Rams can’t keep up with the Saints, fall in New Orleans, 49-21

Rams quarterback Jared Goff fumbles during the first half of Sunday’s game against New Orleans.

(Bill Feig / Associated Press)

Defense has carried the Rams most of the season.

A late breakdown last week against Miami was considered a blip. The unit was ranked sixth in the NFL going into Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees and running back Mark Ingram changed that.

Brees passed for four touchdowns as the Saints rolled up 555 yards in a 49-21 rout of the Rams.

The Rams fell to 4-7 going into next week’s game at New England.

Rams quarterback Jared Goff, making his second start, passed for three touchdowns, but he also had a pass intercepted and lost a fumble.

The Saints led, 28-21, at halftime and then quickly put the game out of reach in the third quarter.

Ingram broke free for a 61-yard run in the first play of the second half and turned a screen pass into a 22-yard touchdown for 35-21 lead. Brees’ touchdown pass to Michael Thomas increased the margin to 21 points. Receiver Willie Snead’s 50-yard touchdown pass to running back Tim Hightower added insult to the defeat.

Brees completed 28 of 36 passes for 310 yards.

Ingram rushed for 146 yards and a touchdowns in 14 carries. He also scored on a touchdown pass play.

Thomas, who played at Woodland Hills Taft High, had nine catches for 108 yards and two touchdowns.

Goff completed 20 of 32 passes for 214 yards.

Rams running back Todd Gurley rushed for 50 yards in 13 carries behind a reconfigured offensive line. Greg Robinson was healthy but designated as inactive for the game. Rodger Saffold started at left tackle but suffered a hand injury, leaving Andrew Donnal to protect Goff’s blind side.

Goff completed 12 of 20 passes for 167 yards and three touchdowns in the first half.

Goff looked completely comfortable on the first possession of the game when he drove the Rams 75 yards in six plays and passed for his first touchdown, a 24-yard strike to receiver Tavon Austin.

Brees evened the score with a touchdown pass to Brandon Coleman late in the first quarter.

The Rams defense stepped up early in the second quarter when tackle Aaron Donald sacked Brees and forced a fumble that was recovered by linebacker Mark Barron at the Saints’ six-yard line.

On the Rams’ first play, Goff connected with receiver Kenny Britt for a 14-7 lead.

Brees brought the Saints right back, and Ingram tied the score by turning a fourth-and-1 play at the 10 into a touchdown.

Saints defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins sacked Goff on the first play of the ensuing possession and forced him to fumble.

Four plays later, Brees leaped from the one and put the ball across the goal line for a touchdown and a 21-14 lead.

The Saints extended the lead on Brees’ short touchdown pass to Thomas.

Goff kept the Rams within striking distance just before halftime by masterfully engineering a two-minute drive that ended with a touchdown pass to tight end Lance Kendricks.

Malcolm Brown rushed for nine yards in three carries, the clock ran out and this game, mercifully, came to an end.

New Orleans defeated the Rams, 49-21.

The Rams fall to to 4-7, and the Saints improve to 5-6.

The Saints have torn into Gregg Williams’ defense, and it has to be some Bounty Gate payback.

A holding call against the Saints was the only thing that could stop their drive.

Michael Thomas caught an 11-yard pass, and Tim Hightower rushed for 30 yards before the penalty plagued the drive.

Ugh.

There’s no other way to describe the Rams’ latest offensive series.

Todd Gurley caught a four-yard pass, Jared Goff and Kenny Britt were on different route-pages and Goff was sacked on third down.

Goff has had some shining moments in his three-touchdown performance, but the Rams’ offense still looks out of sorts most of the time.

The Saints punted for just the third time after going three and out.

Mark Ingram rushed for four yards in consecutive carries and Drew Brees’ third-down pass to Tommylee Lewis fell incomplete.

We’ll see if the Rams’ offense can put anything together. At this point, the game is out of reach, but every series is an opportunity for Jared Goff to grow.

Add insult to injury.

Fourth and one, Todd Gurley was stopped short of a first down. The Saints take over on downs.

