OAKLAND—The Los Angeles Rams traveled to the Black Hole, otherwise known as the Alameda Coliseum, to defeat the Oakland Raiders, 33-13, on Monday, September 10. Relying on the Rams voracious defense and a steady dose of Running Back Todd Gurley shined brightly on Monday Night Football.
Speaking of Monday Night Football, former MNF analyst, Jon Gruden made his long awaited return to the sidelines, roaming the sidelines for the Silver and Black once more. The Rams were not feeling particularly nostalgic on this crisp night, their aggressive style wore these Raiders ragged. Quarterback Jared Goff threw two touchdown passes, Todd Gurley rushed for 108 yards, newly acquired defensive back Marcus Peters intercepted a Derek Carr pass and returned it 58 yards for a touchdown.
Early in the contest, it seemed the Raiders had the edge. Drawing first blood with a 10-yard rumble into the end zone courtesy of Marshawn Lynch. In fact, the Raiders held a 13-10 lead, as both teams headed to the locker room. In the second half, the Rams came out with a vengeance. Never letting the foot off the pedal; blanking the Raiders 23-0 in the final 30 minutes.
The upgrade on defense was remarkable. Former All-Pros Peters, Aqib Talib and Ndamukong Suh shut down the Raiders potent offense. Although, the wounded duck Carr lobbed up late certainly didn’t help matters. The Rams are 1-0, leading the NFC West by one game, every other division opponent lost in week 1.
In week 2, the home opener, the Rams will host Sam Bradford and the Arizona Cardinals. Kickoff is at 1:05 p.m. at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum.