The Rams return to form with a win against the Vikings on Thursday Night Football – NBC Los Angeles

The Los Angeles Rams are looking like themselves again.

They started Week 8 of the NFL season with a 30-20 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday Night Football. Wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua returned from injuries for the Rams, who won their second game in five days and improved to 3-4.

After a 5-0 start to the season, the Vikings lost their second straight game 5-2.

Here are some of the winners and losers from Thursday's matchup:

Winner: Matthew Stafford

The top winner is the quarterback who has his top two targets returned.

The Rams offense has struggled this season without Kupp and Nacua. In last week's win over the Las Vegas Raiders, Matthew Stafford threw for just 154 yards, the fewest in his four years with the Rams. He came into Thursday's game with just three touchdown passes this season.

He surpassed that total against the Vikings. Stafford threw four touchdowns and completed 25 of 34 passes for 279 yards with one interception in the win.

Stafford (4,990) also passed Dan Marino (4,967) for the ninth-most completions in NFL history.

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Loser: Kevin O'Connell

Kevin O'Connell is no stranger to watching Stafford and the Rams' offense find success.

Before becoming the Vikings' head coach, O'Connell was the Rams' offensive coordinator under Sean McVay and helped the team win a Super Bowl in 2022. Unfortunately, his former team found their form again against their current team, scoring a season-high 30 points.

After winning the first five games of the season, O'Connell's Vikings have now lost two games in a row.

Winners: Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp

Both Rams receivers are back…for now?

Nacua returned after missing five games with a strained knee ligament suffered during a season-opening loss. Nacua was a finalist for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year last season after setting rookie records with 105 catches for 1,486 yards and had seven catches for 106 yards.

Kupp also returned after a four-game absence due to an ankle injury. The former Super Bowl MVP had five catches for 51 yards and a touchdown. This performance came as his name appeared in trade rumors this week, which were silenced after the Rams' impressive win over the Vikings.

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Loser: Sam Darnold

It wasn't a memorable homecoming for Sam Darnold.

The Vikings quarterback has roots in Southern California and played at San Clemente High School in southern Orange County and again at USC.

Darnold played only his second game as a professional in Southern California and was unable to lead his team to victory. He was sacked in the end zone while the victim of an uncalled facemask penalty for a game-winning safety. He completed 18 of 25 passes for 240 yards and two touchdowns.

He is now 1-1 in SoCal in his professional career, with his first game in the area coming in 2020 when he led the winless New York Jets to an upset victory over the Rams.

Winner: Justin Jefferson

Justin Jefferson is back in triple figures.

The Vikings' star wideout entered Thursday's game having been held to under 100 yards in four straight games, the most of his career.

“I’m definitely tired of these 80, 90-yard games,” he told reporters during the week. “I definitely have to get over that 100-yard hump.” That's definitely my plan.

Mission accomplished. Jefferson, who entered the night fourth in receiving yards even without the 100-yard games, had a season-high eight catches for 115 yards – his second triple-digit performance since 133 yards in Week 2 Jefferson set an NFL record for most 100-yard games in a receiver's first five NFL seasons (31), passing Randy Moss.

Catch up on the latest injuries around the league ahead of Week 8.