DETROIT — The Rams battled through numerous injuries on the offensive line both before and during the game to hand the Detroit Lions a hard-fought overtime game on Sunday night. Ultimately, the Rams fell to the Lions in Detroit for the second straight year, losing the season opener 26-20 after last season ended at Ford Field.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford found wide receiver Cooper Kupp 14 times on 49 pass attempts as the pair returned to their best form. The two, along with head coach Sean McVay, talked about their performance in the season opener, how they persevered despite injuries and some missed opportunities that could have changed the game. The full press conferences can be viewed below.
Here are some of the key quotes from Stafford, Kupp and McVay after the loss:
“To be honest, I was really proud of the way those guys (the offensive line) played. There were some unfortunate things, you know, up front, guys got hurt and couldn’t get back in the game, but those guys fought through it.” – Stafford
The Rams were already without their starting tackles Alaric Jackson (suspended) and Rob Havenstein (ankle). When Joe Noteboom was out for the first half, AJ Arcuri had to step in for one of the league’s best pass rushers, Aidan Hutchinson. In addition, offensive lineman Steve Avila was out for the first half, forcing Jonah Jackson to switch from center to guard while rookie Beaux Limmer stepped in to snap the ball.
Limmer was as good as Stafford could have hoped, allowing just two pressures on 26 pass-blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. Warren McClendon Jr. filled in for Havenstein at right tackle and performed well against a fierce Lions pass rush. Ultimately, Stafford acknowledged that the Rams were thin on the frontcourt even before those injuries, and he was impressed with how the guys up front fought, considering they threw the ball 49 times.
