knocks

Nate Landman punched in as a Ram on Sunday.

And the team’s new linebacker and team captain punched out the Houston Texans.

With the Texans threatening to score in the final minutes of the opener, Landman showed an artisan’s touch by separating the ball from a Texan running back’s grip and forcing a fumble that was recovered by lineman Braden Fiske.

The play all but sealed the Rams’ 14-9 season-opening victory before 71,346 at SoFi Stadium.

“It means so much,” said Landman, who played three seasons for the Atlanta Falcons before signing a one-year contract with the Rams. “You work, you work, you work, for that moment to happen there, and for that moment to come to fruition and expose itself is really great.”

Landman was one of several key players for a defense that limited the Texans to three field goals.

Cornerback Cobie Durant intercepted a pass, edge rusher Byron Young, lineman Tyler Davis and safety Jaylen McCollough recorded sacks and Fiske made a spectacular play to recover Dare Ogunbowale’s fumble after Landman punched it out.

Those efforts made it easier for an offense that will need some fine-tuning to live up to its hype.

“Landman making that punch out was so cool,” quarterback Matthew Stafford said.

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1. Rams tight end Davis Allen (87) celebrates with teammates after making a touchdown catch. 2. Rams safety Jaylen McCollough celebrates during the first half. 3. Rams running back Kyren Williams tries to evade Houston Texans defenders. 4. Quarterback Matthew Stafford celebrates the Rams’ win. 5. Houston cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. pushes Rams wide receiver Jordan Whittington out of bounds in the second quarter. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Stafford, in his 17th NFL season, did not commit a turnover while etching his name deeper into the NFL record book. He completed 21 of 29 passes for 245 yards and a touchdown, and became only the 10th player to pass for more than 60,000 yards.

After sitting out all of training camp and several weeks of preseason practices because of a back issue, his ability to start and finish the game was a victory unto itself.

Receiver Puka Nacua also showed characteristic grit and toughness. Despite suffering an injury that required stitches in his head, Nacua caught 10 passes for 130 yards. Receiver Davante Adams caught four passes for 51 yards in his Rams debut.

Running back Kyren Williams rushed for a touchdown and tight end Davis Allen caught a touchdown pass as the Rams improved to 7-2 in openers under ninth-year coach Sean McVay.

“Our guys found a way,” McVay said of his team’s overall effort, “and that’s what it’s about.”

Sunday’s game marked the start of the Rams’ 10th season in Los Angeles since returning from St. Louis.

And the defense’s performance, save for an untimely penalty or two, rated a near 10.

Rams coach Sean McVay shares a hand slap with wide receiver Puka Nacua during the Rams’ season-opening win.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

The Rams’ offense managed only Williams’ touchdown in the first half. Meanwhile, Ka’imi Fairbairn kicked three field goals to give the Texans a 9-7 lead.

But the Rams appeared to come out with a different attitude in the second half.

Stafford’s passes to Adams and Xavier Smith set up Allen’s touchdown catch that gave the Rams the lead, and they appeared on their way to increasing their advantage when they drove to the Texans’ 12-yard line with just over four minutes left.

But tight end Colby Parkinson fumbled after a short reception, putting the onus on the Rams defense.

When quarterback C.J. Stroud’s third-down pass fell incomplete, the Rams looked like they were on the verge of victory. But a roughing-the-passer penalty against lineman Kobie Turner kept the drive alive.

Stroud completed a pass to Ogunbowale, and on the next play they connected for another. But this time Landman punched the ball out of Ogunbowale’s grip.

McVay was not surprised.

Landman, who forced three fumbles in each of the previous two seasons, has had more punchouts in practice than any other player,” McVay said.

“He has just a great feel for it,” McVay said, “so he’s intentional, and I think it’s rubbed off on the rest of the group. And he got it at a critical time. You talk about competitive greatness — that was on display.”

Stafford’s 24-yard pass to Nacua in the final minute sealed the victory.

“That’s complementary football, right?” Stafford said. “That’s, ‘Hey, we make a mistake, defense comes out and makes a play for us. Hey, you know what, we aren’t going to put you back out on the field defense, we’re going to close this thing out taking a knee.’

“Those are things you can build on.”

The Rams play the Tennessee Titans and the defending Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles on the road the next two weeks.

“The sky’s the limit for this defense,” Landman said. “You see the guys we have up front, the pressure we’re able to create on the quarterback.

