The Rams had the last gasp in the highest-scoring game in Monday night football history, outlasting the Chiefs 54-51 before a packed house at the Coliseum.
LOS ANGELES — The Rams trained at altitude this week. Anyone watching their game Monday night probably wished they’d done the same, given the non-stop action and few chances to catch breath.
This game had to be moved from Mexico City, an unfortunate decision for fans who had bought tickets and planned vacations. Instead, the NFL threw a party at the Coliseum, and the guests of honor, the Rams and Kansas City Chiefs, feted each other with touchdowns. Finally, somewhat disappointing, the clock reached zero, and the Rams walked away with a classic 54-51 victory over the Chiefs on Monday night.
“It was one of the most competitive games I’ve been a part of since I’ve been in the league,” Rams coach Sean McVay said, and a coach much older than McVay’s 32 years probably could say the same.
So, things seem relatively settled. The Rams (10-1) should face New Orleans in the NFC championship game, and the winner gets the Chiefs a couple weeks later. Sure, six more weeks of the regular season need to be played, but these are games that need to be played again.
It never seemed like it would end. The Rams led 40-30 late in the second quarter, then trailed 44-40 less than four minutes into the fourth quarter. The Rams led 47-44. The Chiefs led 51-47.
The Rams took the lead 54-51 with 1:49 remaining, on quarterback Jared Goff’s 40-yard touchdown pass to tight end Gerald Everett, and then the Chiefs had two more chances to win the game or send it to overtime.
On a night when both defenses were taxed and probably ran a couple miles chasing offensive players, the Rams finally made some stops. Marcus Peters got an interception against his former team with 1:18 to play, and then, after the Chiefs got the ball back, Rams safety Lamarcus Joyner intercepted Mahomes with 13 seconds remaining.
Finally, it ended. Exhausted players trudged back to the locker room, where Rams offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth and John Sullivan shared a long hug. The Rams became the first team in NFL history to allow 50 points in a game and win, and the raucous Coliseum crowd loved every moment of it.
“I thought our guys did a great job of staying together, staying connected and not letting the circumstances dictate the way we responded,” McVay said.
Then, as most fans filed out, a more poignant scene took place on the field, as first responders and family members of the victims of the recent mass shooting in Thousand Oaks gathered in the east end zone. The Rams, as much as possible, tried to make the night about those folks. They gave away thousands of tickets after the showcase came was relocated from Mexico City at the start of the week.
Goff and Whitworth returned to the field after a trip to the locker room, still mostly in uniform, and greeted the guests.
What a day for Goff. He was far from perfect, with two big fumbles that could have turned the game, but he completed 31 of 49 attempts for 413 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions. Goff also ran for one touchdown.
“Jared’s poise and confidence and ability to respond after some sometimes it wasn’t pretty is why you love him,” Goff said.
Mahomes completed 33 of 46 attempts for 478 yards and six touchdowns but also had three interceptions.
Rams linebacker Samson Ebukam had a star turn, as he returned a fumble and an interception for a touchdown. Ebukam’s second score came when he deflected a pass, intercepted it and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown and gave the Rams a 40-30 lead with 2:14 remaining in the third quarter.
Kansas City didn’t stay down long, as Mahomes and Tyreek Hill connected on a 73-yard touchdown to pull the Chiefs within 40-37. Then, on a third down plan on the ensuing drive, Goff was sacked and fumbled, and the Chiefs’ Allen Bailey returned the ball for a touchdown and a 44-40 Kansas City lead with 11:07 to go.
The Rams regained the lead with 9:38 to go, on Goff’s 7-yard touchdown pass to Everett, which put them up 47-44. There would be two more touchdowns, and a couple more heart-stopping defensive stands.
In a you-score, we-score tilt that delighted a full house — the Rams announced 77,002 tickets distributed, and most of them appeared to have been used — the Rams held the lead for much of the game.
The first half certainly did not disappoint, as the Rams and Chiefs couldn’t have been more equal. Each team scored 23 points, missed an extra point and committed a significant turnover. The biggest difference was a massive number of penalties for the Chiefs, who had seven in the game’s first nine minutes.
Kansas City usually is the team that starts strong, but the Rams, with some fine throws by Goff, took a 13-0 lead in the first quarter with touchdowns on their first two drives. Goff thew to Robert Woods, then to Josh Reynolds, on the two touchdown drives, and the Rams took a 13-0 lead.
The Chiefs pulled within 13-7, then 16-10 midway through the second quarter, before turnovers shifted momentum twice.
First, Goff was sacked and fumbled, and the Chiefs recovered at the Rams’ 21-yard line. On the next play, Mahomes and Kareem Hunt connected on a 21-yard screen pass and a touchdown, and the Chiefs took their first lead at 17-16.
The Chiefs then forced a punt and threatened to take over, but on a second-down play at the Chiefs’ 22, Mahomes was sacked by Aaron Donald and fumbled. Ebukam picked up the fball and returned it 21 yards for a touchdown and a 23-17 Rams lead with 1:50 left in the first half.
Naturally, the Chiefs weren’t done. They drove 69 yards and scored on an 8-yard pass from Mahomes to Chris Conley, but a missed extra point sent the game to halftime at 23-23.
