touchdown pass

Don’t start planning any parades just yet. Hold off on those February plans to travel to Santa Clara.

The Rams still have a long way to go make the playoffs and try to advance to the Super Bowl at Levi’s Stadium.

Their 34-10 victory Sunday over the struggling New Orleans Saints at SoFi Stadium was no revelation or landmark win. But the Rams did something important. Something championship-caliber teams are supposed to do: They convincingly dispatched of a weaker opponent before 72,055.

Matthew Stafford passed for four touchdowns, receiver Puka Nacua returned from an ankle injury in spectacular fashion, and the defense dominated again as the Rams won their third game in a row, improved to 6-2 and showed that the Dodgers might not be the only L.A. team hoisting a championship trophy.

“We’ll see if we can continue to do some good stuff like they did,” coach Sean McVay said of the World Series champions.

The Rams’ victory put them atop the NFC West heading into next Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium.

“I like the fact that we’re getting better,” McVay said, adding, “There’s just a good vibe.”

On most fronts, anyway.

The Rams’ first victory over an NFC opponent did not come against the defending Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles or the rival 49ers, teams the Rams lost to in part because of kicking-game disasters.

Rams coach Sean McVay watches from the sideline during the first half Sunday against the Saints.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

And those issues remain: Joshua Karty missed a field goal and an extra point.

So McVay’s patience with the kicking game is wearing thin. And no team will win a title without a competent one.

McVay once again said he had confidence in Karty, but that was after he said “it can’t continue like this … it’s gone on for too long,” and “it’s not getting better,” among other things.

Can the Rams be a championship team without an adequate placekicking unit?

“No,” McVay said. “It’s going to cost us — it’s cost us already. It’s been a momentum killer. … The harsh truth of it is this is not sustainable.”

But if the Rams solve the kicking issue and stay healthy — Nacua said he would play against the 49ers after leaving the game in the second half because of a chest injury — and McVay can keep his team focused against division opponents and other playoff contenders, the Rams might earn their own parade.

Stafford is positioning himself to lead one.

Already a fixture on NFL career passing lists, the 17th-year pro is enjoying another sensational season.

As he did in 2021, when he passed for 41 touchdowns and led the Rams to a Super Bowl title, Stafford is playing at a level that should have him in the most-valuable-player discussion.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford passes in front of Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan during the first quarter Sunday.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

On Sunday his two touchdown passes to Davante Adams and one each to Nacua and tight end Tyler Higbee increased Stafford’s season total to 21, with only two interceptions.

Stafford, who passed for five touchdowns in an Oct. 19 rout of the Jacksonville Jaguars, completed 24 of 32 passes for 281 yards and extended to five his streak of games without an interception.

Stafford’s wife and their daughters attended the game wearing No. 22 Dodgers jerseys, a salute to retiring pitcher Clayton Kershaw, Stafford’s high school teammate.

Now Stafford is chasing a second Super Bowl title.

“It’s not like we’ve got it all figured out,” he said, adding, “Got to keep continuing to find ways to put more points on the board.”

Nacua sat out against the Jaguars because of an ankle injury. But he said in the days leading up to the game that he was “feeling fantastic.”

Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, left, celebrates with wide receiver Davante Adams after catching a touchdown pass in the second quarter Sunday against the Saints.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

He looked like it at the outset, making two catches for first downs to start a drive that ended with Stafford’s touchdown pass to Higbee. The veteran tight end, in an apparent salute to the Dodgers, celebrated by taking an imaginary swing and then doing their post-hit celebration.

Adams then followed his breakout three-touchdown performance against the Jaguars with the first of two more red-zone touchdowns. The 12th-year pro is tied for eighth all time with 111 touchdown catches.

Early in the second quarter, Stafford and Nacua went for the home run, connecting on a 39-yard pass that Nacua hauled in for a touchdown and a 20-3 lead.

Stafford’s short strike to Adams in the third quarter put the game out of reach, and Kyren Williams’ short touchdown run early in the fourth quarter provided the finishing touch.

Williams rushed for 114 yards and Blake Corum ran for 58 on a day when the Rams once again utilized all four tight ends in the pass and run attacks.

Meanwhile, the Rams defense made it rough on Saints rookie quarterback Tyler Shough in his first start.

Several Rams defensive players tackle Saints quarterback Tyler Shough in the second quarter of the Rams’ 34-10 win Sunday at SoFi Stadium.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Lineman Braden Fiske got his first sack of the season, linebacker Nate Landman forced another fumble, and cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr. intercepted his first pass as a Ram.

“We’re growing at a great rate,” Landman said, “and we’re going to peak at the right time.”

The game against the Saints was the start of a stretch that includes two home games after the 49ers. Only two remaining nine games — a late November trip to play the Carolina Panthers and a late December trip to play the Atlanta Falcons — will require the Rams to travel farther east than Arizona.

A lot can happen between now and the start of the playoffs. But the Rams look like the Super Bowl contender they were built to be.

As a 12th-year pro, Davante Adams knows the value of rest during a bye week. So before the Rams played the Jacksonville Jaguars in London on Oct. 19, Adams looked forward to days off that awaited.

Then Adams, flashing his three-time All-Pro form, caught three touchdown passes.

Was there any part of him that did not want a break?

“Oh, hell yeah,” Adams said this week, noting that he told coach Sean McVay, “‘I wish we could keep rolling at this point.’”

• Share via Close extra sharing options

Gary Klein breaks down what to expect from the Rams on Sunday when they face the New Orleans Saints at SoFi Stadium.

So did McVay.

“He’s like, ‘Man, I don’t want to have a week off,’” McVay recalled. “I said, ‘Hey, just enjoy it.’”

Adams, rested and ready after spending part of last week in Mexico with family, intends to pick up where he left off two weeks ago when the Rams play host to the New Orleans Saints at SoFi Stadium.

The game will mark the return of fellow star receiver Puka Nacua, who sat out against the Jaguars because of an ankle injury suffered Oct. 12 against the Baltimore Ravens.

But the Rams will be without speedy receiver Tutu Atwell, who will be sidelined for at least four games on injured reserve because of a hamstring injury.

McVay and quarterback Matthew Stafford showed against the Jaguars that the Rams’ weapons go beyond Nacua and Adams. Four tight ends — Tyler Higbee, Colby Parkinson, Davis Allen and rookie Terrance Ferguson — were among the 10 players who caught passes in the 35-7 victory that improved the Rams record to 5-2.

“The more people we can get involved in the game, the better we are,” said Stafford, who has passed for 17 touchdowns, with only two interceptions. “We have a couple of extremely talented players, quite a few that are difference-makers in this league. When we can spread the ball around and make everybody defend all the guys, all the eligibles, every blade of grass, that’s when we’re at our best.”

