On Sunday at SoFi Stadium, the Los Angeles Rams showed why they sit atop the NFC. Down at the half and wobbling, they stormed back with a blistering second half to beat the Detroit Lions 41-34, clinching another playoff berth and improving to 11-3. The Lions, now 8-6, led at the break but could not hold off a Rams team that has made finishing a habit.

Matthew Stafford was the spark and the hammer. He threw for 368 yards and tossed two touchdowns to Colby Parkinson, guiding a 17-0 third-quarter run that flipped a tense game into a statement win. In a season where margins are thin and the NFC is crowded, this one felt like more than a Sunday in December. It felt like a reminder.

Rams vs. Lions score: How the game flipped after halftime

Detroit landed first and harder, using speed and timing to race to a halftime lead. The quarter-by-quarter split tells the story:

• Lions: 7-17-0-10
• Rams: 7-10-17-7

That means a 24-17 edge for Detroit at the break. Then came the swing. Los Angeles posted a 17-0 third quarter, the exact kind of clean, ruthless surge that separates contenders in December. By the time the fourth quarter began, the Rams were in control and never gave it back.

“That third quarter felt like a playoff preview — calm, fast, ruthless.”

Matthew Stafford’s big day: 368 yards, two strikes to Parkinson

Stafford didn’t need fireworks on every snap. He needed smart tempo, quick answers to pressure, and trust in his targets. He got it. The veteran finished with 368 passing yards and two touchdowns, both to Colby Parkinson, whose size and timing added a steady red-zone option when the Rams needed it most.

When the game tightened, Stafford’s rhythm improved. He layered throws, kept downs manageable, and let his playmakers turn short gains into chain-movers. The Rams have brighter names in their huddle, but this was about poise. This was about a quarterback steering a game back on track without panic.

Detroit’s flashes: Amon-Ra St. Brown keeps the Lions in it

Detroit did not fold. Amon-Ra St. Brown broke free for a 52-yard catch-and-run score, a reminder of his knack for turning space into danger. Later, Jared Goff found St. Brown again for another touchdown as the Lions tried to answer the Rams’ surge. These were the kinds of plays that made the first half feel like Detroit’s day.

But empty third quarters are costly in the NFL, and the Lions’ offense went quiet right when Los Angeles found its best gear.

“The Lions had the juice early; the Rams had the answers late.”

Rams defense tightens: A top-10 pass rush shows up after the break

The Rams entered the day ranked 6th in NFL sacks. That kind of front can change any game, even without a gaudy box score in your face. After halftime, the tone shifted. Lanes closed. Detroit’s timing slipped. Third downs grew longer. The scoreboard told you what the film will: Los Angeles won the line in the third quarter, and that was the hinge.

When the defense holds serve like that, the offense doesn’t have to chase. It can choose. That’s how 17-0 frames happen.

Ground help: Kyren Williams finds the end zone

Balance matters when the stakes rise. Kyren Williams punched in key touchdowns that kept Detroit honest and gave Stafford clean play-action looks. Williams’ nose for the goal line helped the Rams turn long drives into points, the simple edge that separates a good day from a great one.

“Stafford cooked, Kyren finished — that’s a January recipe.”

NFC playoff picture: Rams clinch, Lions regroup

This win locks in a postseason spot for the Rams, who are now 11-3 and a daunting 6-1 at home. Seattle also sits at 11-3 in the NFC, which keeps the race for seeding tense and every late-December snap heavy. The difference for Los Angeles right now is composure — and the ability to fix problems at halftime.

For Detroit, now 8-6 and 3-4 away, the story fits an up-and-down 2025 season. The Lions have the weapons to beat anyone; sustaining it for four quarters remains the next step. There’s no shame losing to a rolling Rams team in their building — but the lesson is clear: the middle eight minutes around halftime define games.

Scoring snapshot and flow

Quarter-by-quarter scoring paints the full picture:

• 1Q: Lions 7, Rams 7
• 2Q: Lions 17, Rams 10 (Halftime: Lions 24-17)
• 3Q: Rams 17, Lions 0
• 4Q: Rams 7, Lions 10

Add it up, and you get Rams 41, Lions 34 — a comeback that felt steady rather than frantic, the mark of a team built for the long haul.

Final word

This was a mature win. The Rams were tested, trailed, and then controlled the moments that matter most. Stafford’s 368 yards and two touchdowns to Colby Parkinson set the pace. Kyren Williams’ touchdowns finished drives. The defense, a top-six sack unit, made the third quarter its own. In December, these pieces add up to January trust.

For Detroit, the flashes are still real — especially with St. Brown’s big-play ability and Goff’s timing — but the consistency has to catch up. The playoffs are still in reach, yet the path demands cleaner third quarters and better answers to a pass rush like the one they saw at SoFi.

In the end, this is what contenders do: they turn bad halves into defining wins. The Rams just did it again.