren Williams had 114 yards on 25 carries. Linebacker Ernest Jones had a team-high 10 tackles including a sack for the Rams in the loss, which broke a three-game win streak.
WAS – Terry McLaurin – 6 receptions, 141 yards, TD
LAR – Cooper Kupp – 8 receptions, 111 yards, TD
The Rams moved closer to a playoff berth, holding off a late Washington rally to improve to 7–7 on the season. Running back Kyren Williams rushed for 152 yards including a 1-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, but his performance was marred by two fumbles in Commanders territory that ended potential Rams scoring drives. Kicker Lucas Havrisik kicked two field goals as Los Angeles built a 13-0 halftime lead. The Rams started off the second half quickly as quarterback Matthew Stafford found wide receiver Cooper Kupp wide open down the left sideline for a 62-yard touchdown pass. Stafford, who completed 25 of 33 passes for 258 yards, threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Demarcus Robinson early in the fourth quarter as the Rams opened up a 28–7 lead. But after Havrisik missed a 43-yard field goal, Washington scored touchdowns on back-to-back drives behind backup QB Jacoby Brissett to close to within 28–20 with 1:50 remaining. But the Commanders' attempt at an onside kick was foiled as Kupp batted the ball out of bounds. Five runs by Williams allowed the Rams to run the clock out. Kupp had eight receptions for 111 yards to lead the Rams on offense. Linebacker Ernest Jones had a team-high seven tackles including a sack and safety John Johnson had three tackles with an interception and a pass deflection in the victory.
Playing their final home game of the season, the Rams won their fifth game in six weeks with a convincing victory over the Saints. Rookie wide receiver Puka Nacua produced 180 yards in total offense and caught a 2-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Matthew Stafford to complete L.A.'s 14-play, 95-yard opening drive. Stafford continued his strong play, completing 24 of 34 passes for 328 yards with a second TD pass to wide receiver Demarcus Robinson. who caught six passes for 82 yards in the first half. Stafford threw two or more touchdown passes for the fifth straight game and had his fourth straight game without an interception. Running back Kyren Williams had 104 yards on 22 carries with a third quarter touchdown on a 10-yard run as he became the Rams' first running back to rush for 1,000 yards since Todd Gurley in 2018. Kicker Lucas Havrisik converted three of four field goals as Los Angeles built a 30–7 lead early in the fourth quarter. The Rams defense was led by safety John Johnson's eight total tackles while safety Jordan Fuller added an interception. Linebacker Ernest Jones and rookie defensive end Kobie Turner each had a sack and L.A. held the Saints to just 35 rushing yards on 16 attempts. New Orleans rallied late with two touchdown passes from quarterback Derek Carr to close within 30–22, but Nacua covered the onside kick attempt and the Rams ran out the clock. Nacua, who caught nine passes for 164 yards with a touchdown and ran twice for 16 yards, was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week.[17]
Los Angeles ensured itself of a winning season and ultimately a return to the postseason by holding off the host Giants for the Rams' sixth victory in seven weeks. The Rams built a 14–10 halftime lead behind a 4-yard rushing touchdown by running back Kyren Williams and a 5-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Matthew Stafford to wide receiver Cooper Kupp. In the third quarter, on a third-and-four play from the Los Angeles 18, Stafford completed a short pass to wide receiver Puka Nacua, who broke a tackle from New York cornerback Adoree Jackson immediately after catching the pass and broke down the sideline for an 80-yard gain. Nacua's big play set up another short rushing touchdown from Williams for a 20-10 lead, but the ensuing extra point from kicker Lucas Havrisik sailed wide of the uprights. Following an exchange of punts, the Giants responded with a big play of their own when quarterback Tyrod Taylor hit wide receiver Darius Slayton deep down the middle for an 80-yard touchdown (followed by a missed extra point) that cut the Rams' lead back to four. On the Rams' following drive, Stafford was picked off by Giants safety Dane Belton, who advanced the ball well into Los Angeles territory before running out of bounds. However, the Giants could only muster a field goal after starting with advantageous field position thanks to a critical pass breakup in the end zone by Rams cornerback Derion Kendrick on a third down. The Rams responded with a three-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, which was highlighted by Stafford's 37-yard pass to wide receiver Demarcus Robinson and Williams' 28-yard rushing touchdown (his third rushing TD of the game). However, Havrisik missed yet another extra point to keep the Rams' lead at 26-19. Holding onto that same lead with three and a half minutes remaining in