The Rams signed Adams aiming to capitalize on his experience and playmaking, his elite separation skills and the threat he poses near the goal line.

Stafford, 37, and Adams, 32, combined for a few highlight-reel plays in the first six games. But they acknowledged in the week leading up to the game against the Jaguars that they were still working to get completely in sync.

They found their rhythm against the Jaguars.

Adams made dynamic catches from inside the two-yard line for all of his touchdowns.

Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said the Rams “absolutely” envisioned those kinds of plays when they pursued Adams, who has 109 career touchdown catches, the most among active players.

“There’s a reason he has over a hundred touchdowns,” LaFleur said, adding, “It’s not shocking.”

Did the Rams find something they can build on?

“Yeah, we’ll see what the red-zone targets look like this week and then we’ll be able to fully tell you,” Adams said, chuckling. “But definitely it’s not a secret that I’ve been able to make plays in the red zone.

“I think a lot of it was just getting on the same page, us feeling each other out and coming up with a good plan. The coaches did that and we were able to connect.

“I think the more you make plays, the more you build that confidence and then you stop straining and pressing to make plays and you just be yourself and go out there and be natural.”

Adams has 31 catches for 431 yards and six touchdowns.

With Stafford and Adams continuing to solidify their connection, the offense is poised to remain productive as the Rams drive toward a playoff spot.

“Me being who I am and Matthew being who he is and just having the team that we do, my expectations are really high and standards are really high for what I should bring and what this team should be able to do,” Adams said. “I’m definitely not satisfied with what we’ve done, but happy with where we are.”

The Chargers triumphantly dispatched the AFC West.

The NFC East? That’s a different story.

The Washington Commanders barged into SoFi Stadium on Sunday and handed the Chargers their second consecutive defeat — a 27-10 spirit crusher — coming on the heels of an upset of coach Jim Harbaugh’s team by the winless New York Giants a week before.

The visitors iced the win with a 13-play, 99-yard drive that ended with an eight-yard, blitz-beating touchdown pass from Jayden Daniels to Deebo Samuel. That had thousands of blue-clad fans streaming for the exits.

The game had been decided before that. A pivotal play came with 7 minutes, 40 seconds remaining and the Chargers looking to cut into Washington’s 10-point lead.

On third-and-goal from the 4, Justin Herbert dropped back and fired a pass for the sure-handed Keenan Allen. The ball was tipped by Jer’Zhan Newton and intercepted at the goal line by cornerback Mike Sainristil. Threat neutralized.

That blunted a drive that started with a masterful defensive play, a tackle by Chargers defensive tackle Teair Tart, who pried the ball loose from Washington running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt — who was having a tremendous game — then recovered the fumble.

The play hinted at a dramatic comeback by the lurching Chargers (3-2), a team still looking to find its groove. Much like their season so far, the Chargers started strong then faded.

Washington wide receiver Deebo Samuel scores on an eight-yard touchdown pass from Jayden Daniels in the fourth quarter of the Commanders’ 27-10 win Sunday.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

They jumped out to a 10-0 lead against the Commanders before surrendering 27 unanswered points with the game torturously slipping away from the Chargers in the second half.

Their kryptonite was rookie Croskey-Merritt, who tore off some gains longer than his last name. The seventh-round pick from Arizona finished with a combined 150 yards in 14 carries and two catches.

He had touchdown runs of 15 and five yards around the left side that befuddled a Chargers defense that had played so well to this point. This was a Commanders offense missing star receiver Terry McLaurin, and with Daniels ostensibly limited by a sprained knee and bulky brace.

Daniels did some scrambling, however, and mobile quarterbacks historically have given this defense problems. The onetime star from Cajon High in San Bernardino threw for 231 yards and ran for 39.

Heading into the game, the primary concern of the Chargers offense was protecting Herbert, who was pressured on 46 drop backs in the first four games, more than any quarterback in the NFL, according to TruMedia. He was facing a defense Sunday that includes future Hall of Famers Von Miller and Bobby Wagner.

Washington players celebrate after cornerback Mike Sainristil intercepts a pass intended for Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen in the fourth quarter Sunday.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Herbert creates problems for defenses with his arm and legs. On the third play from scrimmage, he broke loose on a run up the middle and picked up 41 yards.

The opening drive appeared to end with a 29-yard field goal by Cameron Dicker, but the Chargers got new life with an offsides call on Washington. That afforded the Chargers a first-and-goal at the six, and two plays later, Herbert found Ladd McConkey with a two-yard pass for a touchdown.

Allen caught five passes, becoming the 16th receiver in NFL history to accumulate 1,000 career receptions. He came into Sunday’s game needing two catches to hit that milestone, and he did that in fewer games than anyone (159), compared with the prior record-holder Marvin Harrison (167).

Herbert is playing behind a patchwork offensive line, as the team lost left tackle Rashawn Slater in training camp — 10 days after making him the highest-paid offensive lineman in history — then lost replacement Joe Alt to a high-ankle sprain in the first quarter of a Week 4 loss at the Giants.

Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey celebrates after scoring his first touchdown of the season in the first quarter Sunday.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Right guard Mekhi Becton returned from a concussion that sidelined him for the Giants game, but Sunday sustained a hand injury. What’s more, right tackle Trey Pipkins III hobbled off the field in the second quarter with a banged-up knee. It was a true MASH unit.

This has been a roller coaster season for the Chargers, a microcosm of which happened at the end of the first half.

The Commanders were punting from their own end zone and put the ball in the hands of Chargers returner McConkey, who weaved his way to the end zone for an apparent touchdown.

That jubilation didn’t last long for the Chargers, as they were flagged for roughing the punter, giving the visitors a first down. No sooner did the defense get back onto the field than Daniels connected on a 50-yard heave to Luke McCaffrey, younger brother of San Francisco 49ers star Christian McCaffrey.

Two plays later, Samuel picked up 22 yards on a reception for Washington (3-2), setting up a field goal that forged a 10-10 tie the teams took into halftime.

The Commanders carried that momentum into the third quarter when, with a combination of receptions and runs by Croskey-Merritt, they worked their way downfield for the go-ahead touchdown.

The script is familiar.

Fourth quarter or overtime. Rams trail or are tied. On comes Matthew Stafford.

The veteran quarterback is the master of comebacks.

And he appeared to be on the verge of doing it again on Thursday night against the rival San Francisco 49ers.

But the 49ers stopped running back Kyren Williams on a fourth-and-one play at the 49ers’ 11-yard line, sending the Rams to a 26-23 overtime defeat before 73,652 at SoFi Stadium.

After the game, Rams coach Sean McVay blamed himself for the failed fourth-down run, saying “it was a bad call by me.”

Stafford tossed two touchdown passes to Williams and another to Puka Nacua, but on a night when the Rams’ kicking woes continued, it was not enough to beat an injury-riddled opponent as the Rams fell to 3-2 and wasted an opportunity to take over first place in the NFC West.

