Alexander: The new guy makes an impact on Rams right away

INGLEWOOD – SoFi Stadium’s full, authoritative unveiling, with its long-awaited archetypal afloat house, coincided with Matthew Stafford’s debut arsenic a Ram. Both were superb Sunday night.

The NFL’s Inglewood palace genuinely is simply a magnificent venue, conscionable arsenic Stan Kroenke – and commissioner Roger Goodell, and Jerry Jones, the matchmaker betwixt the league and Los Angeles – had intended. The effect was peculiarly melodramatic for NBC’s cameras, and fto it beryllium noted that astir of those who held the 70,425 tickets distributed were successful their seats by kickoff, which indicates they’d heard the cautionary tales from the preseason and near their homes aboriginal capable to woody with the expected postulation and parking issues.

As for the Rams’ caller quarterback? This could beryllium tons of fun.

The archetypal hint that things would beryllium antithetic astir present came quickly, connected the location team’s 3rd violative play of the evening. Stafford faked a handoff, rolled retired to his near and flung a 46-yard onslaught to Van Jefferson, who caught the shot astatine the 21, fell down untouched astatine the 15, got backmost to his feet earlier either Bear successful the vicinity could get determination to interaction him, and sprinted to the extremity zone.

The Rams’ archetypal possession of the 2nd fractional provided much aboriginal grounds for wide manager Les Snead’s enforcement of the twelvemonth campaign: Another play-action walk by Stafford and a 56-yard transportation with Cooper Kupp, who caught the shot a afloat 10 yards down 3 hapless Bears’ defenders and mightiness arsenic good person walked into the extremity zone.

And past determination was the accelerated effect to a Bears touchdown aboriginal successful the 3rd quarter. After Chicago had trimmed the Rams’ pb to 20-14, Stafford directed a thrust featuring a 37-yard walk to Tyler Higbee – a flawlessly executed back-shoulder flip – and a 17-yard walk to Kupp implicit the mediate that wasn’t a touchdown lone due to the fact that a reappraisal showed Kupp’s genu was down earlier helium stretched the shot implicit the extremity line. No worries. Darrell Henderson scored connected the adjacent play.

Stafford’s archetypal night’s enactment arsenic a Los Angeles athlete: 20 for 26, 321 yards, 3 touchdown passes, nary picks and a 156.1 backmost rating. His precocious schoolhouse chum from Dallas, Clayton Kershaw, has a pugnacious enactment to travel erstwhile helium returns to the Dodger Stadium mound Monday night.

Did Sean McVay person a favourite Stafford moment? Hard to tell.

“The archetypal thrust of the 2nd fractional was what I thought was astir impressive,” helium said afterward. “But present I’m reasoning astir what an unbelievable occupation helium did progressing (through his receivers), uncovering Robert Woods connected the past touchdown (with 3:17 left). So determination was aggregate things.

“But I deliberation the wide crippled management, and I deliberation the expectation. You know, you tin conscionable spot determination was a look successful his eye. He had assurance successful his teammates. He expects to play well. And, you know, helium did a large job. It’s hard to accidental that determination was 1 thing. I loved everything that helium did tonight.”

The astir awesome happening mightiness person been his quality to get everybody involved. Five receivers caught astatine slightest 2 passes, and Darrell Henderson had 1 drawback for 17 yards arsenic well. McVay noted his quality to “go wherever the sum dictated,” and erstwhile you person a backmost who tin utilize each of his weapons, the possibilities tin beryllium immense.

“We’re going to get our champion erstwhile everybody gets progressive successful the game,” Stafford said. “I’m not definite however galore antithetic guys had catches, but it felt similar a lot. And those guys are talented playmakers, and they each bash it successful a antithetic way. Hopefully we tin marque definite those guys are capable to benignant of amusement their abilities and past spell retired determination and play.”

Notably, too, determination was a steadiness attached to the caller quarterback. No fluctuation successful emotion, nary flustered oregon hopeless throws nether unit (although the violative enactment protected Stafford admirably speech from 1 sack).

It’s lone 1 crippled in, but it seems beauteous obvious: The Stafford-for-Jared Goff commercialized wasn’t conscionable a necessity but could beryllium the last portion successful a title mosaic. For sure, the caller feline understands.

“There was a batch of anticipation for this game, you know, for me,” helium said. “You know, it’s a precise chill thing, a caller place, a caller stadium, caller fans, the full deal. But this squad has embraced maine and I truly admit that. And, you know, I conscionable privation to enactment arsenic hard arsenic I can. … They’ve wrapped their arms astir maine and it felt bully to spell retired determination and play with them tonight.

“Such unthinkable players connected this team. I’m fortunate to beryllium a portion of it. I’m going to bash everything I tin to effort to pb this squad to wherever we privation to go. Obviously, this is conscionable one. Got to support gathering connected this, but it felt large to get retired there.”

jalexander@scng.com

@Jim_Alexander connected Twitter