Rams stuff the Lamar Jackson-less Ravens 17-3, dropping Baltimore to 1-5

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OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — The first half was the stuff of nightmares for the Los Angeles Rams: penalties, poor kicking, a turnover and even an injury to star receiver Puka Nacua.

That still wasn't enough for the Baltimore Ravens to give LA much of a scare.

The Rams finished the first half with a goal-line stand and then Matthew Stafford guided them to a pair of touchdowns to begin the third quarter in a 17-3 victory over the Ravens on Sunday. Los Angeles was happy to take an ugly win after losing in overtime to San Francisco the previous week and on a blocked field goal against Philadelphia last month.

“I feel like we moved the ball up and down the field last week and had 400-something yards of offense and lost the game and felt pretty (bad) about it,” Stafford said. “Felt good about this one. Nice job getting a win.”

The Rams (4-2) weren't at their best, but they didn't have to be against a spiraling Baltimore team that was without injured quarterback Lamar Jackson for a second straight weekend. The Ravens (1-5) managed a field goal on their first drive and nothing more.

It was tied at 3 late in the first half when the Ravens had first-and-goal from the 4. After Derrick Henry ran to the 1, Baltimore tried back-to-back tush push plays with tight end Mark Andrews lining up at quarterback and sneaking. Neither worked and then Henry was stopped on fourth down.

Kyren Williams put Los Angeles ahead with a 3-yard scoring run in the third. After Baltimore's Zay Flowers fumbled, the Rams quickly made it 17-3 on an 8-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to Tyler Higbee.

Nacua left in the second quarter with a foot injury. He was able to come back in the third, but he didn't catch a pass following the injury.

“You think I know all that stuff right now?” coach Sean McVay said when asked if Nacua would play next weekend. "Come on, you're better than that."

That response was flippant enough that McVay apologized to the reporter later in the news conference, but he was generally in a good mood after this road win. It's been a much tougher season for his counterpart, Baltimore's John Harbaugh, whose team got some key players back on defense Sunday but has managed just 13 points in two games without Jackson.

“We can accomplish what we want to accomplish,” Harbaugh said. “We can do it. We’re the kind of team that can do it.”

Only four teams have managed to make the playoffs after a 1-5 start, although the regular season is longer now than it was for those teams.

With Jackson sidelined by a hamstring injury, Cooper Rush went 11 for 19 for 72 yards with an interception and a lost fumble before being pulled in favor of Tyler Huntley in the fourth. Huntley drove Baltimore from deep in its own territory to the red zone before the Ravens turned the ball over on downs with 3:44 left.

Rush was intercepted in the first quarter, but a fumble by Stafford gave the ball back to the Ravens. The Rams also missed a short field goal and wiped out a fumble by the Ravens with a penalty in the first half, but Baltimore couldn't do much to capitalize.

Then it was the Ravens making all the big mistakes in the second half, specifically the fumble by Flowers and then a jet sweep to Flowers later in the third that the receiver didn't grasp cleanly. That fumble was charged to Rush.

Joshua Karty hit the upright on a 26-yard field goal in the first quarter, and his successful 36-yard attempt in the second wasn't exactly convincing.

“Obviously you guys are going to ask me about the field goal,” McVay said. “I thought the protection was good, we've got to make the kick. We ended up missing the kick, he ended up hitting the second one, not very clean right there — the snap felt like it was a little bit high.”

McVay had apparently seen enough by the fourth quarter, when he had his offense stay on the field for an unsuccessful fourth-and-3 attempt from the Baltimore 6, rather than kick for a 17-point lead.

Ravens: T Ronnie Stanley (ankle) played after missing the previous game, but didn't make it through the first half. ... Edge rusher Tavius Robinson left with a broken foot.

Rams: RB Blake Corum went to the tunnel with an ankle injury at the same time Nacua did. He was also able to return.

The Rams head to London for their next game, Sunday against Jacksonville. Baltimore has a much-needed open date before hosting Chicago on Oct. 26.

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