Rams kicker Joshua Karty, who last year beat the 49ers with a winning field goal at SoFi Stadium, missed a long field-goal attempt and had an extra-point attempt blocked, the second time that has happened this season. His kickoff in overtime did not reach the landing zone, giving the 49ers the ball at the 40-yard line.

The 49ers improved to 4-1, with victories over the Rams, Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals in the NFC West.

McVay this week good-naturedly blamed his late grandfather John McVay for creating so many 49ers fans by helping assemble 49ers teams that won five Super Bowls.

And McVay and 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, his former mentor, have squared off for some classic matchups, including the NFC championship game at SoFi Stadium in January 2022.

But these were not the same 49ers — at least on paper.

San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Alfred Collins (95) celebrates with teammates after forcing Rams running back Kyren Williams to fumble at the goal line late in the fourth quarter Thursday.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

With quarterback Brock Purdy receiving a massive extension before the season, the 49ers let go of numerous high-profile stars that helped them make two Super Bowl appearances in the last six years.

Even quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is with the Rams.

Journeyman Mac Jones started in place of Purdy, who is nursing a toe injury. Tight end George Kittle, receivers Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings and star defensive end Nick Bosa also did not play.

But the 49ers still prevailed.

Mac Jones completed 33 of 49 passes for 342 yards and two touchdowns.

Rams linebacker Jared Verse celebrates after making a tackle in the third quarter against the 49ers on Thursday.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Christian McCaffrey caught eight passes for 82 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 57 yards in 22 carries.

The score was tied 23-23 at the end of regulation after the Rams blew a chance to win when Williams fumbled at the 49ers’ one-yard line — but then tied the score on Karty’s 48-yard field goal with two seconds left.

Piniero’s 41-yard field goal gave the 49ers the lead.

The Rams then drove from their 33 to the 49ers’ 11, where their hopes for a victory ended.

ARLINGTON, Texas — Brandon Aubrey and Brandon McManus traded short field goals in overtime, and Micah Parsons’ highly anticipated return to Dallas ended with the Cowboys and Green Bay Packers in a 40-40 tie Sunday night.

Dak Prescott and Jordan Love had three touchdown passes apiece in regulation, which included seven consecutive lead-changing TDs before McManus’ tying 53-yard field goal as time expired.

McManus kicked a 34-yarder as the clock hit 0:00 in overtime, after Love’s pass into the back of the end zone fell incomplete with just a second remaining.

What started as the hyped return of one of the game’s elite pass rushers exactly a month after the Cowboys (1-2-1) traded Parsons to the Packers (2-1-1) ended up as the second dramatic duel of quarterbacks in two home games for Dallas.

The Cowboys beat the Giants 40-37 in overtime two weeks earlier when Russell Wilson was starting for New York.

The second-highest scoring tie in pro football history, behind the Raiders’ 43-43 draw with the Boston Patriots in the AFL in 1964, was the first for Dallas since 1969. The Packers last tied in 2018.

The Cowboys had a first down at the Green Bay five-yard line to start overtime after Prescott ran away from pressure from Parsons for a spectacular 34-yard completion to Jalen Tolbert, who came back for the throw and just barely got his feet inbounds.

The drive stalled with help from Parsons, who caught Prescott from behind for no gain and was credited with his first sack of the game. The Cowboys settled for Aubrey’s 22-yard field goal.

Love completed a 14-yard pass to Matthew Golden on fourth-and-6 and led the Packers to a first down at the Dallas 12 before that drive stalled as well. The Packers QB was fortunate he still had a second remaining after he waited for Golden to get open in the back of the end zone and threw incomplete.

Romeo Doubs caught all three of Love’s TD passes and finished with 58 yards on six catches. Josh Jacobs rushed for two touchdowns and finished with 157 total yards. Love threw for 337 yards.

Javonte Williams powered in from the 1 in the wildcat for Dallas after Prescott split wide. The Cowboys took a 30-27 lead on Williams’ plunge with 4:50 remaining. Three more TDs would follow.

Prescott threw for 319 yards and ran for a score, and George Pickens had eight catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns with No. 1 receiver CeeDee Lamb sidelined by a high ankle sprain.

Parsons’ OT sack was the only one given up by a Dallas offensive line missing two starters. The banged-up Green Bay front was equally effective.

The only sack of Love came on a fumble that led to the second Dallas touchdown in the final 41 seconds of the first half.

The Packers were up 13-0 after Love’s second TD toss Doubs when Juanyeh Thomas blocked Brandon McManus’ PAT kick and Markquese Bell returned it for a two-point conversion, the first such 2-point play in Dallas franchise history.

That three-point swing was still the difference when Dallas took a 23-20 lead into the fourth quarter moments after Prescott’s eight-yard scoring toss to Jake Ferguson.

Tutu Atwell appeared to be the forgotten man.

After signing a one-year, $10-million contract, he seemed to be virtually ignored while playing in the shadow of stars Puka Nacua and Davante Adams.

Atwell went into Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts with only one target in each of the first three games.

He got two targets against the Colts.

But the speedy Atwell made one count.

With less than two minutes left, he broke free, caught a midrange pass from Matthew Stafford and turned it into an 88-yard touchdown that gave the Rams a 27-20 victory before 71,257 at SoFi Stadium.

“Throughout this season, I’m mentally ready for a game like this.” Atwell said. “Just wait for my number, because it’s something I’ve been doing the whole year, all these years that I’ve been here.”

Stafford also tossed touchdown passes to Nacua and Adams, and Kam Curl intercepted two passes as the Rams improved their record to 3-1 and rebounded from their heart-wrenching defeat by the defending Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles.

So, not a bad start.

The Rams are far from perfect, or even consistently dominant in any phase.

But nearly a quarter of the way into the season, the Rams still look like the Super Bowl contender they were built to be.

Rams coach Sean McVay celebrates with wide receiver Tutu Atwell after his 88-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter against the Colts.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

The Rams don’t have much time to marinate in the victory: the rival San Francisco 49ers are coming to town on Thursday night.

But coach Sean McVay and his players should be feeling confident, if not overly so.

For the second game in a row, Stafford missed on some passes he typically completes. But he was outstanding during a trademark two-minute drill that ended with a touchdown pass to Adams at the end of the first half, during a fourth-quarter drive that Nacua finished with a fourth-down touchdown catch and on his perfect throw to a wide-open Atwell.

Nacua caught 13 passes for 170 yards, and became only the third player in NFL history to have at least eight catches in each of the first four games.

Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua celebrates after scoring a touchdown to tie the score in the fourth quarter against the Colts.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

General manager Les Snead’s offseason effort to bolster the run defense continues to pay early dividends.

