There has been a long time rivalry between the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams in the NFL, therefore, you can imagine a football game between the two teams could stir up a lot of hype among football fans. In week one of the 2024-2025 NFL season, these two teams faced off in Detroit.
During the NFL offseason of 2021, then Lions Quarterback (QB), Matthew Stafford was traded to the Rams in return for Jared Goff (the current lions QB), a couple first round picks, and a third round pick to end off the trade package. With these draft picks, the Lions selected Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta, and Jameson Williams who are all starters on the team today. This trade only strengthened the rivalry between the two teams as Matthew Stafford and the Rams won the Super Bowl that same year, Lions fans were angry with Stafford because he never played that well while he was with Detroit.
During the last matchup between the two teams, the Lions beat the Rams by just one point in the NFC wild card playoffs.
This season’s week one game started off with a pretty quiet first quarter with a score of 0-3 in favor of the Lions. Ram’s star wide receiver: Puka Nacua, went down with an injury about halfway through the second quarter after making a completion. Nacua did not return to play throughout the rest of this game. Around the two minute mark in the second quarter, Jahmyr Gibbs went on to score a touchdown, which was followed by a made extra point by Lions kicker: Jake Bates. Before going into the half, the Rams tried to score a touchdown of their own, however, Kerby Joseph, one of the safeties for Lions intercepted it in the endzone, preventing the Rams from getting a last minute touchdown. At the half, the Lions led the Rams 3-10.
One of the Lions possessions in the third quarter led to an impressive 52 yard touchdown catch by Jameson Williams, making the score 3-17 after another extra point from Jake Bates. The Lion’s large lead would not last very long as Kyren Williams, the running back from the Rams scored a 2 yard rushing touchdown to end the third quarter.
Around three minutes into the fourth quarter, Joshua Karty of the Rams hit a 26-yard field goal which set the score to 13-17 with the Lions still in the lead. Jared Goff threw an interception to John Johnson III in the very next drive, the interception led to a 9-yard touchdown catch by Cooper Kupp which set the score to 17-20 with the Rams in the lead. With 20 seconds left in regulation, Jake Bates made a clutch field goal to tie the game after the Rams comeback.
Going into overtime, the Lions won the coin toss, which set the stage for them to win as if they scored a touchdown, they would win the game according to new overtime rules laid out just last season. After a series of excellent plays from Lion’s running back: David Montgomery, he was able to score a touchdown as well, which caused the Lions to win the game 20-26.
Following the game, Puka Nacua, who left the game early due to a PCL sprain, is expected to miss at least four more games.
