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 with 2:54 left in the third quarter.
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, Sean Mannion completed 11 of 17 passes for 68 yards and one touchdowns with one pass intercepted in the first half.
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.
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.