A week after neutralizing Eagles star Saquon Barkley, the Rams limited Jonathan Taylor, the NFL’s leading rusher, to 76 yards rushing in 17 carries.

They also forced quarterback Daniel Jones into his first turnovers of the season.

After having two consecutive field-goal attempts blocked by the Eagles — including a potential game-winner that the Eagles returned for a touchdown — Joshua Karty kicked two field goals against the Colts. And punter Ethan Evans boomed long punts that forced the Colts to start drives deep in their territory.

The Rams led 13-10 at halftime after Stafford engineered a patented two-minute drive that covered 96 yards and ended with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Adams.

Stafford had misfired on a few passes, and also had a few bounce off the hands of receivers, before he found Adams, Nacua and tight end Tyler Higbee on consecutive plays to move the ball to the 21-yard line.

The Rams have struggled to score touchdowns from inside the 20, and it looked like it might be a repeat when Stafford was sacked on first-and-goal from the 10. But this time Stafford finished the deal with a laser pass to Adams.

That momentum, or at least the breaks, continued early in the second half.

Colts receiver Adonai Mitchell caught a pass and seemingly was on his way to turning it into a 76-yard touchdown. But Mitchell lost the ball at the one-yard line and it bounced through the end zone for a touchback that gave the Rams the ball.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Adonai Mitchell fumbles the ball into the end zone during the third quarter.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

The Rams, however, failed to capitalize, and fell behind 17-13 early in the fourth quarter after Jones engineered a long drive that ended with a short touchdown pass to Michael Pittman Jr.

Stafford did not get much of an opportunity to direct a come-from-behind scoring drive.

On the first play of the ensuing possession, Stafford and Williams could not complete a handoff and the ball fell to the turf for a fumble that was recovered by the Colts.

With about nine minutes left, the Colts kicked a field goal to increase their lead to 20-13.

Despite two penalties that stunted their drive, Stafford finished an 83-yard march with a fourth- down touchdown pass to Nacua that tied the score with 3:20 left.

Taylor broke off a run for an apparent 53-yard touchdown, but a holding penalty nullified the play. Two plays later, Jared Verse sacked Jones and forced a fumble that was recovered by the Colts at their 29-yard line.

The Rams got the ball with 1:44 left, and on their first play, Stafford passed to Atwell for the touchdown.

Rams wide receiver Tutu Atwell trots into the end zone ahead of Colts defensive back Camryn Bynum on an 88-yard reception in the fourth quarter.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

At midseason, junior quarterback Taylor Lee of Oxnard Pacifica is a revelation, someone who didn’t start last season and has thrust himself into MVP consideration with 19 touchdown passes in his last three games and 26 in five games for the unbeaten Tritons (5-0).

“He’s amazing,” L.A. Hamilton coach Elijah Asante said. “Someone’s going to get a real good quarterback. The kid can play.”

On Thursday afternoon, Hamilton and Pacifica decided to play each other after both schools were given forfeit victories. Instead of taking the forfeits, they played at Hamilton, and Pacifica won 42-14 with a running clock through much of the second half.

Lee completed nine of 10 passes for 215 yards and four touchdowns.

He could have thrown touchdowns all night but Hamilton was able to run off plenty of time in the first half with short passes until drives were halted by a fumble and interception. Freshman quarterback Thaddeus Breaux completed 31 of 45 passes for 270 yards, with touchdown passes to Kristian Leslie and Jacob Riley. Leslie caught 16 passes for 125 yards.

What’s impressive about Lee is his ability to run Pacifica’s no-huddle, quick tempo offense. At the end of the second quarter, he moved the team quickly down field in 30 seconds, completing four consecutive passes for 82 yards and ending with a two-yard touchdown pass to Will Jones Jr. for a 28-0 halftime lead. It was like watching Corona Centennial’s effective no-huddle offense.

“We try to do it that way,” coach Mike Moon said.

Lee has benefited from a receiving group he’s known for years through youth football.

“I’ve been playing with the receivers since I was 6,” Lee said.

There’s also the offensive line made up of seniors.

“They’re my best friends,” Lee said.

Pacifica has to keep improving with its Marmonte League opener against Oaks Christian next week.

Hamilton (2-3) starts Western League play next week against Fairfax.

Thursday’s game brought no injuries and lots of sportsmanship. Both coaches were thrilled to have the opportunity to play. “A blessing,” Moon said.

It’s a tradition for the Marquez High football team to raise a black Gladiators flag up the stadium pole after each victory.

Imagine how often that flag could be raised each time Elyjah Staples, the school’s star outside linebacker, earned an A on his report card? That’s the only grade he’s gotten in three years of classes, no matter taking Chemistry, Algebra 2 or Advanced Placement U.S. History.

He seems to be in a personal competition to keep getting A’s along with sacks at the Huntington Park school.

“He’s one of a kind,” coach Rudy Fortiz said. “Just his leadership. ‘Hey, you’re doing this wrong.’ Everyone follows. Whatever he wants to do, he’s going to put his mind to it.”

Last season, as a sophomore in his first year playing high school football, Staples had 13 sacks. He also played volleyball, basketball and ran track. Now he’s 6 feet 3, 205 pounds, only 16 years old, has a football scholarship offer from Stanford and wants to be his school’s valedictorian in 2027. Older brother Ezavier Staples plays receiver for UCLA.

He’s on his way to becoming as synonymous with Marquez as former basketball standout Mitchell Butler was for attending tiny Oakwood in North Hollywood before going on to UCLA and the NBA.

Wherever the 16-year-old Staples walks on campus, he’s recognized. He loves participating and welcoming strangers and friends alike. It makes perfect sense as a freshman he decided to take a year off from playing football and joined the cheer squad. That’s part of his outgoing personality. Then he had a change of heart when the football team was struggling.

“I saw everyone out there and I was like, ‘I have to get back to this excitement.’ And they were losing. I was, ‘I got to get out there to do something,’” Staples said.

Last week against La Puente, he caught four touchdown passes and made 10 tackles with two sacks. He has five sacks on the season and leads the team with 15 receptions for 517 yards and 10 touchdowns.

He’s perfectly comfortable and confident sticking with Marquez (4-1) and playing in the City Section despite his growing recognition as a future college athlete.

“The No. 1 reason is community,” he said. “I’m really big on how I’m treated. I feel I’m very loved on campus. I love the academics. The teachers are flexible.”

His academic success is a family tradition and requirement. “I looked up to my brothers and they kept having good grades and my mom is strict,” he said. “She told my coaches, ‘If his grades aren’t up there, his sports stuff is cut off.’”

Staples plays in so many sports at Marquez that fans get to see him perform all year long.

“I hear ‘Staples’ a lot from the stands,” he said. “I’m always playing sports. Whenever they see me, it’s Staples, Staples, Staples.”

That sounds like a future NIL opportunity sponsored by Staples, the office supply company.

