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Rams score early, hold off Giants

Dec 31, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) scores a touchdown against New York Giants cornerback Nick McCloud (44) during the second quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Matthew Stafford passed for 317 yards and a touchdown and Kyren Williams rushed for three scores to help the Los Angeles Rams to a 26-25 win against the host New York Giants on Sunday afternoon in East Rutherford, N.J.

Stafford completed 24 of 34 passes with two interceptions, Williams rushed for 87 yards on 20 carries and Puka Nacua caught five passes for 118 yards for the Rams (9-7), who have won six of seven.

The Los Angeles defense contributed six sacks and a turnover.

Tyrod Taylor passed for 319 yards and a touchdown and Darius Slayton caught four passes for 106 yards and a long touchdown for the Giants (5-11), who have lost three in a row.

The Giants cut the lead to 26-25 on a 94-yard punt return for a touchdown by Gunner Olszewski with 3:27 remaining. After an offsides penalty on the Rams, New York elected to try for two points and Taylor missed a wide-open Saquon Barkley out of the backfield, leaving the Giants behind 26-25.

New York quickly got the ball back and Taylor scrambled 31 yards to the Los Angeles 34 with 42 seconds left, but Mason Crosby missed a 54-yard field goal with 30 seconds remaining.

Los Angeles marched 72 yards on eight plays on its second drive of the game and took a 7-0 lead on a 4-yard touchdown run by Williams.

New York wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson scored on a 24-yard run off an end-around to tie it 7-7 with 13:03 left in the first half.

Los Angeles took a 14-7 lead on a 5-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to Kupp with 1:44 left in the first half.

Crosby kicked a 31-yard field goal as time expired to cut the lead to 14-10 at the half.

Nacua got tackled at the 2-yard line at the end of an 80-yard reception and WIlliams ran into the end zone on the next play to extend the lead to 20-10 with 10:17 left in the third quarter.

Slayton scored on a long touchdown pass for the second consecutive week, hauling in an 80-yarder to trim the deficit to 20-16 with 4:39 left in the third quarter.

Slayton scored on a 69-yard touchdown pass last week against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Belton then intercepted Stafford a second time on another overthrow over the middle and he returned it 20 yards to the Los Angeles 34. That turnover led to a 32-yard field goal by Crosby to cut it to 20-19 with 13:24 left.

The Rams quickly answered with a 28-yard touchdown run by Williams with 12:03 left to extend the lead to 26-19 and that score remained after Lucas Havrisik missed his second straight extra-point attempt.

–Field Level Media

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