the game, the Rams punted the ball back to New York. On the return, Giants return specialist Gunner Olszewski broke free of the grasp of two L.A. defenders and ran to the end zone for a 94-yard touchdown to pull the Giants to within a point. An encroachment penalty on defensive lineman Jonah Williams on the extra point attempt caused Giants head coach Brian Daboll to attempt a two-point conversion from the Rams' 1-yard line. But on the attempt, Taylor failed to connect with wide open running back Saquon Barkley, thus allowing the Rams to maintain a 26–25 lead. From that point, the Rams just needed to pick up one first down to win the game, but they went three-and-out and punted the ball back to New York. The Giants advanced the ball to the outskirts of field goal range, but kicker Mason Crosby missed a go-ahead 54-yard field goal attempt, thus allowing the Rams to drain the clock and seal the win.[18] Rookie nose tackle Kobie Turner had 2.5 sacks and defensive tackle Aaron Donald had two sacks and a pass deflection as the Rams collected six sacks in total. With the win and a loss by rival Seattle later that day, the Rams clinched a playoff berth.[19]
In a game that had both teams resting or limiting their starting lineups, the Rams ended a nine-game regular season losing streak to the 49ers by rallying to defeat their NFC West rivals at Levi's Stadium. Getting his first start of the season in relief of Matthew Stafford, quarterback Carson Wentz completed 17 of 24 passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns, while also carrying the ball 17 times for 56 yards and another touchdown, a 12-yard run with 4:56 remaining. Opting for the two-point conversion, Wentz connected with wide receiver Tutu Atwell in the end zone to give the Rams a 21-20 lead. Safety Russ Yeast led the team with seven tackles including two pass deflections that helped stop the 49ers offense in the second half. Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua had four receptions for 41 yards and scored L.A.'s first touchdown on a 19-yard pass play in the first quarter. Early in the third period, Nacua came out of the game after catching a pair of passes that ended his season with 105 receptions for 1,486 yards, setting new NFL rookie records for receptions and receiving yards. With the victory, Rams head coach Sean McVay moved into second place in regular season coaching victories (70) in franchise history.
^ abcSan Francisco finished ahead of Dallas and Detroit based on conference record.
^ abDallas finished ahead of Detroit based on head-to-head victory.
^ abTampa Bay finished ahead of New Orleans based on common record. (Tampa Bay is 8–4 against Minnesota, Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, Atlanta, Carolina, Houston, Tennessee, Jacksonville, and Indianapolis, while New Orleans is 6–6 against the same teams.)
^ abcGreen Bay and Seattle finished ahead of New Orleans based on conference record.
^ abGreen Bay finished ahead of Seattle based on strength of victory, claiming the 7th and final playoff spot.
^ abMinnesota finished ahead of Atlanta based on head-to-head victory. Division tie break was initially used to eliminate Chicago (see below).
^ abMinnesota finished ahead of Chicago based on common record. (Minnesota is 5–7 against Tampa Bay, Los Angeles Chargers, Carolina, Kansas City, Green Bay, Atlanta, New Orleans, Denver, Las Vegas, and Detroit, while Chicago is 4–8 against the same teams.)
^ abChicago finished ahead of Atlanta based on head-to-head victory.
^ abWashington finished ahead of Arizona based on head-to-head victory.
^When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division.
Facing the Lions in the postseason for the first time since 1952, the Rams fell short in an NFC Wild Card Game. Playing his first game at Ford Field since being traded from the Lions three years earlier, quarterback Matthew Stafford completed 25 of 36 passes for 367 yards, including touchdown passes in the second quarter to wide receivers Puka Nacua (50 yards) and Tutu Atwell (38 yards) as Los Angeles fought back from a 14-3 deficit to trail 21-17 at halftime. Nacua added to his record-setting season by catching nine passes for 181 yards, breaking the NFL record for receiving yards by a rookie in a playoff game. Kicker Brett Maher converted three field goals, but each score came with the Rams' scoring drive having stalled deep into Lions territory. Running back Kyren Williams had 13 carries for 61 yards and caught one pass for nine yards in the loss. After giving up three touchdowns on Detroit's first three possessions, L.A.'s defense stiffened and held Detroit to only a single field goal the rest of the game. Safety Quentin Lake and linebacker Ernest Jones shared the team lead in tackles with nine each, with Jones adding two sacks. Former Rams quarterback Jared Goff completed 22 of 27 passes for 277 yards and a touchdown while Lions wide receiver Josh Reynolds caught five passes for 80 yards as both players had success against the team that originally drafted them.