Marquez faces a tough challenge from Eagle Rock, a passing team, on Friday night. Quarterback Liam Pasten is known to use his athleticism to create opportunities, so it will be fun to see how he deals with Staples trying to chase him down.

Staples certainly makes it clear football has become his sport of choice.

“It’s the excitement and being out there with my teammates and being like a family. This is my family now,’’ he said.

PHILADELPHIA — For awhile there, it was beginning to look a lot like 2021.

That was the year the Rams went all-in, started fast, endured through a midseason losing streak and then went on to win the Super Bowl.

There is still a long way to go before Super Bowl LX will be played at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

But despite what coach Sean McVay and his players insisted after their collapse on Sunday against the defending Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles, it was no confidence builder.

Not in the short term anyway.

The Rams blew a 19-point third quarter lead, were set up to possibly win with a last-second field goal and then had that kick blocked and returned for a touchdown in a 33-26 defeat at Lincoln Financial Field.

“We had the game within our control kind of the whole time,” kicker Joshua Karty said, “and we come out of here with a loss, so [it] kind of sucks.”

When it comes to the Eagles, the Rams are accustomed to disappointment.

The Eagles (3-0) beat the Rams last season at SoFi Stadium. They beat them here in the snow in the NFC divisional round. And now they produced an epic comeback to send the Rams back to Los Angeles with another bitter loss.

• Share via Close extra sharing options

Gary Klein breaks down what went wrong for the Rams in their 33-26 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

It was a stunning defeat for a Rams team that an hour earlier appeared easily on its way to improving to 3-0 for the first time since their championship season.

The Rams had defeated the Houston Texans and the Tennessee Titans, but the matchup against the Eagles, quarterback Jalen Hurts and running back Saquon Barkley represented the first real test for a team McVay has described as the deepest in his eight-plus seasons.

The Rams again came close. And again they failed.

“These are the chances to be able to lean in and see what you’re really about,” McVay, who is now 1-6 against the Eagles, said of his team’s way forward.

Unlike last January, the temperature on Sunday was not frigid. It was sunny and warm, much like how the Rams must have felt early in the third quarter after they went ahead 26-7 on Matthew Stafford’s short touchdown pass to running back Kyren Williams.

It was a seemingly comfortable lead, even for a Rams team that had settled for multiple field goals instead of touchdowns because of poor execution inside the 20-yard line.

The Rams even had their nemesis Barkley — he of four long touchdown runs against them last season — under control.

“We were riding high — everything was feeling good,” receiver Davante Adams said, “and then to come out on the wrong side of this, obviously it’s not the way we drew it up.”

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford throws against the Eagles in the second half Sunday.

(Matt Slocum / Associated Press)

No one could have predicted the Rams would have two kicks blocked in the final minutes.

“It’s the NFL,” safety Kam Curl said, “It’s crazy.”

McVay appeared to keep calm, but like Rams fans watching their team barrel toward another loss to the Eagles, he had to be going a little nuts as his offense stalled while Hurts was passing for three touchdowns and running for another.

The Rams built a 19-7 halftime lead on Stafford’s long touchdown pass to Adams and four field goals by Karty.

They seized momentum on the first series of the second half when edge rusher Jared Verse sacked Hurts and forced a fumble that was recovered by linebacker Nate Landman.

The turnover set up Stafford’s scoring pass to Williams.

“Feeling like we had our foot on the gas,” receiver Puka Nacua said.

The Rams were in complete control.

Until they weren’t.

Hurts tossed two touchdown passes that trimmed the Rams’ lead to five points.

The Rams got the ball early in the fourth quarter, and with just less than nine minutes left, Karty came on for a 36-yard field-goal attempt. But Eagles lineman Jalen Carter blocked the kick.

Hurts’ short touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith put the Eagles ahead, 27-26.

And then Stafford, the master of last-minute drives, drove the Rams to the Eagles’ 26.

It was eerily familiar to last January, when Stafford had the Rams driving toward a potential game-winning touchdown.

This time, all they needed was a field goal.

“I was thankful for another opportunity to kind of help my team make things right and come off the field with a victory,” Karty said.

But Jordan Davis leaped high to block the kick, and then scooped the ball and ran to the end zone as delirious Eagles fans roared.

“Had our chances really in all phases probably to win that one and didn’t get it done,” said Stafford, who passed for two touchdowns, with an interception. “It’s frustrating.”

McVay and his players repeatedly cautioned that it was only Week 3.

And they are correct.

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown catches a pass in front of Rams cornerback Cobie Durant during the second half Sunday.

(Chris Szagola / Associated Press)

No need to panic or overthink the defeat. Not with the surprisingly unbeaten Indianapolis Colts coming to SoFi Stadium next Sunday.

But at some point — likely the NFC playoffs — the Rams must figure out how to beat the Eagles.

“I hate the Eagles,” Williams said, “but they taught us something … or are putting us through something that we needed to get put through.

“I’m glad that it’s happening this early in the season because it’s only going to make us [better] for later.”

Time will tell.

“Wait your turn.”

Those three words are repeated again and again by parents trying to teach their young sons and daughters good manners, whether it’s at the dinner table, the amusement park or the ice cream shop.

So why do parents suddenly forget or ignore their words of wisdom when their kids become teenagers, find themselves in sports competitions, lose out on a starting job or don’t receive the attention they think they deserve and decide to flee rather than “wait your turn.”

At least the Lee family stuck to old-time parenting. Taylor Lee was a huge talent at quarterback after enrolling at Oxnard Pacifica as a freshman. He got to play a little when needed as a freshman and sophomore, but he wasn’t the starter. He stayed and waited his turn and what a reward he’s received.

In the last two games, the junior has thrown 15 touchdown passes for 4-0 Pacifica. He’s passed for 1,356 yards and 22 touchdowns with no interceptions this season. He’s picking up scholarship offers. He’s become an example for his coach, Mike Moon, though who knows how many will learn the lesson.

“For all these kids who transfer around and with not a ton of success, maybe the old-school way of grinding and waiting for your time is best,” he said.

Yes, patience is hard. Passing up an opportunity offered elsewhere is hard. Accepting the decision of a coach is hard. Listening to third parties with agendas speak glowingly of your talent is hard.

As many stories as there are of successful player movements, there’s many others of those who remember the wisdom, of “wait your turn.”

Luke Fahey of Mission Viejo.

(Craig Weston)

The No. 1 quarterback in Southern California, Ohio State-bound Luke Fahey of Mission Viejo, accepted sharing time for two seasons, trading off every other series with his teammate. He and his parents were patient and supportive. This season, on his own, he’s led the Diablos to an unbeaten record and keeps adding to his reputation as a great quarterback with great character.

Years ago, in a different era, Matt Cassel became an NFL starting quarterback without ever starting a game at USC as the backup to Heisman Trophy winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart.

