LA Rams halftime update: Monday Night Football thriller

LA Rams halftime update: Monday Night Football thriller

The LA Rams played on the road before a hostile crowd in a must-win Monday Night Football. The only thing they have going for them? They wore the mystical bone uniforms, the uniforms that have to date been a magical good luck charm. The Rams seemed to have the answer for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers early.

But while the Rams moved the chains and chewed up the clock in the first quarter, the Bucs eventually did get the ball back. Unfortunately, a very suspect defensive pass interference penalty extended the Bucs drive, and a well-designed play to isolate WR Mike Evans against Rams DB Troy Hill resulted in a game-tying touchdown.

The pace slows down, DPIs pick up

The Rams certainly had penalty problems in this one. The Rams were called for four defensive pass interference penalties, and the outcomes of both offensive drives resulted in Buccaneer touchdowns.  But the Rams were not done just yet.

The Rams put together another solid scoring drive by moving the ball down the field. Goff found both Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp on critical downs. But the best play of the series was the touchdown pass to rookie Van Jefferson for seven yards. That was Jefferson’s first NFL touchdown, and came at a critical point in the game, allowing the Rams to knot up the score with less than four minutes to go.

After stopping the Bucs, the LA Rams once more stepped onto the field with only a minute remaining on the clock. The Rams once more stepped onto the field with the ball on the 19-yard line.

Once more, the Rams quarterback Jared Goff was surgically precise, hitting Jared Goff, Robert Woods, Tyler Higbee, Gerald Everett, and Malcolm Brown. After spiking the ball, the Rams called out newly signed kicker Matt Gay who line up for a 38-yard field goal to give the Rams the lead.

And, as I held my breath, Gay kicked in through the uprights. The Rams entered halftime with a three-point lead. Jared Goff has been throwing laser passes. Cooper Kupp has 109 yards. New kicker Matt Gay is a perfect two for two on extra points, and one for one on his only field goal.

Go Rams!