“Holy —!”
Holy rebound. Holy resilience. Holy Rams.
They started this abdomen knot of a Sunday afternoon flat on their backs, trailing the San Francisco 49ers by two touchdowns within the first quarter-hour — winless and helpless and hopeless.
SoFi Stadium was blanketed in crimson, Niners followers proudly owning the constructing, the defending NFC champs proudly owning the second, the 0-2 locals riddled with accidents and on the statistical brink of extinction.
“It would have been easy for guys to say, ‘It’s not looking good,’’’ said Troy Reeder.
Except, holy comeback, these are the Rams.
This is the organization with the strongest culture in Los Angeles sports. This is a group so connected, so single-minded, so sturdy, they never feel that greatness is beyond their reach.
They reached a Super Bowl with Jared Goff. They won a Super Bowl with no running backs. They most recently turned a 3-6 season into a playoff berth.
They’re the Rams, McVay’s Rams, and they believe they can do anything, and so even during their darkest moments Sunday, Reeder sensed only light.
“I was walking up and down the sideline and I just felt like everybody was confident that at some point, we would get a momentum swing,” he stated.
It was a swing that resulted within the soccer model of a walk-off homer. It was a swing that saved a season.
On the verge of falling to 0-3 and having only a 2% likelihood of ultimately making the playoffs, the Rams outfought a troublesome Niners protection, outshined a nifty Niners quarterback, and outplayed the Niners with a late 13-0 run to steal a 27-24 victory with two excellent endings.
Xavier Smith celebrates after his 38-yard punt return within the ultimate minute to provide the Rams wonderful subject place on their ultimate possession.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Occasions)
First, Joshua Karty kicked a 37-yard subject purpose with two seconds remaining to provide the Rams their solely lead.
Second, throughout these ultimate two seconds, the Rams’ video board confirmed photographs of all these red-clad followers scurrying to the exits. One man was screaming. One other group of followers scowling. They have been not erupting within the type of Niners cheering that had permeated your entire afternoon.
It was a wonderful factor.
It was the suitable closure for one of the vital vital regular-season victories of the McVay period.
“They kept competing,” stated McVay. “They kept fighting.”
It was received with six receivers catching passes rather than injured Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. It was received with a makeshift offensive line blowing open sufficient holes for Kyren Williams to run for 89 yards and two touchdowns. He added a 3rd rating by means of the air.
And ultimately, fittingly, it was received with the tying landing arrange by a 50-yard move to the much-maligned Tutu Atwell, and the profitable kick arrange by a 38-yard punt return from a man simply known as up from the apply squad named Xavier Smith.
“It took everybody,” stated quarterback Matthew Stafford.
This being a Hollywood group constructed on stars, people overlook that McVay’s tradition is fueled by all people.
“I think people always mistook some of the flash for the glue, the connective nature of the locker room, the way Sean is,” stated group president Kevin Demoff whereas standing in a jubilant locker room. “This is, to me, one of the best organizational wins we’ve had in a really long time.”
It was probably the greatest wins as a result of, since 1990, solely 4 of the 162 groups that began 0-3 made the playoffs, a startling 2.5%. The Rams lose, they’re cooked.
It was additionally probably the greatest wins as a result of McVay had been 1-9 towards Niners coach and rival Kyle Shanahan.
Lastly, it was a win that got here one week after one probably the most disappointing losses of the McVay period, a 41-10 embarrassment by the Arizona Cardinals.
Is it any marvel that, when the Rams rapidly fell behind 14-0 Sunday to a Niners group that was lacking key ability gamers Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle, many people had them written off?
Rams large receiver Tutu Atwell celebrates after making a 50-yard catch within the fourth quarter.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Occasions)
Nicely, not all people.
“A group that never wavered, just kept plugging away,” stated Stafford.
After the Rams scored on Williams’ finish zone somersault late within the second quarter, Byron Younger compelled a Brock Purdy fumble to finish the half and set the tone for a late push.
The Niners led by 10 early within the fourth quarter, however then Stafford took over, main two lengthy drives and a fast strike to arrange the profitable subject purpose after the protection held the Niners to fifteen yards on their ultimate drive.
“No doubt down in the fourth quarter with the ball in my hand, I’ve got a little extra heartbeat going,” stated Stafford. “I want to be in those moments. I feel like the guys on our team know that, and hopefully they feed off that.”
The Rams received regardless of being outgained by greater than 100 yards. The Rams received regardless of Purdy scrambling perpetually in a backfield they not often penetrated. The Rams received regardless of being a landing underdog in a sport that, after final week’s desert debacle, most certainly thought wouldn’t be that shut.
“They kept competing, they kept fighting,” stated McVay. “I see better than I hear, I saw a team respond after a really humbling week last week.”
What everybody noticed Sunday was a group resurrected.
What everybody heard have been the echoes of a message that might final the remainder of the season.
Holy hope.