The environment has changed with the introduction of the college transfer portal. No one is saying there’s anything wrong with switching schools while looking for an opportunity when someone’s path is blocked, but there’s also the old-fashioned way of staying and competing, waiting your turn, trying to get better and being ready when opportunity beckons.

It’s the quarterback position, in particular, where athletes and their parents are unwilling to be backups. Only one person gets to start. But the failure to recognize there’s other positions to try (tight end, receiver, defense?) is also a forgotten alternative.

The responsible thing is to never try to take away a dream from a passionate, committed teenager. Let them keep grinding if that’s what they want to do. But sometimes someone has to be the adult in the room, just like when they were four or five and rushing ahead in the line for an ice cream cone and mom or dad says, “Wait your turn.”

There’s proof that option still works.

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.

1

2

3

4

5

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.”

The Slye brothers at Salesian High, Jordan Jr., a sophomore defensive back/receiver, and Marty, a freshman quarterback, certainly have the genes to succeed.

Their mother, Dena, a counselor at the school, was a softball standout at Washington. Their father, Jordan, was a receiver at Washington.

Now the boys have helped Salesian to a 2-1 start. Jordan Jr. is a 6-foot-1 cornerback with big-time potential. Marty got the size in the family at 6-4 and 235 pounds. He’s been the starting quarterback in three games, asked to contribute immediately as a freshman.

Jordan Jr. said it’s fun playing together on the same team. Jordan caught a touchdown pass from Marty on Thursday night against Bishop Alemany, but it was called back because of a penalty.

“It’s amazing having them, and a third one is on the way,” coach Anthony Atkins said.

Yes, a third Slye brother, Michael, will be a freshman next fall, so prepare for the era of the Slye brothers at Salesian.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email [email protected].

There’s already two games in the books for some high school football players, so let’s take a look at the impressive two-game statistical performances.

Quarterback Deshawn Laporte of Burbank has nine touchdown passes with one interception. Ditto for quarterback Cooper Berry of Maranatha. Quarterback Caden Jones of Crean Lutheran has passed for 601 yards with five touchdowns and one interception.

Quentin Pacelli of Garden Grove is averaging 11.2 yards per carry with 584 yards rushing and seven touchdowns.

Blake Wong of Norco has six touchdown receptions among his 18 catches. Mahseiah Banks of La Palma Kennedy has caught eight touchdowns.

Kane Casani of Loyola has been credited with 31 tackles in two games. Samu Moala of Leuzinger has 5 1/2 sacks with Khary Wilder of Gardena Serra has five sacks. King Butler of Norte Vista has four interceptions. Ernest Nunley of Western and Tareq Abdul of L.A. University have three interceptions.

Aaron Rivera of El Monte is five of six on field-goals attempts. Parker Wilson of San Marino has six punts with a 49.7-yard average.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email [email protected].

E.C. Robinson turned 80 earlier this month. He was head coach at Locke High when Darian Hagen and Sirr Parker were standout City Section football players in the 1980s and 1990s. Then he went to coach at University.

Now one of his sons, Bryan, is head coach at University, with another son, Jason, the offensive coordinator, and he’s serving as a proud “consultant.”

Together, they’re trying to resurrect a University program that was down to less than 25 players three years ago. The roster has increased to more than 70, with the return of a junior varsity team, and the Robinsons are committed to “restoring pride” in the program.

University coach Bryan Robinson (left) and brother Jason Robinson, an assistant, with their father, 80-year-old EC Robinson, a former Locke and University coach.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

It’s a true Los Angeles story, with Bryan calling it “about homecoming, mentorship and generational impact.”

Like his father, Bryan became a teacher. He has been making frequent visits to Emerson Middle School, the feeder school for University, trying to convince students to come out for football.

When he was playing some 20 years ago, most of his classmates started in youth football. These days he must teach from scratch, showing kids how to put on shoulder pads, block and tackle.

“It’s not a lot of guys who’ve played,” he said. “It’s fun but also challenging. I get to instill all our football knowledge while they are raw.”

Bruce Davis, a former UCLA All-American linebacker who went on to win the Super Bowl with the Pittsburgh Steelers, is also on the coaching staff.

“My brother, coach Davis and I are big on development,” Bryan said. “We’re not just herding them out there. We’re really spending time fine-tuning these athletes, really developing them so they can compete on a higher level.

University quarterback Jeremy Pacheco (left) and defensive back Tareq Abdul.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

The team won its opening game against Lincoln 21-19, with junior Tareq Abdul making two interceptions and sophomore linebacker D’Elliott Jones contributing 12 tackles. Quarterback Jeremy Pacheco returned from a knee injury in 2024 to throw a touchdown pass.

This past week, University improved to 2-0 with a 19-8 win over Fremont. Abdul had another interception, returning it for a touchdown.

EC Robinson said the game has changed since the 1980s, when the focus was on running the football. Now passing is prominent, even in youth football.

He largely stays in the background, observing and offering advice when needed.

“I did a lot when they first got the job a couple years ago,” he said. “I wanted to make sure they were doing the right things with the kids. Paperwork is a big issue, making sure the kids are cleared. During the game, I monitor when you call a timeout. I’m trying to make sure they learn practice structure.”

It’s pretty fun when your father is serving as a mentor and is close by to answer questions about a game he has taught for decades.

As Bryan said, “We’re not just building a team — we’re restoring pride in a program with deep roots in Los Angeles football history.”

No. 1-ranked Mater Dei opened its high school football season on Saturday in Florida looking every bit as good as last season when the Monarchs went unbeaten despite lots of mistakes in the second half.

New quarterback Ryan Hopkins threw three touchdown passes in the second quarter en route to a 26-23 victory over Ft. Lauderdale Aquinas, which has won six straight Florida state titles. Chris Henry Jr. caught two of them, covering 22 and 82 yards. Gavin Honore had a 62-yard touchdown reception.

Mater Dei scored 26 consecutive points after falling behind 3-0 in the first quarter. They led 26-3 at halftime. But the Monarchs went scoreless in the second half.

The Monarchs were hardly perfect, leaving coach Raul Lara plenty to work on. They had two interceptions in the first half that ended with turnovers on fumbles during the returns. Twice the Monarchs botched point-after attempts. There were numerous 15-yard personal foul penalties for taunting, late hits, grabbing the face mask and a horse collar. They had 13 penalties for 140 yards through three quarters.

The defense did what it has been doing well for years — stopping the run. USC commit Tomuhini Topui had a sack and Shaun Scott, another USC commit, was adding pressure at the linebacker position. Danny Lang led the secondary with two pass breakups.

