It was an up-and-down first half of the season for the Los Angeles Rams, one filled with streaks. They started the year 3-0 before losing three straight to fall to 3-3.
Fortunately, they won back-to-back games the last two weeks to move above .500 before the bye, sitting at 5-3 after eight weeks. Amidst all the adversity, there were a bunch of great plays made in all three phases of the game.
The offense produced some big plays, while the defense and special teams scored touchdowns of their own.
Below are the eight best plays from the first half of the season, in no particular order.
65-yard trick play to Cooper Kupp
This isn’t just the Rams’ best play, but likely the top play of the entire NFL season thus far. The creativity and execution – paired with B.W. Webb slipping in the secondary – created a spectacular touchdown for Cooper Kupp.
It went from Jared Goff to Kupp to Robert Woods, back to Goff and then to Kupp again. You won’t see many plays better than this one in 2019.
Todd Gurley’s TD catch vs. Falcons
Gurley didn’t have the best first half of the season, but this catch was certainly deserving of being included. He beat Vic Beasley on a wheel route out of the backfield, making a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch in the end zone.
His footwork to stay in bounds and the concentration going to the ground were both excellent, as was the throw by Goff.
Marcus Peters’ pick-six
The Rams didn’t win this game, but Peters nearly made a remarkable comeback happen. An ill-advised throw by Jameis Winston landed in Peters’ hands, and the former All-Pro cornerback did the rest from there.
He returned it for a touchdown, getting leveled by a lineman at the goal line. Peters held on and landed in the end zone for six, pulling the Rams to within one score.
Cooper Kupp’s 66-yard catch-and-run
Kupp leads all wide receivers with 404 yards after the catch this season and the above play shows exactly why. He’s been excellent with the ball in his hands this year, breaking tackles and finding openings in the defense.
It was originally ruled a touchdown, but the play was overturned after review and Kupp was called short of the end zone.
Fake punt vs. Falcons
Johnny Hekker makes fake punts look easy, and he connected with rookie Nick Scott on this bit of trickery to pick up the first down against the Falcons.
Hekker would undoubtedly be the Rams’ emergency quarterback and he’s shown countless times in the past that he’s capable of throwing a pass every now and then. This was perfectly executed by the vet and rookie.
John Johnson’s interception to seal win vs. Browns
The Browns were knocking on the door late against the Rams, trying to score a game-tying touchdown from the 4.5-yard line. After getting flushed from the pocket, Baker Mayfield threw up a prayer, which went unanswered.
John Johnson picked off the pass and sealed the win, giving the Rams a huge road victory against Cleveland.
Jared Goff threads needle to Brandin Cooks
Goff hasn’t been as sharp as usual this year, but this throw to Cooks was in one of the tightest windows you’ll ever see. He threaded the needle between two defenders for a touchdown against the Saints.
That’s an incredibly difficult (and risky) throw in close quarters along the goal line, but Goff didn’t flinch and threw a bullet to his receiver.
Forced fumble for TD
With the game already out of reach, the Rams punted the ball away against the Falcons, leading 30-10. Atlanta’s return man fumbled the ball after trying to make a big play, and Darious Williams recovered it for a touchdown.
It was an appropriate cap to a dominant game by Los Angeles, winning that one 37-10 on the road.
