Jared Goff threw two touchdown passes and Greg Zuerlein kicked four field goals as the Los Angeles Rams ended the New Orleans Saints‘ eight-game winning streak with a 26-20 victory.
#LARams Reach 8 Wins for First Time since 2006, Defeat Saints 26-20
Recap ???? » https://t.co/78RXjMQXrn pic.twitter.com/lvPtqkCTyA
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) November 27, 2017
Goff Sunday completed 28 of 43 passes for 354 yards, was sacked four times and had one pass intercepted as the Rams (8-3) won the matchup of two of the NFL’s three highest-scoring teams at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
The Rams outgained the Saints 415-346 yards, led 24-14 in first downs and 35:26-24:34 in time of possession before a crowd announced at 62,006.
Drew Brees completed 22 of 32 passes for 246 yards and one touchdown and was sacked three times for New Orleans (8-3).
Rookie Alvin Kamara scored both Saints touchdowns, running 74 yards for a first-quarter score and catching a a 15-yard pass from Brees with one minute, 45 seconds to play.
Sammy Watkins recovered Will Lutz’s onside kickoff attempt and the Rams ran out the final 1:44 for their fifth victory in the past six games.
New Orleans kicker Wil Lutz made a 50-yard field goal 58 seconds before halftime and a 21-yarder with 10:05 remaining in the fourth quarter.
The NFC West Division-leading Rams entered Sunday’s play second in scoring, averaging 30.3 points per game. The NFC South Division-leading Saints were third, averaging 30.2 points.
The Rams scored on both of their first two possessions. Goff threw a five-yard pass to Watkins for a touchdown seven plays after Pharoh Cooper returned the opening kickoff 40 yards to the Rams 41-yard line.
Goff completed all four of his passes on the drive for 49 yards, including a 24-yard pass to Watkins on the first play of the seven-play, 59- yard drive. The touchdown was the first by the Rams offense in the first quarter in their five games at the Coliseum this season.
Zuerlein kicked a 50-yard field goal on the Rams next possession, an 11- play, 51-yard drive. Goff was four for six for 36 yards and the drive and was sacked twice.
Receiver Josh Reynolds caught the first touchdown pass of his NFL career on a seven-yard pass from Goff with 4:22 left in the second quarter, two plays after Goff completed a 53-yard pass to Cooper Kupp, who like Reynolds, is a rookie.
Zuerlein kicked a 46-yard field goal for the third quarter’s only points and a. 49-yard field on the second play of the fourth quarter.
Zuerlein is the NFL’s leading scorer with 129 points. His 14 points moved him into fifth-place on the team’s single-season list. He needs three points to pass Jeff Wilkins for third most. Wilkins set the single-season team record in 2003 with 163 points.
–City News Service