Going more than 28 minutes without a first down is usually how you lose. Somehow the Rams beat Chargers 24-9 on Sunday anyway, winning by 15. The 24-9 win at SoFi Stadium moved the Rams to 4-4. It dropped the Chargers to 0-7, the NFL’s only winless team.
Yes, you read that right. Los Angeles still has a football team that can’t win, and it lives in the other locker room.
How the Rams beat Chargers after a dead first half
The Rams did not pick up a first down until Matthew Stafford hit Tutu Atwell for 40 yards with 1:26 left in the first half, according to ProFootballTalk. They had 10 rushing yards at halftime. They opened the game with five straight three-and-outs, a first for the franchise this century, Yahoo Sports reports.
Then everything flipped.
Kyren Williams scored from a yard out with 19 seconds left in the half to put the Rams up 10-9. In the third quarter, Blake Corum broke a 23-yard touchdown run. Puka Nacua then caught an 18-yard scoring pass from Stafford, per the ESPN scoring summary. That made it 21 unanswered points. The Chargers did not score again.
If you missed the last time this offense surged, our look at the Week 6 aftermath and the Rams’ recent form gives some context.
Here’s the thing: the Chargers beat themselves
The Chargers actually outgained the Rams 295 yards to 281. They lost anyway, because yards only count when they end in points.
Justin Herbert threw two interceptions, and the Rams turned them into 10 points. Los Angeles had entered the game with a league-worst six points off turnovers, so that was new for them. Lake’s 46-yard interception return set up the Rams’ first field goal at the Chargers’ 19, according to the team’s game recap.
The Chargers also settled for three field goals from kicker Dicker. That is the whole story of an offense that keeps moving the ball and keeps missing the end zone. The Chargers did not score a touchdown on Sunday, and they trailed 24-9 when the game turned on downs.
With 6:39 left, the Chargers had the ball at the Rams’ 24. Herbert’s pass to tight end Orande Gadsden fell short. The Rams then ran a 12-play drive to the end of the game.
Why the Rams top winless Chargers on the ground
The ground game won this one. Los Angeles ran for 129 yards to the Chargers’ 64. Corum had 73 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown. Williams added 56 yards on 16 carries, per ProFootballTalk. Stafford finished 17 of 25 for 157 yards, one touchdown and one interception, Field Level Media reports. Herbert was 24 of 32 for 257 yards with those two picks.
The Rams won without receiver Davante Adams, who is injured. Nobody has reported a timeline for his return.
It was the Rams’ second straight win. After a start that left them below .500, they are now back to even.
What the Rams win over Chargers means for both fan bases
For Rams fans, the takeaway is a split verdict. The defense and the run game are real, and a win is a win. But an offense that sits without a first down for most of the first half against a winless team will not get away with that against a better one.
Defensive back Trent McDuffie also needs watching. Field Level Media says he intercepted a pass in his return from a groin injury. Turf Show Times reports he and Jaylen Watson were hurt in the game. Neither injury has an official update yet.
For Chargers fans, this is a grim milestone. AP reports the 0-7 mark is their worst start since 2000. They came off a bye week with the same offensive coordinator, Mike McDaniel, whom the team retained during the break. They got the same result: yards, no touchdowns, and turnovers at the worst times.
The NFL schedule will set the Rams’ next opponent and the Chargers’ next chance to avoid history. For a sense of what the league has lined up, see our rundown of the 2026 NFL schedule release.
If the Chargers keep moving the ball and keep losing, that ugly 0-7 is going to get longer before it gets better. How many more moral victories in the yardage column can one team collect?