“And you pair that with the coverage behind it — it’s a lot to look forward to this year.”

LONDON — Oleksandr Usyk disagreed with the idea that he’s become one of boxing’s all-time greats, but the evidence is mounting after his fifth-round knockout of Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.

The victory, sealed with a crunching left hook to Dubois’ jaw, made Usyk the undisputed world heavyweight champion for a second time.

The undefeated southpaw retained his WBA, WBC and WBO belts and regained the IBF belt he relinquished just over a year ago.

The bad news for opponents — especially the British ones that he keeps beating — is that the 38-year-old Ukrainian has no plans to stop anytime soon. He said he’s still a “young guy” and named Tyson Fury, Derek Chisora, Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker as possible next foes. Jake Paul threw his own hat in the ring.

“I will continue boxing and I will continue training, but now I cannot say who my next opponent will be,” Usyk said at his press conference.

“I prepared 3 1/2 months, I’ve not seen my family, my wife. Every day I live with my team — 14 guys in one house. Now I want to go back home.”

Usyk dropped Dubois twice in the fifth — the second time with a lunging left hook midway through the round after Dubois missed with a right. The London native looked stunned on the canvas and couldn’t beat the count before about 90,000 spectators at Wembley.

Usyk, best known as a slick tactician rather than a power puncher, certainly answered questions about his age and whether he’d slow down.

He said that hook is called an “Ivan.”

“Ivan is like a big guy who lives in [the] village and work in (a) farm… it’s a hard, hard punch,” Usyk said.

Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk and Britain’s Daniel Dubois trade punches during an undisputed world heavyweight boxing title fight in London on Saturday.

(Frank Augstein / Associated Press)

No controversy

Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs) beat Dubois for the second time in under two years and this time there was no low-blow drama. It was a ninth-round stoppage in Poland with, of all things, a straight jab. But the finishing shot Saturday was a no-doubter.

Dubois (22-3, 21 KOs) joined British countrymen Fury and Joshua in having lost twice to Usyk, who was an undisputed world champion as a cruiserweight before he moved up in weight six years ago.

The 27-year-old Dubois’ last fight — also at Wembley — had been a stunning knockout of Joshua last September.

He couldn’t muster the same magic, telling DAZN: “I gave everything I had. Take no credit away from that man, I’ll be back.”

The Briton gave a better showing than two years ago, when Usyk peppered him with jabs and won almost every round. Between the fourth and fifth rounds Saturday, Dubois’ corner was urging him to use a double jab but there was not time to carry out the orders as Usyk ended it shortly thereafter.

Dubois was hoping to become the first British heavyweight to hold every major belt since Lennox Lewis just over 25 years ago.

Dubois had inherited the IBF title that Usyk vacated last year when the Ukrainian chose to focus on his rematch with Fury.

Usyk said flatly “No” in response to whether he thinks he’s one of the sport’s all-time greats.

He said he’s just disciplined.

“I don’t have motivation, I have discipline. Motivation is temporary,” he said.

U.K. has been good to Usyk

Usyk said Britain has been like a “second home” to him. He won a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics. He dethroned Joshua at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2021.

“I’m very grateful for this country. Thank you so much, you’re the best,” he said.

In 2008 in Liverpool, Usyk was crowned European amateur champion in the light heavyweight category.

In his last fight at the cruiserweight level, Usyk knocked out Liverpool’s Tony Bellew in Manchester. He remains undefeated as a professional and hasn’t lost any bout in 16 years.

Jake Paul eyes Joshua and Usyk

Unsurprisingly, Paul had his share of the spotlight Saturday. He was loudly booed during his entrance to the stadium — shown on the big screens.

The YouTuber-turned-boxer told DAZN that a fight against Joshua is “going to happen,” possibly at Wembley.

After the ring cleared out, Paul and Usyk engaged in a brief “stare down.”

Paul posted a message on his social media accounts: “Congrats to one of the greatest heavyweights of all time… I respect you a lot. Now we do an MMA match for the world.”

He added: “First AJ then OU. Book it.”

Frank Bruno was among the VIPs. The London native won the WBC heavyweight belt 30 years ago at the old Wembley Stadium when he beat Oliver McCall. He was knocked out by Mike Tyson six months later.

Usyk entered the stadium with an Eeyore stuffed donkey from the “Winnie the Pooh” books tucked into his jumpsuit. He brought it to past fights as well, apparently given to him by his daughter.

