NASHVILLE — Two nice tuneups.
Two opportunities that showed the Rams can indeed be Super Bowl contenders.
Now the real season — and test — begins.
The Rams’ 33-19 victory over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday at Nissan Stadium improved their record to 2-0.
Puka Nacua scored on a long touchdown run, Matthew Stafford passed for two touchdowns — including his first to Davante Adams — and edge rusher Byron Young had two sacks and forced a fumble to lead the Rams.
Next up: The defending Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles.
That will be the real measuring stick for a Rams team and coach Sean McVay, who is aiming for a third Super Bowl appearance in eight years.
So next Sunday, the Rams will confidently return to Lincoln Financial Field, where they lost to the Eagles in the NFC divisional round.
The Texans and the Titans are a far cry from the Eagles.
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, the reigning NFL offensive player of the year, torched the Rams in the 2024 regular season and the playoffs.
He rushed for 255 yards in a Week 12 victory over the Rams, scoring on runs of 70 and 72 yards. In January, he ran for 205 yards and scored on runs of 62 and 78 yards.
Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is a rising star and Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward appears on track to possibly become one. But neither is Jalen Hurts, who has played in two Super Bowls and won a title.
Eagles receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are a talented tandem, and the offensive line is perhaps the NFL’s best.
And a defense, led by coordinator Vic Fangio, features tackle Jalen Carter, who ended the Rams’ Super Bowl hopes last season when he sacked Stafford one play before Stafford’s final pass fell incomplete.
On Sunday, in a matchup between quarterbacks picked No. 1 in the NFL draft, the veteran came out on top.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford looks to pass in the first half against the Titans on Sunday.
(Wesley Hitt / Getty Images)
Stafford, the top pick in 2009, completed 23 of 33 passes for 298 yards, with an interception.
Ward, the top pick in the 2025 draft, completed 19 of 33 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown.
Along with his 45-yard touchdown run, Nacua caught eight passes for 91 yards. Adams caught six passes for 106 yards, including a 16-yard touchdown.
Tight end Davis Allen scored his second touchdown of the season, and running back Blake Corum rushed for his first career touchdown.
The Rams trailed 13-10 at halftime after they gave up 10 points in the final 38 seconds of the second quarter.
The Rams had built a 10-3 lead on Nacua’s long touchdown run and a short field goal by Joshua Karty. But Ward made a sensational play to complete a nine-yard touchdown pass, and then Titans linebacker Cody Barton intercepted a Stafford pass to set up a field goal that gave the Titans the lead.
The Rams got the ball to start the second half and they moved downfield to the three-yard line. But for the second time in the game, they could not convert the opportunity into a touchdown and had to settle for another field goal.
The Titans regained the lead with a long field goal, setting up the Rams most impressive drive.
Stafford completed passes of 24 and 22 yards to Nacua and Corum ran for 15 yards to give the Rams first-and-goal at the eight-yard line. After failing to convert two earlier goal-line opportunities into touchdowns, the Rams finally came through.
Stafford passed to Allen along the right sideline, and the third-year pro reached for the goal line. Officials initially ruled he was short of a touchdown, but upon review it was determined the ball crossed the goal line, giving the Rams a 20-16 lead.
After Young forced a fumble that linebacker Nate Landman recovered, Stafford connected with Adams for a 27-16 lead.
Corum’s short touchdown run completed the scoring for the Rams, who opted to run out the clock rather than score at the end of the game.