Game Recap: Rams open SoFi Stadium with 20-17 win over Cowboys on Sunday Night Football

Sep 13, 2020 at 08:26 PM

Stu Jackson

Senior Staff Writer

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – The Los Angeles Rams (1-0) opened their 2020 season and SoFi Stadium with a 20-17 win over the Dallas Cowboys (0-1) on Sunday Night Football.

Rams running back Malcolm Brown finished with a team-high 18 carries for 79 yards and two touchdowns, with rookie Cam Akers adding 14 for 39 in his Rams debut. Wide receiver Robert Woods led the passing attack with six receptions for 105 yards. Defensively, defensive lineman Aaron Donald, defensive lineman Michael Brockers and outside linebacker Leonard Floyd each contributed a sack.

On the Rams' opening drive, quarterback Jared Goff hit Woods for a 20-yard completion on the first play. Goff then found Woods for a 31-yard catch-and-run two plays later to move them into Cowboys territory. Though Akers got the start at running back, L.A.'s opening drive was capped off with a one-yard touchdown run by Brown for an early 7-0 lead.

A Donald sack near midfield forced Dallas to punt on Los Angeles' first defensive possession. L.A. remained efficient on its ensuing second offensive series too, but it ended with a missed 29-yard field goal attempt by kicker Samuel Sloman, leaving the Rams with a 7-0 lead after the first quarter.

On the change of possession, the Cowboys responded with an 8-play, 80-yard scoring drive ending with a 19-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Dak Prescott to running back Ezekiel Elliott to tie the game 7-7 with 12:24 left in the second quarter.

Sloman bounced back from his earlier miss with a successful 35-yard field goal attempt to give the Rams a 10-7 lead with 8:46 left in the second quarter. A little over 3 and a half minutes later, the Cowboy's ensuing offensive drive ended with a missed 53-yard field goal by kicker Greg Zuerlein.

A 31-yard completion from Goff to rookie wide receiver Van Jefferson then helped set up a successful 31-yard field goal attempt by Sloman to extend Los Angeles' lead to 13-7 with 1:56 to go in the first half.

Dallas then chewed up the next 99 seconds off the clock for a 9-play, 73-yard scoring drive capped off by a 1-yard TD run by Elliott, giving it a 14-13 lead over L.A. at halftime.

Though the Cowboys received the second-half kickoff, a sack by Brockers stalled their drive near midfield. Goff completions of 30 yards to Woods and 17 yards to wide receiver Josh Reynolds on the ensuing drive set up a 2-yard touchdown run by Brown, allowing the Rams to retake the lead 20-14 with 5:33 left in the third quarter.

Los Angeles got a second consecutive defensive stop, this time at Dallas' own 38, but the following offensive series ended with Cowboys cornerback Chidobe Awuzie intercepting Goff's pass intended for Jefferson. Goff's arm was hit as he threw the ball.

Taking over at the Rams' 39, the Cowboys managed to get a successful 33-yard field goal attempt to cut the Rams' lead to 20-17 with 1:54 left in the third quarter.

While the drive continued into the fourth quarter, Rams rookie safety Jordan Fuller made a huge 4th down tackle of CeeDee Lamb at the Rams' 9-yard line, forcing the Cowboys to turn the ball over on down in the redzone. Los Angeles' ensuing drive ended at its own 46 after Goff was sacked on 3rd down.

On the ensuing possession, L.A. cornerback Jalen Ramsey appeared to force a fumble by Dallas wide receiver Amari Cooper, with Fuller scooping up the loose ball. The call was reversed upon further review by the officials, but Dallas was still forced to punt.

The Rams' ensuing offensive possession ended at midfield, followed by a 42-yard Johnny Hekker punt which was fair-caught by the Cowboys at their own 9 with 2:35 left in the fourth quarter.

With 31 seconds remaining, Prescott had a 47-yard completion to wide receiver Michael Gallup that would've set up the Cowboys at the Rams' 19, but the play was negated by offensive pass interference against Gallup. Consecutive incompletions by Prescott on 3rd and 20 then 4th and 20 sealed the win for Los Angeles.