During the Rams’ three-game losing streak in November, Matthew Stafford threw five interceptions: two against the Titans, two against the 49ers and one against the Packers. He turned the ball over twice in each game, even though not all of them were his fault.
It’s tough to win when your quarterback turns it over multiple times in a single game, especially when facing quality teams. But on Sunday against the Vikings, the Rams did something they hadn’t done in 17 years.
They won a game in which their quarterback threw three interceptions on the road. The last time that happened was in 2004 when Marc Bulger and the Rams beat the Seahawks 33-27 in overtime.
Prior to Sunday’s game, the Rams were just 1-8 under Sean McVay in games where they turned it over at least three times. It’s rare for a team to win a game in which they committed three turnovers, but Los Angeles showed resilience against Minnesota this weekend.
They also showed growth.
The reason they were able to overcome Stafford’s three interceptions was thanks to their running game and defense. Sony Michel picked up the slack and rushed for 131 yards on 27 carries, stepping up as the bell cow in the offense.
The defense held Minnesota to only 23 points, 10 of which were essentially handed to the Vikings after Stafford’s two interceptions deep in the Rams’ own territory. The Rams limited the damage to three points after Minnesota took over at the 11-yard line, but they were unable to keep Alexander Mattison out of the end zone when the Vikings got it at the 2.
This game could’ve gotten really ugly had Michel and the defense not stepped up. It’s not as if Stafford improved over the course of the afternoon. He finished with only 197 yards, one touchdown and a passer rating of 46.8. It was by far his worst performance of the season, yet it was also one of the Rams’ most impressive wins with the way they got the job done.
A month ago, this wouldn’t have been a game the Rams won. Michel has made a huge difference keeping the offense on track, and the defense has clamped down in the red area, allowing touchdowns on only 45.5% of their opponents’ trips to the red zone in the last three games.
The fact that they were able to beat the Vikings – who aren’t a great team but still could make the playoffs – is a great sign as the postseason approaches. It shows that they can still win even when Stafford isn’t at his best. Previously, it was believed that they would only go far in the playoffs if Stafford carried them there.
Now, they have a running game to lean on and a defense that can put the clamps on top receivers and slow down quality rushing attacks. That’s a massive step in the right direction at this point in the season.