Chargers vs. Rams: How to Watch and What to Know as Winless Chargers Face Rams at SoFi Stadium

Note: This post was written while the game was in progress, before a final result was available. The Rams led the Chargers 10-9 at halftime, according to the CBS Sports gametracker. We do not predict or report a final score here.

The Los Angeles Chargers (0-6) and Los Angeles Rams (3-4) are meeting at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Sunday. It is a rare matchup: the two stadium roommates play only once every four years, and this is just their third meeting since both teams moved to Los Angeles, per the AP.

Chargers vs. Rams: where to watch

Kickoff was set for 4:05 p.m. ET (1:05 p.m. PT) on Fox, according to the AP preview. Where to watch the Rams game depends on your local Fox affiliate and streaming subscriptions.

The storylines

The Chargers still need a first win. After entering the season with playoff hopes, the Chargers are the NFL’s only winless team and its lowest-scoring offense. They came off a bye week that coach Jim Harbaugh described as a thorough self-examination. Mike McDaniel stays in charge of the offense and play-calling for Justin Herbert, who had already been sacked 21 times this season. The AP noted that Harbaugh had not lost seven straight games since he was a quarterback for the 1-15 San Diego Chargers in 2000.

The Rams are trying to get back above .500. The Rams began the season as a Super Bowl favorite but entered November at 3-4. They beat the Raiders 35-21 last week, with Kyren Williams and Blake Corum each running for more than 90 yards. Matthew Stafford led the NFL with 1,989 passing yards coming in, and Puka Nacua had at least five catches in 15 straight games, the league’s longest active streak.

“I really couldn’t care less what the record says,” Rams coach Sean McVay said of the Chargers. “I see a team that’s really good.”

Not much of a rivalry. “It’s a big town to cross,” Stafford joked, noting the teams’ facilities are more than 30 miles apart.

Rams vs. Chargers prediction: the betting line

We don’t make picks. Before kickoff, the AP listed the Rams as 6 1/2-point favorites. The Rams lead the all-time series 7-6, but the Chargers won the last meeting, 31-10, on Jan. 1, 2023.

How the first half went

According to the CBS Sports play-by-play, both quarterbacks threw an interception in the first quarter. Brandon McManus kicked a 30-yard field goal for the Rams, and Cameron Dicker answered with three field goals (34, 46 and 41 yards) to give the Chargers a 9-3 lead. Late in the half, Stafford hit Tutu Atwell for 40 yards and Nacua for 13, and Kyren Williams scored from the 1 with 19 seconds left. A 54-yard Herbert completion to Ladd McConkey got the Chargers to the Rams’ 1 as time ran out in the half, so the Rams took a 10-9 lead into the locker room.

Check official sources such as the NFL, Fox and ESPN for the final score.