Detroit Lions vs. Los Angeles Rams game recap: Everything we know

The Detroit Lions are still the NFL’s only winless team after a tough Week 7 defeat at the hands of the host Los Angeles Rams. The Lions played one of their best all-around games of the season and bounced back nicely from the Week 6 domination at the hands of the Cincinnati Bengals, but it wasn’t enough against a very talented and skilled Rams team on the road.

Instant analysis from Lions loss to Rams in Week 7

Here’s how it all played out.

Final score: Los Angeles Rams 28, Detroit Lions 19

(AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)

Keys to the game

(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

The Lions were not afraid of the Rams despite their hosts being 5-1 and favored by over two touchdowns. Knowing his team couldn’t win by just playing straight up, Lions head coach Dan Campbell broke out several trick plays and nearly all of them worked.

Detroit’s ground-oriented offensive game worked well. Quarterback Jared Goff played his most effective game of the year for the first three quarters, keeping the Lions in the lead and making the home partisans more than a little nervous. But the Rams persevered and the bloom came off Goff’s flowery performance late. A bad interception in the end zone and a misfire to a wide open D’Andre Swift that would have been an easy touchdown kept the Lions from scoring much-needed touchdowns on two late drives. Detroit failed to score a touchdown in five red-zone trips.

The Rams and QB Matthew Stafford went after the young secondary all afternoon. It got more effective after rookie slot CB AJ Parker left the game with an injury. Stafford was sharp but not perfect against his old team. It was WRs Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods outclassing the Lions coverage that made a huge difference.

It was over when...

(AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)

The Lions were on the doorstep of cashing in a 15-play drive in the fourth quarter, down 25-19. After converting four third-down chances on the drive, it ended empty when CB Jalen Ramsey picked off Jared Goff’s pass to TE T.J. Hockenson in the end zone. Goff was under heavy pressure from DT Aaron Donald, who had been a nonfactor for most of the game.

The Rams kicked a field goal on the subsequent drive to go up by nine, and Detroit’s last gasp was snuffed out by another Goff interception, this one on a tipped pass that deflected off RB D’Andre Swift.

Top 3 stars of the game

(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Sticking with just Lions here…

Third star: OLB Julian Okwara – 3 tackles, 1 sack, 1 PD, 1 forced penalty

Second star: RB D’Andre Swift – 13 carries for 48 yards, 8 receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown

First star: WR Kalif Raymond – 6 catches for 115 yards

Other key stats

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What's next for the Lions?

(AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)

The 0-7 Lions return home for a matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles on Halloween. The Eagles fell to 2-5 after losing 33-22 in Las Vegas to the Raiders on Sunday afternoon.

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