It's not easy to stand out on the Los Angeles' Rams' star-studded pass rush, but Samson Ebukam's quasar-hot performance on Monday night made him a game-changer in one of the most thrilling games in NFL history.
The second-year linebacker scored two touchdowns off turnovers by quarterback Patrick Mahomes to keep the Rams' scoring machine in a constant state of point proliferation during the Rams' epic 54-51 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Ebukam's first TD came when he scored on an 11-yard fumble return in the second quarter after a strip-sack by Aaron Donald on Mahomes. He then scored on a 25-yard pick-six when a flat-footed Mahomes threw into Ebukam's outstretched arms before he grabbed it and bowled over Mahomes into the end zone.
The Rams scored 21 points off turnovers in the win.
"As a defense, we've been getting a lot of criticism because our offense is so good," Ebukam told NFL Network's Lindsay Rhodes and Willie McGinest after the game. "So everybody on the D-line, we decided to just put in a little extra today and then everybody else followed, and we got multiple interceptions and multiple turnovers."
The incredible, two-touchdown effort didn't come as a huge surprise to Rams coach Sean McVay.
"I think he just does all the little things the right way," McVay said after the game."He's getting better and better. He takes the coaching the right way and he's talented."
It was truly a performance worthy of a game that will live on as one of the greatest in NFL history.
While Ebukam was pleased with his effort, he was more excited about what the win means for the Rams -- the team is one step closer to claiming the NFC West title.
"It's definitely good for us to be 10-1 because now we can try to get the top two in the conference so we can get the second bye week," Ebukam said.
Based on the way Ebukam and the Rams played on Monday, it hardly seems premature to declare this team well on its way to claiming the conference's top playoff seeding.
