Things, as per usual, opened up well enough. The Rams put together an impressive opening drive to start the game 7-0.
The defense held strong early giving the offense had two opportunities to extend the lead. No dice. Davis tossed an ill-advised ball int double coverage for an easy interception and the offensive line struggled on the successive offensive drive leading to a punt.
Then, E.J. Gaines' nightmares came true.
After Robert Quinn stripped Alex Smith on a scramble, Gaines managed to avoid what looked like an easy recovery, allowing Smith to fall on his own fumble. The Chiefs' QB then began targeting Gaines, leading to an illegal contact penalty and a missed tackle that set KC up at the 1-yard line. Jamaal Charles would punch it in to add some gloss to an otherwise unimpressive half.
After the offense stalled out again, it was Aaron Donald's time to shine. His forced fumble would give the Rams the ball at the 8...and perhaps open discussions about a possible Defensive Rookie of the Year campaign...
The Rams would waste the possession amazingly though. Two throwaway plays set up a huge third down; the Rams would take a timeout to ensure they set it up properly. But the Chiefs blanketed the receiving options in coverage and Austin Davis would take a huge sack. The lost yardage set up Greg Zuerlein who would miss a 38-yard chipper. The questions about Zuerlein are legit. You can have the leg all you want, but missing those kinds of attempts are the things that get kickers cut...
The Chiefs would extends a long drive nearly to the halftime whistle, as Cairo Santos kicked a successful 52-yard attempt that made Zuerlein's miss that much more painful.
In the end, it's a game that will be decided by the next 30 minutes of football.
The Rams just need to find a way to execute and come up with big plays in a manner they failed to in the first half.