Lance Kendricks caught a five-yard pass, Gurley was tackled for a two-yard loss and Kenny Britt caught a six-yard pass before the fourth-down attempt.

Britt was injured during the play and is questionable to return, as is cornerback E.J. Gaines, who was hurt on the previous defensive series.

This has gotten out of hand, and Sean Payton is dancing on the sideline.

Receiver Willie Snead completed a 50-yard pass to Tim Hightower (yes, Snead, a receiver — not quarterback Drew Brees), and the Saints lead the Rams 49-21 with 10:15 remaining in the game.

The scoring drive covered 81 yards in seven plays and took 4:45.

At this point, the Rams’ goal should be to leave New Orleans without anymore injuries.

Cornerback E.J. Gaines was injured during the series.

The Saints have gained 507 total yards of offense.

Brees has completed 26 of 33 passes for 297 yards and four touchdowns.

A Saints penalty helped the Rams, but then their own penalties plagued them.

Jared Goff was sacked on third down, but the Saints were called for holding.

The Rams moved forward with a new set of downs, then quickly found themselves backpedaling after two false starts and Goff taking another sack.

The Rams have six penalties for 62 yards.

This is a performance few likely saw coming from a Rams’ defense that has held its last several opponents to fewer than 300 total yards of offense.

Drew Brees completed a 21-yard pass to Michael Thomas for a touchdown and the Saints lead the Rams, 42-21, with 3:42 remaining in the third quarter.

The scoring drive covered 92 yards in seven plays and took 3:17. The Saints have 416 total yards of offense. Brees has four touchdown passes.

Brees also completed a 10-yard and 35-yard pass to Thomas.

Josh Hill caught a 21-yard pass.

The Rams punted, and the Saints will have the ball at their eight-yard line.

Tavon Austin rushed for 10 yards and Kenny Britt caught a six-yard pass before the drive stalled.

Todd Gurley was stuffed at the line of scrimmage, and Brian Quick caught a three-yard pass on third and four.

The Rams were in no man’s land at their 36-yard line. Going for it on fourth down seemed like a possibility, but Jeff Fisher elected to punt.

Jared Goff threw his first career interception, but the Rams’ defense was able to keep the Saints from converting the turnover into any points.

Kenny Vaccaro picked Goff and returned it to the Rams’ 49-yard line

Drew Brees went three and out.

Tim Hightower rushed for seven yards in consecutive carries before Brees threw an incomplete pass.

Prior to the interception, Todd Gurley rushed for seven yards and caught a seven-yard pass.

Mark Ingram just tore the Rams apart.

Ingram rushed for 61 yards to start the series, and he finished it with a 21-yard reception for a touchdown.

The Saints lead the Rams, 35-21, with 12:58 remaining in the third quarter. The scoring drive covered 75 yards in four plays and took 2:02.

The touchdown pass from Drew Brees came on third and 17 after Robert Quinn sacked him.

Left tackle Rodger Saffold is out for the game because of a hand injury. Saffold moved from guard to tackle in place of Greg Robinson, who was placed on the inactive list as a healthy scratch.

Jared Goff has put together a nice performance in his first NFL road start.

Facing third and two from the Saints’ 32-yard line, Goff completed a 24-yard pass to Lance Kendricks.

Then he found Kenny Britt for a 17-yard pass and Kendricks again for a 15-yard touchdown reception.

New Orleans leads the Rams, 28-21, with 55 seconds remaining in the first half. The scoring drive covered 79 yards in eight plays and took 1:29.

Goff is 12 of 20 for 167 yards and three touchdowns.

Left tackle Rodger Saffold injured his hand during the series; his return is questionable.

The Rams defense, usually so stout, is having a tough time stopping, or even slowing, Drew Brees and the Saints.

And another Rams’ penalty turned out to be costly.

Brees completed a six-yard pass to Michael Thomas, and the Saints lead the Rams, 28-14, with 2:24 remaining in the first half. The scoring drive covered 78 yards in eight plays and took 3:45.