Aquinas had fourth and goal from the one-yard line to start the fourth quarter and failed on a fumble trying to run up the middle to cut a 26-10 deficit. But Hopkins was soon intercepted. Aquinas scored on a quarterback option play by Mason Mallory to close to within 26-16 with 9:44 left. Then it was 26-23 on a touchdown pass with 1:36 left until Mater Dei ran out the clock.

Hopkins finished with 272 yards passing. Henry had four catches for 134 yards.

The Monarchs next make their home debut on Friday in a game that will likely result in a running clock. They face Bishop Montgomery, which lost five transfers to ineligibility.

Mater Dei was one of three Trinity League teams opening in Florida. St. John Bosco won 31-0 on Friday night in a game halted at halftime because of lightning. There was also lightning for Mater Dei’s game that delayed the start by one hour. Orange Lutheran was playing Saturday night against Miami Northwestern.

Three other Trinity League teams — Santa Margarita, JSerra and Servite — all lost nonleague openers on Friday.

Third in a series of stories profiling top high school football players by position. Today, Madden Williams, St. John Bosco receiver.

If blockers are a quarterback’s best friends, what are receivers?

“It’s our job to make the quarterback look good,” St. John Bosco’s Madden Williams said.

Few teams in Southern California start the 2025 season with a better collection of receivers than the Braves.

It begins with the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Williams, a Texas A&M commit who caught 13 touchdown passes as a junior. Then there’s Oklahoma commit Daniel Odom, San Jose State commit Carson Clark, super sophomores Darren Tubbs and Landon Perkins and two highly regarded freshmen.

“Not only is it our best group but deepest,” coach Jason Negro said.

In 2019, St. John Bosco had Logan Loya, Kris Hutson and Beaux Collins at the receiver positions. They ended up at UCLA, Washington State and Clemson, respectively.

Now sophomore quarterback Koa Malau’ulu will be the beneficiary of an electric receiver group that will force defenses to pick their poison. Double team one and you’ll get burned by another.

“Whomever they try to double, the others will go off,” Williams said.

As a freshman last season, Malau’ulu looked for Williams to deliver big plays. And that’s what he did, reinforcing the quarterback’s confidence in him.

“I would say what makes him great is that he has no weakness,” Malau’ulu said. “He’s a go-getter. Whenever we can go get extra work, he’s there. He’ll get any ball in his vicinity. He’s fast, strong and physical — everything you want in a receiver.”

Williams trusts his hands and uses fundamental techniques to make plays. His length gives him an advantage over smaller defenders. And once the ball is near him, his hands find a way to catch it like a magnet attracted to metal.

“Hands are the strongest pieces of my game,” he said. “You make sure you look the ball in. A lot of people are too worried what they’re going to do after a catch. One-hand catches are cool, but only do it when you have to do it.”

As for dealing with defensive backs who are aggressive and strong, Williams said, “The strategy is making sure you don’t let them touch you. That’s what we work, on releases and not let the defensive backs redirect. We know the route we’re running. We have to make sure they do not take us off the route we have. Sometimes they guess right, but most of the time I don’t think they can — at least against me.”

The individual duel between receiver and defensive back is like a football version of cat-and-mouse.

“It’s always you and the defensive back,” Williams said. “You’re on an island and it’s who’s better at the end of the day.”

Defensive coordinator Chris King has called Williams “unguardable.” Williams responded with seven catches for 252 yards and three touchdowns against Sierra Canyon last season.

“He’s got such great route running ability, knows leverage and understands coverages,” Negro said. “He’s super savvy and his football IQ is off the charts.”

Williams also played on the basketball team even though he was a reserve. He said the practices were helpful developing the skills needed for football.

In the end, Williams follows a motto that he hopes will carry him forward in sports and in life.

“What happens in the dark will always be brought to light,” he said. “I’m going to be grinding in the dark and when it’s time to shine in the light, I will play the best.”

Friday: Servite tight end Luke Sorensen.

Receivers to watch

Demare Dezeurn, Palisades, 5-11, 175, Jr. One of the fastest in California should dominate in City Section

Troy Foster, Huntington Beach, 6-2, 205, Sr.: Colorado State commit caught 15 touchdowns

Quentin Hale, L.A. Cathedral, 6-3, 175, Jr.: Caught 14 TDs as a sophomore

Chris Henry Jr., Mater Dei, 6-6, 200, Sr.: Ohio State commit is finally healthy and ready to put on show

Trent Mosley, Santa Margarita, 5-11, 170, Sr.: USC commit is big-play weapon and tough to stop

Daniel Odom, St. John Bosco, 6-3, 190, Sr.: Oklahoma commit has size to be a top player

Vance Spafford, Mission Viejo, 5-11, 175, Sr.: Miami commit has tremendous speed and great hands

Madden Williams, St. John Bosco, 6-2, 190, Sr.: Physicality, strength, instincts make him big-time target

Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, Mater Dei, 6-3, 180, Sr.: Ohio State commit delivers one big catch after another

Luc Weaver, Sherman Oaks Dame, 6-3, 195, Sr.: USC commit has improved speed, work ethic, aggressiveness

First in a series of stories profiling top high school football players by position. Today, Brady Smigiel, Newbury Park quarterback.

Honored as the The Times’ player of the year in 2024. Passed for more than 3,200 yards. Completed 49 touchdown passes. Won a Southern Section Division 2 championship. Committed to Michigan for college. Rated a five-star quarterback by one recruiting service.

Has Brady Smigiel of Newbury Park High accomplished everything he wanted to do in high school going into his senior year?

“I can argue I’m getting even hungrier,” said the 6-foot-5, 210-pounder.

His former receiver Shane Rosenthal, who is now at UCLA, has known Smigiel since their tee-ball days. Rosenthal said his best friend is never satisfied.

“He knows there’s things to improve on,” Rosenthal said. “This is just the start of his career. He’s got college next and hopefully the NFL. This is not his final destination. He knows where he wants to get to.”

Smigiel intends to keep the pedal to the metal as he plays his final season under his father, head coach Joe Smigiel. He was the one who threw a container filled with Gatorade on his father’s head last season, drawing a nasty stare because dad had a cold and didn’t need to get wet.

All is forgiven and his father would gladly accept another drenching with a little warning this time. The challenge for son will be developing chemistry with his new group of receivers and continuing to progress reading defenses, something he did extraordinarily well in dropping his interceptions to three last season after 14 in 2023.

“There’s no replacing Shane, but there are some very good athletes that came in,” Smigiel said.

Despite his success the last three seasons, which include 11,222 yards passing and 147 touchdowns, Smigiel insists he has not lost his focus.

“There’s a new challenge every season and to know I’m going to college in less than a year makes me even hungrier,” he said. “I want to be able to get better every single day.”

In April, an example of his day was getting to school at 6:30 a.m. and getting home at 8 p.m. after workouts, classes and training. He has entrusted his training to a staff dedicated to giving him the tools to succeed.

