Texans game: tweets, plays, highlights, media commentary

Credit the Rams defense for their entire performance today.

The ultimate bail out moment of Nate Landman game saving punch out! And Braden Fiske with the max effort recovery! pic.twitter.com/20xxxwBwtH

— RAMS ON FILM (@RamsOnFilm) September 7, 2025

Matthew Stafford no-looker 🤫 pic.twitter.com/YPiwfjQlqZ

— Rams Bros. (@RamsBrothers) September 7, 2025

from https://theramshuddle.com/topic/texans-game-tweets-plays-highlights-media-commentary/#post-157849

The defense is elite

L.A. picked up right where it left off in 2024 on defense. The Rams allowed just 9 points and 265 yards, including a late-game fumble recovery that sealed the game. Chris Shula’s squad finished with three sacks and an interception as well. The Rams allowed 114 rushing yards, which wasn’t great, but it looks like an improvement on this unit from a year ago. If the Rams’ offense sputters again, Sean McVay can count on the defense to keep the team in games.

RAMMAN76

Puka Nacua – 10 catches, 130 yards
Byron Young – 9 tackles, 1 sack, 2 QB hits
Nate Landman – 10 tackles, 1 QB hit, 1 FF

Rams hold Texans to 9 points in physical Week 1 win: Key takeaways

By The Athletic NFL Staff
Jourdan Rodrigue, Nate Atkins and Ngwa Numfor

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6608958/2025/09/07/texans-rams-score-result-takeaways-nfl-week-1/

The Los Angeles Rams started the season 1-0 with a physical 14-9 win over the Houston Texans. The game featured late drama, as Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair forced a Colby Parkinson fumble with four minutes left, halting a late Rams drive at the 12-yard line, to give Houston one more possession and a chance to steal a victory.

However, Chris Shula’s defense would not be outdone as new Los Angeles defender Nate Landman forced a fumble of his own, punching the ball out of the hands of running back Dare Ogunbowale, to give the ball back to Matthew Stafford and the Rams offense to seal the victory. The fumble was only the second lost fumble of Ogunbowale’s nine-year NFL career.

After the game, Stafford said Landman “called his shot” in team meetings in the week leading up to the game, saying “he was going to get one.”

A physical affair

The game got extremely physical early on, as Rams receiver Davante Adams took a massive hit while converting a third down (the incidental contact of which sent Texans star cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. to the medical tent for a checkup before he re-entered the game). Texans left tackle Cam Robinson and Jake Andrews, their center, left the game in the third quarter with injuries as did Rams left guard Steve Avila (first half) and right guard Kevin Dotson (second half), though Robinson and Avila eventually returned. Rams receiver Puka Nacua, at one point, was bleeding from above his eyebrow after a hit, and he was evaluated for a concussion and cleared but re-entered, exited, and re-entered the game again to adjust a bandage placed over the wound. There were personal fouls, face masks and kidney shots.

For a Week 1 game, this was a bruiser in which both offenses, even though they feature two of the NFL’s top quarterbacks, had to scratch and claw for every yard. — Jourdan Rodrigue, senior NFL writer

Bringing the heat

The Rams threw all the pressure they could at C.J. Stroud and his rebuilt offensive line, the subject of much angst last season.

From overloading different sides to pick on their tackle of choice (including Fiske stacking over the right side with Byron Young against rookie right tackle Aireontae Ersery) to a safety blitz that resulted in a sack, Stroud and his front had to navigate as much as they’ll see all season.

When Stroud had his starting offensive line intact (through the first three quarters, before Robinson and Andrews exited with injuries), the Texans gave up 12 pressures, according to Next Gen Stats. The group handled early-game pressure well, with a mix of quick throws and Stroud forcing an over-rush by the edge players and then escaping into a running lane. It’s a long hill to climb for an entire game, though.— Rodrigue

Knocking off the rust

The returns of Stafford (back) and Alaric Jackson (blood clots) from lengthy absences required some time to kick off the rust and get into gear. But once Stafford settled in, from the pocket, and had time to look downfield, he looked like his former self again. He nailed strikes to Nacua in traffic and lofted rainbows along the left sideline to Xavier Smith and Davis Allen to key back-to-back touchdown drives in the “middle eight” minutes of the game.

Stafford acknowledged this week that his back injury is the type he’ll have to manage consistently at age 37. He appeared to be playing with that awareness Sunday, dirting passes when pressure arrived rather than trying to evade and reset or shed sacks the way he used to in his younger years.

It all puts more pressure on Jackson, the Rams offensive line and the offensive plan for coach Sean McVay and offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur to give their quarterback just enough time to operate as a true pocket passer right now. The playmakers are still there, but the ability to adjust to danger off the snap might not be. — Nate Atkins, Rams beat writer

Rams defensive changeup

The Rams changed up their secondary looks, benching cornerback Darious Williams for Emmanuel Forbes and playing a good amount of safety Jaylen McCollough.

The plan worked, as McCollough was able to score a key third-down sack from a safety alignment to kill a red-zone drive. Stroud had a hard time finding open receivers without the use of his legs to extend plays. Superstar wide receiver Nico Collins finished with just three catches for 25 yards. And the Texans never found the end zone.

But it is a curious usage of the veteran Williams, who played 69 percent of the Rams’ defensive snaps last season and has 66 career starts. — Atkins

Rams were 8 of 14 on 3rd & 4th down conversions. 57%.

On the other side of that coin, they held the Texans to 3 of 10 on 3rd/4th down. 30%.

Rams were 2 of 3 in the redzone. Held the Texans to 0 on 1 RZ attempt.

First sack of the season! CLOCK IT!

📺 @NFLonCBS | #RamsHouse pic.twitter.com/JHUJdXW1sh

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) September 7, 2025

I love it when the Stars show out but sometimes it’s even more exciting when the lesser expected men make the play!

All around involvement in the win yesterday

Xavier Smith and Davis Allen made two spectacular plays, on two outstanding balls from Matthew Stafford pic.twitter.com/uMU6f2XCV6

— RAMS ON FILM (@RamsOnFilm) September 8, 2025

Agent Zero, Byron Young, here at left edge.

Man, he can run. pic.twitter.com/rIraXmFedo

— Jim Youngblood 53 (@53_jim70721) September 9, 2025