- Matthew Stafford showed no issues from a previous back injury in the Rams’ 14-9 win over the Texans.
- Stafford surpassed 60,000 career passing yards, becoming the 10th player in NFL history to do so.
- New wide receiver duo Puka Nacua and Davante Adams combined for 14 catches and 181 yards.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. − Matthew Stafford didn’t show any ill effects from a back injury that hampered him most of the summer.
The Los Angeles Rams quarterback completed 21 of 29 passes for 245 yards and tossed one touchdown in the team’s gritty 14-9 win over the Houston Texans. Stafford was even sacked three times and hit six more.
The 37-year-old QB got back up every single time.
“It was great. I don’t take it for granted. I love being out there with those guys. I love getting to work with them,” Stafford said. “Just happy that I was able to kind of get through what was going on. A lot of support from a lot of people, teammates, coaches, trainers, everybody (and) family. A lot of appreciation goes to those people for helping me. Put a bunch of work in and was able to get back to this point. Just happy to do it. I love being out there. I love playing.”
Maybe the best cure for Stafford’s back is Puka Nacua and Davante Adams — one of the NFL’s top new wide receiver tandems. The two were the recipients of 14 of Stafford’s 21 completions and combined for 19 targets.
One of Nacua’s receptions elevated Stafford over 60,000 career passing yards, becoming one of 10 players in NFL history to reach such milestone.
“I thought Matthew Stafford was in great command all day,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “He came up with clutch play after clutch play. I thought he was seeing the field really well. Really awesome for him to go over 60,000 yards. That’s unbelievable. Real testament to the consistency of what he’s done.”
Nacua produced a game-high 10 catches for 130 yards despite leaving the game momentarily to be evaluated for a concussion. Adams hauled in four catches for 51 yards in his Rams debut.
“A lot of the game plan is geared to get us involved. Puka had a great game,” Adams said postgame. “I think there’s a lot more we can build on, for sure.”
Houston had a problem covering Nacua most of the contest. Yet, Nacua owes Adams an assist. Adams’ presence on the field gave Nacua a matchup advantage because Adams was covered by Texans All-Pro cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. That allowed the Rams to exploit Nacua’s matchup against Kamari Lassiter and Houston’s other corners.
Bloodied Los Angeles Rams receiver Puka Nacua evaluated for concussion
“It’s huge. He has a ton of respect, and rightfully so. He’s an unbelievable player. He’s made a bunch of big plays,” Stafford said of Adams. “It’s fun to go out there and work with him, get to throw the ball to a guy that’s a future Hall of Famer. Unbelievable player. I feel lucky.”
The Rams essentially replaced Cooper Kupp with the three-time All-Pro Adams during the offseason. Adams at age 32 might be at the end of his prime, but Week 1 showed teams still have to gameplan for his mere presence on the field. He had a modest outing by his standards, but the Rams have something good brewing with their newly formed duo on the outside.
“It’s fun. These guys are just gritty and grimy dudes that’s gonna go out there and find a way to make it work,” Adams said of his Rams teammates. “A young team with a lot of energy and really everything that it takes to be a great team.”
