BALTIMORE — Rams receiver Puka Nacua fell off his record-setting pace.
But that was fine with the Rams.
They were just happy their star receiver returned to the field after suffering an ankle injury in the first half of Sunday’s 17-3 victory over the Baltimore Ravens.
Matthew Stafford passed for a touchdown, Kyren Williams ran for another and Jared Verse and safety Quentin Lake led a defense that shut down the Lamar Jackson-less Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.
The Rams bounced back from their overtime defeat by the San Francisco 49ers and improved their record to 4-2. They will remain in Baltimore this week to prepare for next Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium in London.
The Rams overcame untimely penalties, dropped passes, special teams errors and Nacua’s scare that left them in a 3-3 tie at halftime.
But the Rams scored two touchdowns in the first five minutes of the second half on a short run by Williams and — after Verse forced a fumble that was recovered by Lake — a short touchdown pass from Stafford to tight end Tyler Higbee.
Nacua, who entered the game with an NFL leading 52 receptions and 588 yards receiving, had only two catches for 28 yards. That proved more than enough against a Ravens team that fell to 1-5.
Nacua was assisted off the field by trainers with about 10 minutes left in the second quarter after attempting to catch a pass in the end zone.
Nacua had run along the right sideline with Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey in tight coverage. Both players leaped for the ball and came down hard on the turf.
Nacua got up gingerly in apparent pain, and then took a few steps and went back to the ground.
Moments later, running back Blake Corum also went to the locker room because of an ankle. Like Nacua, he returned in the second half.
Lake intercepted a pass — the first interception of the fourth-year pro’s career — and also recovered a fumble.
Verse forced a fumble and stopped star running back Derek Henry on a fourth-and-one play at the goal line at the end of the first half.
And Nate Landman finished with 17 tackles, the most by a Ram since 2000.
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