Rams lose Puka Nacua, several offensive linemen, then to Lions in overtime

It is way too early to know, but another possible opportunity could loom in January for Matthew Stafford.

The Rams star quarterback has twice returned to Ford Field — where he played 12 seasons for the Detroit Lions — and came up just short both times.

A one-point defeat last season in an NFC wild-card game was a crusher.

On Sunday night, Stafford gave the Rams the lead with one of his patented fourth-quarter drives but could not close out the game in regulation.

A remade Rams defense that stifled the high-powered Lions for much of the game finally broke on the first possession in overtime. Quarterback Jared Goff drove his team 70 yards in eight plays and running back David Montgomery scored on a one-yard touchdown to send the Rams to a 26-20 defeat before 66,530.

Rams coach Sean McVay looked for positives for one of the NFL’s youngest teams.

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“This is a real learning opportunity,” said McVay, who is 6-2 in season openers.

It was a costly defeat for the Rams in more ways than one.

Wide receiver Puka Nacua and offensive lineman Steve Avila left because of knee injuries, and offensive lineman Joe Noteboom sustained an ankle injury. Right guard Kevin Dotson exited the locker room on crutches with his left foot and ankle in a protective boot.

McVay provided no updates and did not specify whether Nacua’s injury was to the same knee that was injured during a joint practice with the Chargers in training camp.

The rash of injuries in the opener harkens to 2022. That’s when the defending Super Bowl-champion Rams lost several offensive linemen during a season-opening rout by the Buffalo Bills, the beginning of the Rams’ historic Super Bowl hangover.

The Rams went into Sunday night short-handed because of left tackle Alaric Jackson’s suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy, and veteran right tackle Rob Havenstein being sidelined because of an ankle injury.

Noteboom started at left tackle, Warren McClendon Jr. at right tackle. But Noteboom was carted from the sideline to the locker room in the second quarter and Avila, who started at right guard, did not play after halftime. That forced center Jonah Jackson to move to guard, rookie Beaux Limmer to take over at center and AJ Arcuri, who was promoted this week from the practice squad, to play left tackle.

A holding penalty against Arcuri nullified a touchdown and forced the Rams to settle for a field goal to pull within 17-13, but Stafford praised the offense’s effort.

“Tough environment to play in,” said Stafford, who completed 34 of 49 passes for 317 yards and touchdown, with an interception. “A bunch of linemen going down, starting receiver going down, and our guys never blinked.”

Stafford lamented his missed opportunities. The Lions intercepted his pass into the end zone with less than a minute left in the second quarter. After throwing a go-ahead touchdown pass to Kupp with less than five minutes left, the Rams got the ball back less than a minute later.

Stafford’s third-down pass intended for Kupp was high and fell incomplete, however, giving the Lions a chance to kick a game-tying field goal. Stafford walked to the sideline frustrated, with his hands on the top of his helmet.

“I had a chance to win it,” he said. “Every game, there’s plays you want back, and that’s definitely one of them. I’d like to think I could hit that throw a bunch of times in a row.”

Said Kupp, who caught 14 passes for 110 yards: “We need to find a way to ideally close the game out there. … We do that and overtime doesn’t matter.”

Goff, for whom Stafford was traded in 2021, outdueled him again, completing 18 of 28 passes for 217 yards, with an interception.

The Rams defense, playing without retired Aaron Donald for the first time since 2015 and under the direction of new coordinator Chris Shula, neutralized the Lions’ high-powered offense for much of the game.

Read more: 🏈 Rams-Lions summary

After the Lions won the overtime coin toss, however, the Rams could not stop them. The Lions ran the ball six times during the game-winning drive, with Montgomery carrying five times.

“Just hand it to D-mo, man, a battering ram,” Goff said. “Just hand it to him and he did the rest, and it was fun. It was fun watching him — kind of catch that second wind there in that overtime, and our O-line the same way.”

Rams outside linebacker Michael Hoecht said the Rams competed to the end.

“When you go toe to toe with a team that went to the NFC championship game, and it comes down to a coin toss, it sucks,” he said. “But it stings a little less.”

Rookie Jared Verse and second-year pro Byron Young each had a sack.

“We stood our ground — we came up short a little bit,” Young said, adding, “It’s a lot to learn from. I see a bright future for us.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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