3 Takeaways from Rams' Week 5 Win

Coming off a short week of practice, the Los Angeles Rams' offense got off to a slow start Thursday night. However, the unit came out much improved in the second half to ensure the team avoided a second loss to an NFC West rival in a span of five days.

Los Angeles used a big second half to down the Seattle Seahawks 26-17 at Lumen Field. The Rams improved to 4-1, which has them a half-game back of the NFC West-leading Arizona Cardinals, who are 4-0 after defeating L.A. this past Sunday.

The Rams took their first lead on Thursday when Darrell Henderson Jr. had a five-yard touchdown run with seven minutes, 56 seconds to go in the third quarter, and they led the rest of the way.

Seattle tried to pull off a late comeback, but Matt Gay's 47-yard field goal with 24 seconds remaining sealed the victory for Los Angeles.

Here are three takeaways from the Rams' Week 5 win.

Stafford Continues to Provide Necessary Leadership

Stephen Brashear/Associated Press

The Rams' offense has been impressive this season, with the offseason acquisition of veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford paying huge dividends.

Yet, Los Angeles had only three points in the first half against Seattle, with its first four possessions resulting in three punts and an interception.

Stafford got the Rams going in the second half, though, relying on their strong running game and making big plays when they needed it.

By the end of the night, the 33-year-old had completed 25 of his 37 passing attempts and thrown for a season-high 365 yards. He had only one touchdown pass, marking the first game this year in which he didn't have at least two, but that didn't matter because of the leadership he showed.

And that came despite the fact that Stafford was battling through a right index finger injury.

"When you talk to him, he's so tough, it's almost like he won't tell you what's going on, he just says, 'I'm fine,'" Los Angeles head coach Sean McVay told the media after the game.

With Stafford leading the offense, the Rams are always capable of turnarounds like they showed Thursday night. He's a big reason why they are back on track and pulled out a quality road victory.

Woods Still an Important Part of the Passing Game

Craig Mitchelldyer/Associated Press

Earlier in the week, McVay told reporters that the Rams intended to get more opportunities for wide receiver Robert Woods moving forward.

The 29-year-old, who had been one of Los Angeles' top receiving options over the previous four years, had only 15 catches through the first four weeks of 2021.

It became clear that the Rams' plan to get Woods more involved was going to be a success this week. He had 12 catches for 150 yards (both season highs) and was targeted by Stafford 14 times during the game. It was a performance that more closely resembled his strong showings from previous years.

"He was big when we were backed up, made some explosive plays," Stafford said, per Tim Booth of the Associated Press. "He played great tonight."

Henderson, fellow running back Sony Michel and tight end Tyler Higbee all scored touchdowns for the Rams. Cooper Kupp has been one of the best wide receivers in the NFL this season, and he had seven more catches for 92 yards. DeSean Jackson is a valuable deep threat, which he showed when catching a 68-yard pass.

If Woods also gets going again, the Rams' offense will become even more challenging for opposing defenses to stop. And this performance may have been a sign of things to come for him the rest of the way.

Donald Could Be Key to Defensive Improvement

Stephen Brashear/Associated Press

Aaron Donald made Rams history in the third quarter on Thursday night. With his sack of Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, he became the franchise's all-time sacks leader, as it boosted his career total to 88.5. Leonard Little previously held the record with 87.5 (although sacks didn't become an official stat until 1982).

One of the most consistently dominant players on the L.A. defense, Donald had one of his best showings of the season to go along with his moment of history. He had a season-high-tying seven tackles, two tackles for a loss, three QB hits and a pass deflection.

"It feels good. It's a blessing," the 30-year-old said, per Stu Jackson of the team's official site. "It's even better when you accomplish something like that coming off a divisional win."

Although Donald excelled, the Rams' defense has room for improvement. It only had two sacks, gave up 354 total yards and nearly let the Seahawks get back into the game late. If Los Angeles wants to play as well on that side of the ball as it did in 2020, when it was among the best units in the NFL, it will need to correct some issues.

But when Donald is playing this well, it can only help the Rams' defense get moving in the right direction.