The series looked headed for a three and out after Thomas caught a five-yard pass and Brees committed a rare mistake on second down when he was called for intentional grounding.

However, on third and 15, Brees threw deep and baited Lamarcus Joyner into pass interference.

From there, Brees completed an 11-yard pass to Coby Fleener and eight-yard and 35-yard passes to Josh Hill.

Rams defensive lineman Ethan Westbrooks was injured during the drive.

Todd Gurley sprung for a 13-yard gain, but the Rams’ series stalled quickly thereafter.

Gurley rushed for three yards and Jared Goff’s next two passes fell incomplete.

Gurley has rushed for 34 yards in seven carries.

Drew Brees kept the ball and dove over the top of the pile for a one-yard touchdown on fourth down.

The Saints lead the Rams, 21-14, with 7:46 remaining in the second quarter.

Jared Goff was sacked, fumbled and the Saints recovered at the Rams’ 10-yard line.

It would be easy to call it a rookie error, but Brees made the same mistake in a previous series (although the hit Brees took from Aaron Donald looked nasty).

Brees completed a five-yard pass to Coby Fleener and Tim Hightower rushed for four yards before he was stood up on third-and-one by Alec Ogletree.

The Saints are two-for-five on third down, but two-for-two on fourth.

The Saints went for it on fourth and one from the Rams’ 10-yard line and Mark Ingram rushed for a touchdown.

The Rams and Saints are tied again, 14-14, with 9:38 to play in the second quarter. The scoring drive covered 75 yards in nine plays and took 5:05.

Mark Barron stopped Ingram at the line of scrimmage on third and one before Ingram broke free on the fourth down.

Ingram rushed for 32 yards in five carries, including a 15-yard run.

Coby Fleener caught a 31-yard pass that put the Saints in Rams territory.

The Rams’ defense created a big opportunity and the offense capitalized.

Aaron Donald sacked Drew Brees and forced a fumble that Mark Barron recovered at the Saints’ six-yard line.

Next play, Jared Goff found Kenny Britt for a six-yard pass and a touchdown.

The Rams lead the Saints, 14-7, with 14:43 remaining in the second quarter.

This game looks entirely different from Goff’s first start, with playcalls actually allowing the rookie quarterback to put his arm on display.

Goff has completed seven-of-11 passes for 91 yards and two touchdowns.

For a second series, a Rams receiver picked up a penalty and stalled the drive.

Kenny Britt was called for a false start on third and two, and then Jared Goff’s third-and-seven pass fell incomplete.

Johhny Hekker punted. The Saints will have the ball on their 14-yard line.

On the first play, Todd Gurley rushed for nine yards after he got a great block from Rodger Saffold, who made the start at left tackle in place of the struggling Greg Robinson.

After Gurley rushed for three yards and Goff threw an incomplete pass, Tavon Austin caught a short pass and slipped a tackle for an eight-yard gain.

But then... the penalty.

Drew Brees completed a three-yard pass to Brandon Coleman for a touchdown.

The Rams and Saints are tied, 7-7, with 2:45 remaining in the first quarter. The scoring drive covered 51 yards in nine plays and took 4:33.

Tim Hightower rushed for 12 yards in consecutive carries before Brees let it fly.

Willie Snead caught a five-yard and 16-yard pass and Coby Fleener caught a 12-yard pass.

T.J. McDonald made a nice pass breakup in the end zone on first and goal before Mark Ingram rushed for five yards and then Brees completed the third-and-goal pass.

Coach Jeff Fisher said before the game that the Rams were able to hold the Saints to field goals, he would consider that a win. They were close, but Brees created confusion among the defensive backs to score the touchdown.

Penalties have reared their ugly head for the Rams already.

Jared Goff completed a short pass to Lance Kendricks on third and nine, and Kendricks dived for what appeared to be a first down. But the play was called back; the Rams were backed up, with Tavon Austin called for an illegal block in the back.

Goff’s third-and-12 pass fell incomplete.

The Rams punted from deep in their own territory. The Saints will have the ball at their 49-yard line.

