INGLEWOOD, Calif. – The Rams (2-3) fell to the Cowboys 22-10 on Sunday at SoFi Stadium.
Dallas (4-1) returned a fumble for a touchdown and added a field goal following a blocked punt to gain an early 9-0 lead. While Los Angeles responded with 10 unanswered points – including a 75-yard, catch-and-run touchdown by wide receiver Cooper Kupp – to take a 10-9 lead, a 57-yard touchdown run by Dallas running back Tony Pollard on the ensuing possession gave the Cowboys the lead back 16-10.
Cowboys kicker Brett Maher's 40-yard field goal increased their lead to 19-10 midway through the third quarter. Maher extended that lead further to 22-10 with a 36-yard field goal with 5:32 remaining in the fourth quarter, a deficit Los Angeles would not be able to overcome.
Kupp finished with seven catches for 125 yards and one touchdown in the loss. Quarterback Matthew Stafford completed 28 of 42 passes for 308 yards with one touchdown, one interception and two fumbles.
Meanwhile, defensive lineman Aaron Donald paced the Rams' defense with six total tackles, two sacks and one forced fumble.
Here is the complete game recap, presented by American Airlines:
The Cowboys got on the board early, scooping up a sack-fumble against Stafford and returning it 19 yards for a touchdown for a 6-0 lead 1 minute and 33 seconds into the game. The ensuing extra point attempt was missed by Dallas due to the snap ricocheting off the holder, who was not paying attention.
After being forced to punt on their next possession, the Rams had that punt blocked, with the Cowboys scooping up and returning to the Rams 20-yard line. The Cowboys could only manage a field goal, though, to make it 9-0 with 8:43 remaining int he first quarter.
Thanks to a 54-yard completion from Stafford to Tutu Atwell, the Rams quickly reached Cowboys territory on the ensuing possession, but had to settle for a 29-yard field goal.
A 75-yard catch-and-run touchdown by Kupp gave Los Angeles its first lead at 10-9 with 9:31 left in the first half. However, Dallas responded on the following series with Pollard's 57-yard touchdown run to regain the lead 16-10.
The Rams appeared to be punting just before the 2-minute warning of the first half, but instead faked it on 4th and 5 from their own 25, with punter Riley Dixon completing a 12-yard pass to linebacker Jake Gervase for the first down. While it momentarily kept the drive alive, they were still forced to punt again after reaching the Cowboys 45.
The Cowboys extended their lead to 19-10 on a 40-yard field goal by kicker Brett Maher midway through the third quarter.
Aided by Dallas being pinned deep into its own territory following a punt, Los Angeles managed to get the ball back after 35-yard Dallas punt was returned 14 yards by Brandon Powell, setting L.A. up at the Dallas 29. However, an incomplete pass on a tricky play, followed by a holding penalty, followed by 1-yard completion to wide receiver Allen Robinson II, put Los Angeles into a 3rd and long it could not get out of. Forced to settle for a field goal, kicker Matt Gay's 51-yard attempt missed wide right with 13:34 remaining in the fourth quarter.
A 36-yard field goal by Cowboys increased the Rams' deficit to 22-10 with 5:32 left in the fourth quarter. The Rams reached the Cowboys 25 on the ensuing possession, but Stafford was intercepted by Cowboys safety Malik Hooker with 3:38 remaining.
The Rams reached the Cowboys 28 with 1:39 remaining, but another sack-fumble of Stafford by the Cowboys was recovered by the Cowboys, allowing them to run out the remaining clock.