Rams surrender 16-point lead, fall 30-26 to Broncos

Los Angeles held a 16-0 lead at halftime on Sunday but Denver rallied in the second half to win 30-26 at Empower Field. The Broncos’ safety Talanoa Hufanga intercepted a Matthew Stafford pass in the end zone as the clock ran out, capping a 66-yard pick-six that gave Denver the decisive margin.

The Rams, who entered the game as early season favorites, fell to 1-2 on the season, a record they have rarely posted under head coach Sean McVay. McVay said, "We just came up short tonight."

Denver quarterback Bo Nix threw two second-half touchdowns and added a one-yard rushing score with 47 seconds left. Stafford completed 30 of 55 passes for 390 yards and two touchdowns, but a false-start penalty and Hufanga’s interception ended the comeback attempt.

Los Angeles was penalized 13 times for 91 yards, including a pass-interference call on defensive back Josh Wallace and an illegal-use-of-hands penalty on safety Quentin Lake. Wallace also recorded an interception earlier in the game. Tight end Tyler Higbee noted that the penalties “hurt ourselves” and contributed to the loss.

The Rams will travel to Philadelphia next week to face the Eagles. Receiver Davante Adams said, "It’s nothing to freak about. There’s a lot of football left and it’s not like we’re not playing good ball."

The defeat follows a 27-7 loss in Australia to the San Francisco 49ers and adds to concerns about the team’s performance on the road.