Three heroes carry the LA Rams to Week 17 victory

In the LA Rams victory over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 17, the team seemed to snatch a victory from the jaws of defeat. Of course, the pattern of the team’s season so far was certainly such that a loss on the road to a physical opponent would not be unheard of.

To reinforce that fatalistic forecast, the LA Rams were quite generous with the football once more. One interception by Matthew Stafford stalled a sure-fire scoring drive and gave the Ravens the opportunity to drive the length of the football field and score a field goal. Another interception from Stafford was a pick-six, giving the Baltimore Ravens their only touchdown in the game. Finally, Stafford fumbled the football on a strip-sack, once more leading to another Ravens’ field goal.

Still, this team has not remained the same. In each loss, the team has learned important lessons. With each bit of adversity, the Rams have grown a bit. And with the amount of adversity that the LA Rams have faced and overcome in the past month, this team has learned to never quit. Despite the fact that the Rams were quickly behind by 10 points, on the road, and having punted the football away with just two minutes remaining in the first half.

Three phases contributed

At various points of time in the 2021 NFL season, the LA Rams have struggled at offense, at defense, and at special teams. While nobody can successfully argue the case that the LA Rams efforts in Week 17 exemplified the best effort of all three phases of the team, there were flashes of brilliance that were sufficient to give hope.

Wins and losses in the NFL gravitate and cling to the quarterbacks. While quarterbacks seldom run with the football, almost never catch the football, and most certainly do not play defense, we’ve simply grown accustomed to concluding that wins and losses are totally reliant upon the quarterback’s play. But in Baltimore, Maryland, the LA Rams proved that this team could overcome a less than stellar performance from quarterback Matthew Stafford.

In Week 17, the LA Rams won the game thanks to the heroics of Jordan Fuller, Brandon Powell, and Odell Beckham Jr.

This is their story.