INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Cornerback Darious Williams' interception with 57 seconds sealed a 17-9 Rams (3-1) win over the Giants (0-4) Sunday afternoon at SoFi Stadium.
Clinging to that 8-point lead after a 55-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jared Goff to wide receiver Cooper Kupp, the Rams needed a stop after their offense went 3-and-out with 2:17 remaining. The Giants marched all the way down to the Rams' 11, then Williams made a diving pick on a Daniel Jones pass intended for Giants wide receiver Damion Ratley at the Rams 5 to clinch the victory.
Defensively, Los Angeles notched five sacks and eight quarterback hits in addition to Williams' timely interception. Rams linebacker Micah Kiser sustained a groin injury toward the end of the third quarter and did not return. He was replaced by Troy Reeder.
Offensively, Kupp finished with five receptions for 69 yards in addition to that touchdown, while Goff completed 25 of 32 pass attempts for 200 yards.
The Rams got off to a fast start. After their defense forced a 3-and-out by the Giants – a series in which New York had negative yardage – their offense turned in a 12-play, 65-yard drive which ended with a 2-yard touchdown run by tight end Gerald Everett on a jet sweep. The series also chewed a little over 7 minutes off the clock and gave the Rams a 7-3 lead with 6:19 left in the first quarter.
Los Angeles continued to get pressure and got a second-consecutive stop defensively, but the momentum abruptly changed after Everett fumbled at L.A.'s own 34 and New York recovered. New York settled for a 35-yard field goal by kicker Graham Gano to cut the Rams' lead to four early in the second quarter.
Kicker Samuel Sloman's 32-yard field goal attempt with 3:52 left in the first half put the Rams back up by seven, but the Giants answered with a 37-yarder by Gano for a 10-6 Rams halftime lead.
The two teams played a scoreless third quarter, but the Giants were driving at the break, facing a 2nd and 11 from the Rams 16 at the start of the fourth quarter. The Giants reached the Rams' 9 and settled for a 27-yard field goal by Gano, cutting the Rams' deficit to one with 14:15 left.
Raymond Calais returned the ensuing kickoff 41 yards from the Rams' own endzone to set up at their own 36, but they went 3-and-out and were forced to punt. However, Los Angeles would answer with its own defensive stop, and on the ensuing offensive series, Goff connected with Kupp on a 55-yard touchdown pass for a 17-9 L.A. lead with 6:56 left.
Despite forcing a turnover on downs after the Giants went for it on 4th and 11 from their own 31, the Rams defense would need to make another stop late in the fourth quarter.
A 3-and-out by the Rams offense forced them to punt with 2:17 left, giving the Giants a chance to answer. A 33-yard completion from Jones to wide receiver Darius Slayton put New York at the Los Angeles 47.
Scrambles of 13 and 11 yards by Jones, then a 5-yard completion by Jones to tight end Evan Engram brought the Giants to the Rams 18 with under a minute to play. Then Williams jumped in front of Ratley for the pick, allowing the Rams to line up in victory formation and run out the clock.
