Starting linebacker Blake Cashman (peat toe) and backup cornerback Akayleb Evans (hip) missed their second straight game with injuries.

Rams receiver Puka Nacua made a big impact upon his return from injured reserve. Nacua was a surprise activation Thursday night after practicing just once since suffering a knee injury in the season opener. He looked in midseason form with seven grabs for 106 yards against the Vikings.

Star receiver Kuiper Kupp also played Thursday, returning from an ankle injury in Week 2 and getting a touchdown. Kupp helped seal the game for the Rams with a 28-yard grab on third down in the fourth quarter.

The Vikings defense had not allowed an opening drive or a first-quarter touchdown through six games this season. The Rams accomplished both, thanks in part to the linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. being flagged for a facemask penalty, netting a first goal for the Rams offense. Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford threw a 5-yard touchdown to running back Kyren Williams, who slipped past Pace into coverage over the middle.

Stafford and the Rams offense hunted the middle of the field, where Cashman deflected five passes in five games before suffering a toe injury in the Oct. 6 win against the Jets.

The Vikings defense suddenly became penalty-prone in Los Angeles, where edge rusher Jihad district and cornerbacks Byron Murphy Jr. And Stephen Gilmore gifted the Rams first downs with third-down flags. Defensive calls on Murphy and Gilmore extended a drive that ended with Stafford’s 7-yard touchdown to Kupp, which tied the score 14-14 in the second quarter.