The Rams defense has shown up to play.

Trumaine Johnson broke up Drew Brees’ third-down pass and the Saints punted.

Brees completed two of four passes for 15 yards in the opening series and Mark Ingram rushed for 18 yards.

Aaron Donald tackled Tim Hightower for a five-yard loss that helped stall the drive.

What box did Jeff Fisher find this offense in?!

Jared Goff threw his first NFL touchdown, a 27-yard pass to Tavon Austin, who happily posed for a make-believe photo with Kenny Britt in the end zone.

The Rams lead the Saints, 7-0, with 12:08 to play in the first quarter. The scoring drive covered 75 yards in six plays and took 2:52.

The offense opened up and Goff completed three of four passes for 72 yards.

Todd Gurley caught a short pass and went 31 yards on the first play. Britt caught a 17-yard pass, and two plays later, Goff threw the touchdown.

Gurley also rushed for three yards in two carries.

Rodger Saffold started at left tackle in place of Greg Robinson, who is on the active list as a healthy scratch. Saffold last started at left tackle against Seattle in December 2012.

Rams inactive players:

Left tackle Greg Robinson

Quarterback Sean Mannion

Offensive lineman Pace Murphy

Tight end Temarrick Hemingway

Defensive end Matt Longacre

Cornerback Mike Jordan

Cornerback Steve Williams

Saints inactive players:

Running back Daniel Lasco

Offensive tackle Tony Hills

Receiver Jake Lampman

Running back Marcus Murphy

Offensive lineman Landon Turner

Linebacker Sam Barrington

Rams Greg Robinson did not suit up for the Rams-Saints game.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Rams left tackle Greg Robinson, the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, is inactive for Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints.

Coach Jeff Fisher said this week that he was considering personnel changes along the offensive line.

Robinson has struggled with penalties. In last week’s loss against the Miami Dolphins, he was called for an illegal block in the back after a scramble by quarterback Jared Goff.

Veteran Rodger Saffold, who has started at left guard, is the Rams’ most experienced lineman and has played left tackle.

Guard Jamon Brown, inactive last week because of a hand injury, is active against the Saints.

Rams guard Rodger Saffold gets ready to take the field before a game earlier this season.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

Check out the three key players for the Rams that must deliver in order to attain victory.

And the three Saints with whom the Rams must contain in order to achieve the win.

Read More

Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams says his time with the New Orleans Saints provided “a lot of great memories.”

( Tim Ireland / Associated Press)

New Orleans was home to some of Gregg Williams’ best coaching triumphs, including overseeing a defense in 2009 that helped the Saints win Super Bowl XLIV.

New Orleans also was where Williams was implicated in the infamous “Bountygate” scandal that led to an NFL-imposed, indefinite suspension of the coordinator three years later.

On Sunday, the Rams’ defensive coordinator will be in familiar environs when the Rams play the Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

It will be Williams’ first game coaching in New Orleans since 2011.

“Really looking forward to it,” he said Friday after practice. “Got a lot of great memories, a lot of good feelings, a lot of good people there that I still stay in contact with.”

No bittersweet feelings?

“No, no, no, no,” he said. “That’s just part of it, that’s part of our league. You guys see the stories year after year after year. It’s just part of what we do.”

Read More

Saints quarterback Drew Brees has thrown 454 more touchdown passes than the Rams’ Jared Goff.

(John Cordes / Associated Press)

In 2001, Drew Brees began his NFL career as a second-round draft pick from Purdue.

Jared Goff was beginning the first grade.

Brees has done pretty well in the 15-plus years since then. The New Orleans Saints icon won a Super Bowl and has passed for 64,180 yards and 454 touchdowns in 227 games.

Goff, the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft by the Rams, has played in one NFL game.

He would like to throw his first touchdown pass Sunday at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, where two quarterbacks at opposite ends of the career spectrum will meet for the first time.

“Drew’s definitely a guy I grew up a fan of,” Goff said, “a guy I like to take a lot of stuff from.”

Read More