Rookie running back John Kelly ran for a game-high 64 yards on 15 carries and two touchdowns, including the game-winner late in the third quarter, in the Los Angeles Rams 21-20 victory over the Houston Texans Saturday.
The sixth-round draft choice from Tennessee capped a 19-play, 75-yard drive that consumed 12 minutes, six seconds with a 15-yard run on a third-and-goal play with 2:54 left in the third quarter.
“I saw the linebackers back a little bit, trying to play the sticks,” Kelly said. “So, I was like, `Oh, they don’t think we’re going to score,’ so I just took advantage of the soft spot.
“My linemen, they did a great job blocking up front, gave me a one-on-one with the safety. I was able to make him miss, so shout out to my o-line on that one and those receivers that were blocking on the perimeter. So, it was a well-executed play.”
Rams coach Sean McVay called the touchdown “a great finish by” Kelly.
Rams quarterback Sean Mannion called Kelly “a super, super talented runner.”
“I think maybe the thing people don’t notice is the way he’s developed in pass protection and route running,” Mannion said.
“The running ability jumps off to you as the obvious and easiest to see. I know the quarterbacks, o-line and everybody appreciates the attention he pays to being a pass protector and a route runner. He’s done a great job.”
Third-string quarterback Brandon Allen completed seven of eight passes for 49 yards on the drive and ran twice for 14 yards.
Houston (2-1) pulled with one point on Joe Webb’s 3-yard touchdown pass to Quan Bray with 5:54 left in the fourth quarter, but Webb’s pass on the two-point conversion attempt was incomplete.
Texans kicker Nick Rose missed a 57-yard field goal attempt wide right as time expired. Rose’s 28-yard field goal attempt in the second quarter hit the left upright.
With all of the Rams expected offensive starters for their Sept. 10 regular-season opener against Oakland being given the afternoon off, they were outgained, 286 yards to 248, and in first downs 20-18.
The Rams (2-1) led in time of possession, 35:38-24:22, in the NFL preseason game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
The Rams scored touchdowns on all three of their possessions in the red zone. Houston scored three touchdowns, missed a field goal and turned the ball over on downs on its five possessions in the red zone.
The Rams converted 11 of 17 third-down plays, 65 percent. The Texans converted two of nine, 22 percent, and two of three fourth-down plays.
In his third start at quarterback for the Rams in three 2018 preseason games, Mannion completed 11 of 17 passes for 68 yards and one touchdown in the first half. Each of Mannion’s first five passes were incomplete, with the fifth one intercepted.
“I think if the one thing that you could take away that says a lot about him is it didn’t start out great, but we always talk about how do you respond from some adversity?” McVay said. “I thought he did an excellent job with that.
“A lot of times when the game starts out the way that it does, it’s easy to kind of let it snowball. He certainly didn’t do that, found some completions.”
Allen entered the game to start the second half, completing 10 of 13 passes for 63 yards.
Deshaun Watson started at quarterback for Houston, completing three of six passes for 15 yards with one interception in the first three series.
“I wouldn’t call the interception a mistake,” Watson said. “It was a learning lesson. I just tried to take a chance with one of my receivers, and if you look at it in the big picture, treat it like a punt.”
Brandon Weeden replaced Watson midway through the first quarter, completing 10 of 17 passes for 108 yards and one touchdown with one pass intercepted.
Webb entered the game with 8:35 to play, completing seven of 10 passes for 93 yards and one touchdown.
Houston opened the scoring on Alfred Blue’s 3-yard run, 7:10 into the first quarter, one play after safety Kareem Jackson intercepted a pass by Mannion at the Rams 15-yard line and returned the ball 12 yards.
The Rams tied the score, 7-7, with 1:42 left in the first quarter on Mannion’s 6-yard pass to Pharoh Cooper, three plays Sam Shields intercepted a pass by Weeden at the Texans 26-yard line and returned the ball 13 yards.
Shields has not played in a regular-season game since Sept. 11, 2016, when he suffered a concussion while making a tackle for the Green Bay Packers. The concussion was the fourth known concussion of Shields’ career.
Kelly ran 4 yards for a touchdown 1:54 before halftime to give the Rams a 14-7 lead.
Houston took the ensuing kickoff and drove 75 yards on six plays, plus a 34-yard pass interference penalty, with Weeden throwing a 7-yard touchdown pass to Braxton Miller with 30 seconds left in the first half.