“You just want to get stronger and faster,” he said. “I’m a tall build, so there’s a lot of mass to put weight on. I dropped some bad pounds and started working on my speed training to get more explosive.”

He has made a commitment to Michigan, believing the school is the best fit for his quarterback style, academics and development on and off the field. He’s pursuing his dream — the NFL. He remembers being inspired after watching the draft with former Newbury Park and NFL defensive back Darnay Holmes.

Newbury Park coach Joe Smigiel with sons Brady, left, and Beau.

(Nick Koza)

“My dream has been to be in the NFL my whole life,” he said. “Darnay was at our house and the draft was on and my mom was having a conversation with him. He was about my age right now and his dream was to play in the NFL and the fact it happened and can happen to people you know, it really opened my eyes and is 100% a dream of mine.”

During a nutrition break last spring, Smigiel was hanging out with Rosenthal and looked up the future schedules for Michigan and UCLA. The Bruins will be in Ann Arbor in 2026, with the Wolverines coming to the Rose Bowl in 2027. The best buddies are making plans.

“We’ll be doing a jersey exchange,” Rosenthal said. “I want to be on the same field again.”

Smigiel has matured throughout high school. He has grown constantly, whether in school, his physical dimensions, or his faith. His new offensive coordinator, former Utah quarterback Cam Rising, is helping him become even more prepared for the next level.

The Smigiel journey continues, and it’s going to be quite a ride to follow.

Wednesday: Valencia running back Brian Bonner.

Quarterbacks to watch

Bryson Beaver, Vista Murrieta, 6-3, 195, Sr.: Oregon commit passed for 3,214 yards, 33 touchdowns last season

Corin Berry, Charter Oak, 6-3, 185, Sr. Purdue commit passed for 3,034 yards, 33 touchdowns in 2024

Wyatt Brown, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, 6-4, 190, Sr.: Santa Monica transfer is ready for Mission League

Luke Fahey, Mission Viejo, 6-0, 185, Sr.: Ohio State commit has great arm, good instincts and is big-time in the clutch

Ryan Hopkins, Mater Dei, 6-3, 190, Sr.: Wisconsin commit is one of the fastest QBs in the state

Jaden Jefferson, Cathedral, 5-9, 175, Jr.: Completed 68% of his passes with only four interceptions

Koa Malau’ulu, St. John Bosco, 6-2, 175, So.: Threw for 19 touchdowns as a freshman

Ryan Rakowski, Palos Verdes, 5-11, 170, Jr. : Passed for 2,809 yards, 24 touchdowns last season

Oscar Rios, Downey, 6-3, 180, Sr.: Arizona commit is terrific passer, runner and leader

Brady Smigiel, Newbury Park, 6-5, 210, Sr.: Michigan commit has passed for 147 TDs in three seasons

ATLANTA — Detroit safety Morice Norris was attended to for about 20 minutes and taken off the field in an ambulance during the Lions’ preseason game Friday night against Atlanta, with the game ending with 6:31 to go after the players let the clock run.

Norris was hurt with 14:50 to go trying to tackle Nathan Carter.

“We’re just praying for Mo and ask that everybody prays for him,” said Lions coach Dan Campbell, who said he had “positive information” from hospital.

“He’s breathing. He’s talking. He has some movement,” Campbell added.

When play resumed, Falcons quarterback Emory Jones took a snap and then held the ball as players from both teams stood at the line of scrimmage and the clock continued to run. Finally, with 6:31 left, an official announced the game had been suspended “per New York.”

The Lions led 17-10 when played was stopped.

Campbell and Falcons coach Raheem Morris made the decision to not finish the game.

“Raheem Morris is a class act,” Campbell said. “He’s the ultimate class act. We agreed it just didn’t feel right to finish that game.”

Lions quarterback Kyle Allen said the decision to not finish the game was easy to make.

“I don’t think anyone on that sideline wanted to play,” Allen said. “We weren’t part of that decision but you could look in anyone’s eyes and see that.”

Quarterback Stetson Bennett never appeared to lack confidence when he was leading Georgia to back-to-back national titles.

And for the first time since the Rams drafted him in 2023, Bennett is practicing with an obvious spring in his step.

With starter Matthew Stafford sidelined because of a back issue, and Jimmy Garoppolo running the first-team offense, Bennett has impressed while working with the second unit.

“Everything is just more comfortable,” Bennett said Thursday after a full-pads practice at Loyola Marymount.

Bennett, 27, played in the 2023 preseason but was out during the regular season for what he later acknowledged as a mental health issue. He returned last season, played in the preseason and was the No. 3 quarterback behind Stafford and Garoppolo.

But the tentativeness of last season appears to be gone. He has connected for touchdowns and big gains with several receivers while avoiding poor decisions and turnovers.

“Confidence, and he’s enjoying it,” coach Sean McVay said when asked what he noticed as the biggest difference in Bennett. “When you watched him play at Georgia, and even some of the preseason games, when he gets into a rhythm and he’s smiling, all these great competitors, there’s an enjoyment for mastering their craft and enjoyment of just being totally immersed in the moment, and then enjoyment of your teammates’ success.”

Bennett credits quarterbacks coach Dave Ragone for his development in the Rams’ system.

“Every day, he’ll challenge me a little bit more,” Bennett said.

Stafford and Garoppolo also have helped with their example and advice, Bennett said.

The instruction and counsel, combined with the increased amount of reps, has translated to more confident play. And more Bennett-initiated communication with Ragone after each series.

“I know a little bit more of what’s going on,” Bennett said. “Whereas last year I was a lot more reactionary, this year I kind of know what I’m looking at, and what could have changed or might have happened if I’d done something different.

“I can have a lot more conversations instead of just listening.”

Bennett said he was “bummed” that Stafford has not been able to practice, but he has been excited and has tried to take advantage of the opportunity for more reps.

Bennett is on track to get plenty of work Tuesday during a joint practice with the Dallas Cowboys in Oxnard. He also is expected to start on Aug. 9 when the Rams play the Cowboys in a preseason game at SoFi Stadium.

“It’s been two or three [years] since I’ve gotten to practice meaningful snaps, so I’m really grateful for it,” Bennett said. “And I try to be confident and ready and present every single day.

“It will be exciting to play other people. I know some dudes on the Cowboys, so that will be fun. It’s always fun to play somebody in a different color jersey.”

Etc.

Starting safety Kam Curl (ankle) is week to week and cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr. (hamstring) will be out one to two weeks, McVay said. … Puka Nacua tipped a ball to himself in the end zone for a touchdown pass from Garoppolo. … Safety Kam Kinchens and cornerback Derion Kendrick intercepted passes by Garoppolo. … Owner Stan Kroenke attended practice. … Receiver Davante Adams was given a veteran rest day, McVay said. … The Rams are off Friday.