Maguire writes for the Associated Press.

Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk knocks out Daniel Dubois of United Kingdom to unify the heavyweight title belts in London.

Oleksandr Usyk has cemented his status as the outstanding heavyweight of his generation with an emphatic fifth-round knockout of Daniel Dubois in their undisputed world title bout at London’s Wembley Stadium.

Victory on Saturday saw Ukraine’s Usyk extend his unbeaten professional record to 24 fights as the WBA, WBC and WBO champion added his British opponent’s IBF belt to his collection.

Usyk dominated the opening four rounds and early in the fifth, dropped Dubois to the canvas.

Moments later, he finished the fight in decisive fashion after a trademark left hook left his British rival unable to beat the count one minute and 52 seconds into the round.

It was the second time Usyk, at 38, some 11 years older than his opponent, had defeated Dubois after a ninth-round stoppage success in Krakow, Poland, in 2023, where the Briton was ruled to have landed an illegal low blow in the fifth round.

Lennox Lewis, the last British boxer to be the undisputed world champion in 1999, forecast before Saturday’s fight that Usyk would face a vastly-improved Dubois, saying: “Dubois was a baby in the sport and now he’s a man…You’re not going to see the same Daniel Dubois from 18 months ago.”

But after Usyk was roared into the ring by a huge contingent of supporters, many of them waving Ukraine’s national flag in a 90,000 capacity crowd at Wembley, best known as the London base of England’s national football team, it was largely one-way traffic as their hero conducted a ruthless masterclass against local favourite Dubois.

“Thirty-eight is a young guy, remember,” Usyk told DAZN in the ring after dropping to his knees in celebration. “Thirty-eight is only [the] start.

“I want to say thank you to Jesus Christ. I want to say thank you to my team and Wembley, thank you so much! It’s for the people.

“Nothing is next. It’s enough, next, I don’t know. I want to rest. My family, my wife, my children, I want to rest now. Two or three months, I want to just rest.”

Asked about his next opponent, Usyk, who has already twice beaten former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, added: “Maybe it’s Tyson Fury.

“Maybe we have three choices, Derek Chisora and Anthony Joshua. Maybe Joseph Parker. Listen, I cannot now say because I want to go back home.”

Dubois insisted he would return to the ring, saying: “I have to commend him [Usyk] on the performance, I gave everything I had. Take no credit away from that man, I’ll be back.”

I’M a big fan of small and simple cars because I like value for money more than I do screens and gadgets.

This BYD Dolphin Surf is small and simple.

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Just press and go.

It’s value for money at £18,650.

And yet it’s got a rotating touchscreen and all those gadgets thrown in anyway.

Where’s the catch?

I can’t see one.

It knocks a Dacia Spring and Leapmotor T03 out of the park because it’s a proper car for not much more and it’s comfortably less than the already brilliant-value Renault 5.

Finance from £269 a month with £269 deposit. Or £199 a month with about £3k deposit.

It’ll cost pennies to run.

I reckon many will be bought as second cars but end up being the one owners use the most.

Dolphin Surf has four seats, three with ISOFIX anchor points for the kiddlywinks, and a surprisingly practical boot that’ll swallow the Friday big shop.

Properly comfy seats by the way. Made of “vegan leather” whatever that means.

Big drink holders. Phone storage tray.

Apple CarPlay. Reversing camera.

Adaptive cruise control for your out-of-town runs.

All things that please and all included in the price.

You can even use your little BYD bud as a mobile power bank – running everything from party lights to a fridge.

Now I should spell out that Dolphin Surf comes in two battery sizes.

The entry-level Active gets you a 137-mile battery by the WLTP test and a big enough e-motor to keep you swimming in quick traffic.

Then there’s the £22k Boost nudging 200 miles from the 43kWh battery.

‘BRIM THE BATTERY’

Both use lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry for higher levels of durability and safety.

So you can “brim” the battery every time without depleting it.

Both roll on Hankook tyres. Another positive.

Even the lime green paint job is free.

How safe is it? It’s engineered to attain a four-star safety rating.

The body uses 68 per cent high-strength steel and the car is brimming with anti-crash gear.

The car will be made in Hungary soon – and avoid tariffs.

I told you BYD would quickly chime with UK drivers and the Chinese are already outselling Honda, Citroen, Fiat and more.

There are a load of plug-in hybrids coming next, including a junior SUV and a pick-up truck called Shark.

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