Saints stopped by Goff as Rams end losing ways
With eighth victory, the franchise breaks streak of futility stretching back to 2006
Jared Goff passed for 354 yards and hit Sammy Watkins and rookie Josh Reynolds for touchdowns, and the Los Angeles Rams snapped the New Orleans Saints’ eight-game winning streak with a 26-20 victory on Sunday in a meeting of NFC division leaders.
NFL scoring leader Greg Zuerlein kicked four field goals for the Rams (8-3), who earned their fifth victory in six games.
For the first time since 2006, this revitalized franchise is guaranteed not to finish the regular season with a losing record.
Los Angeles turned in a gritty defensive effort against the highscoring Saints (8-3), holding Drew Brees to 246 passing yards — just 96 in the first three quarters — and sacking him three times. Alvin Kamara made an early 74-yard touchdown run and a late TD reception for the Saints, who lost for the first time since Sept. 17.
One week after rallying from 15 points down late in the fourth quarter to beat the Washington Redskins in overtime, the Saints fell behind on the opening drive and never caught up.
New Orleans struggled to stop Goff’s passing game with its top two cornerbacks sidelined by injuries, and the Rams methodically moved the ball to win a meeting between two of the NFL’s three highest-scoring teams.
Goff went 28 of 43, patiently picking at the Saints’ defence in his fourth 300-yard game of the season despite the absence of top receiver Robert Woods. Rookie Cooper Kupp set career highs with eight catches for 116 yards, and Reynolds made his first career TD catch in the second quarter.
The Rams made two lengthy drives ending in fourth-quarter field goals, and Watkins recovered the onside kick after the Saints finally trimmed Los Angeles’s lead to one score on Kamara’s TD catch with 1:45 to play.
The Rams scored on their opening drive for the second straight week, with Watkins catching a slant for a five-yard TD. Los Angeles also sacked Brees twice early, but the Saints adjusted and got back in it with that brilliant run by Kamara.
Reynolds’s TD catch capped an 86-yard drive for Los Angeles in the second quarter. The methodical Rams outgained New Orleans 250-166 in the first half and held the ball for 18:35.
Meanwhile, in a key AFC West game in Oakland, Calif., Derek Carr threw two touchdown passes after losing starting receiver Michael Crabtree to an ejection for his role in a brawl, and the Oakland Raiders spoiled Paxton Lynch’s first start of the season with a 2114 victory over the Denver Broncos on Sunday.
The story coming into the game was about the upheaval for the two teams after Denver (3-8) fired offensive co-ordinator Mike McCoy and made another quarterback change, and Oakland (5-6) fired defensive co-ordinator Ken Norton Jr.
But the fight between Crabtree and cornerback Aqib Talib that led to three ejections overshadowed the recent disarray, even as the Raiders recorded their long-awaited first interception of the season in their first game under defensive play-caller John Pagano, and the Broncos lost seven games in a row for the first time in 50 years.
The fight was a continuation of a dispute that started last season when Talib ripped Crabtree’s chain off during the season finale. Crabtree missed the first game between the teams this year but wasted little time seeking revenge.
On the second play of Oakland’s second drive, Crabtree aggressively blocked Talib on a running play and drove him to the ground on the Broncos sideline. Talib ripped Crabtree’s chain off his neck while they were tangled up, and a brawl ensued.
Several Broncos players surrounded Crabtree as he tussled with Talib before his Raiders teammates could come to his assistance. Guard Gabe Jackson pushed an official while trying to join in and got ejected for his actions, along with Crabtree and Talib.
The Raiders then dominated on the field after ending the longest season-opening interception drought in NFL history.
With the Broncos at the one, Lynch looked for tight end Virgil Green in the end zone. The ball bounced off Green and Raiders safety Reggie Nelson before landing in NaVorro Bowman’s arms as he was lying on the turf for Oakland’s first interception.
Oakland drove 80 yards and scored on Carr’s nine-yard touchdown pass to Amari Cooper.
Marshawn Lynch added a oneyard run to make it 14-0 and Carr threw his second TD to Jalen Richard in the third quarter.