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Mistakes and failed fake punt cost the Rams in 30-19 loss to Bills

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The Los Angeles Rams (3-2) had their three-game winning streak come to an end against the Buffalo Bills (3-2) with the loss at the Colisum.

Scoring summary:

FIRST QUARTER

  • Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein makes a 37-yard field goal (Rams 3, Bills 0)
  • Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor throws a four-yard touchdown to Justin Hunter (Bills 7, Rams 3)

SECOND QUARTER

  • Bills running back Mike Gilleslee runs for a five-yard touchdown, extra point is blocked (Bills 13, Rams 3)
  • Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein makes a 32-yard field goal (Bills 13, Rams 6)
  • Rams running back Todd Gurley runs for a two-yard touchdown (Bills 13, Rams 13)
  • Bills kicker Dan Carpenter makes a 23-yard field goal (Bills 16, Rams 13)

THIRD QUARTER

  • Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein makes a 54-yard field goal (Bills 16, Rams 16)
  • Bills cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman returns interception 41 yards for a touchdown (Bills 23, Rams 16)

FOURTH QUARTER

  • Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein makes a 22-yard field goal (Bills 23, Rams 19)
  • Tyrod Taylor throws a six-yard touchdown pass to Marquise Goodwin (Bills 30, Rams 19)

    Rams can’t make a key play late and fall to Bills, 30-19

    The Rams won three games in a row with big defensive plays that secured victories in the final minute.

    On Sunday against the Buffalo Bills, they needed a late clutch drive or play from the offense.

    They did not get it and suffered a 30-19 defeat at the Coliseum.

    On a day when the Rams were without three of their starting defensive linemen, Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor passed for two touchdowns and LeSean McCoy rushed for 154 yards as the Rams fell to 3-2.

    Former USC standout Nickell Robey-Coleman intercepted two passes. In the third quarter, he returned one 41 yards for a touchdown. He also picked off a scrambling Keenum with less than two minutes left as the Bills improved to 3-2.

    The Rams were back at the Coliseum for the first time since they defeated the Seattle Seahawks in their home opener on Sept. 18.

    Greg Zuerlein had kicked three field goals in that 9-3 victory, and he added four on Sunday against the Bills.

    But the Rams could manage only one touchdown on Todd Gurley’s short second-quarter run.

    The Rams also could not overcome the absence of injured defensive linemen Robert Quinn, William Hayes and Michael Brockers.

    Keenum completed 21 of 31 passes for 271 yards. Gurley rushed for 72 yards and a touchdown in 23 carries.

    Taylor completed 12 of 23 passes for 124 yards and rushed for 29 yards in four carries.

    In his return to the Coliseum, former USC star Reggie Bush carried one time for three yards.

    The Rams trailed, 16-13, at halftime but tied the score about midway through the third quarter on Zuerlein’s third field goal.

    That’s when Keenum made a mistake.

    Robey-Coleman stepped in front of a receiver, intercepted Keenum’s pass and returned it 41 yards for a touchdown.

    Despite two delay-of-game penalties, the Rams launched a long drive early in the fourth quarter.

    But the drive stalled at its eight, and the Rams settled for Zuerlein’s fourth field goal, which made it four-point deficit.

    The Rams got the ball back with 4 minutes 35 seconds remaining at their 18-yard line but they could not get a first down. A direct snap to receiver Bradley Marquez on a fake punt netted only a couple of yards and gave the ball back to the Bills.

    LeSean McCoy broke off a 24-yard run to set up Taylor’s touchdown pass to Marquise Goodwin that sealed the victory for the Bills.

    McCoy rushed for 111 yards in nine carries to help the Bills go into halftime leading, 16-13.

    The Rams came out with a dynamic offense, Keenum mixing passes to Tavon Austin with hand-offs to Gurley as the Rams moved to the Bills’ 14 yard-line. But a false-start penalty on third down stalled the drive and the Rams settled for Zuerlein’s 37-yard field goal.

    Taylor immediately answered, scrambling up the middle for a 22-yard gain and connecting with tight end Charles Clay on passes of 12 and 29 yards to set up Taylor’s short touchdown pass to receiver Justin Hunter.

    Gurley’s fumble late in the first quarter gave the Bills an opportunity and they capitalized quickly.

    McCoy’s 53-yard run set up Mike Gillislee’s short touchdown run to put the Bills ahead, 13-3.

    The Rams cut the deficit to seven with Zuerlein’s second field goal, and they tied the scorewith Gurley’s one-yard touchdown with just under two minutes left.

    But Taylor and McCoy keyed a two-minute drill as the Bills moved from their 25 to the Rams’ 5, where they kicked a field goal for a 16-13 lead.

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    Rams trail Bills, 30-19, with 2:37 left in the game

    The Rams tried to fool the Bills, and in the process fooled themselves.

    Three plays after a failed fake-punt run, Tyrod Taylor found Marquise Goodwin for a six-yard touchdown to stretch the Bills’ lead to 30-19.

    The Rams opted for trickery to pick up a crucial first down, but all it led to was a short field for the Bills. The direct snap to wide receiver Bradley Marquez, with Johnny Hekker lined up to punt, didn’t fool the Bills’ punt-return unit.

    One play later, LeSean McCoy ran 24 yards to the Rams’ one-yard line. The Rams held tough on first and goal from the one, swallowing up McCoy at the line and quickly calling a timeout with 2:48 left in the game. Then the Bills were called for an illegal formation, setting up second and six.

    But the game-sealing touchdown came one down later, when Taylor backpedaled out of the pocket and found Goodwin for the score.

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    Rams defense comes up with a big stop with Bills leading 23-19

    Trailing 23-19 with the game clock dripping below five minutes, the Rams defense lined up for a third and three at the Bills’ 32-yard line.

    Punter Johnny Hekker turned around to the Coliseum crowd and pumped his arms in the air, asking for noise. The crowd delivered, and so did the Rams as cornerback E.J. Gaines broke up a Tyrod Taylor pass intended for Walter Powell.

    That led to the Bills’ sixth punt in their last seven drives, and the Rams will start their next drive from their own 18-yard line.

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    Rams trail Bills, 23-19, in the fourth quarter

    The Rams had a chance to tie the score with a touchdown, but instead settled for a 22-yard field goal. Greg Zeurlein knocked it through, making the scorer 23-19 in the Bills’ favor with 5:51 left in the game.

    Case Keenum was flushed out of the pocket on first and 15, and stepped up in the pocket to hit Brian Quick with an off-balance throw. Quick then turned and turned it into a 31-yard gain, digging the Rams out of their own territory and closer to midfield.

    The Rams were trying to shoot themselves in the foot, committing two delay of game penalties in three plays. But the offense moved in spite of the miscues, as Keenum hit second-string running back Malcolm Brown for a screen that went for 26 yards.

    A holding penalty called on Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore moved the Rams to the Bills’ 30-yard line, and Keenum found Kenny Britt for a 10-yard gain two plays later. Tavon Austin then picked up nine yards on an end-around play, and Todd Gurley moved the chains with a two-yard run up the gut.

    That set up first and goal on the eight-yard line, but Gurley lost five yards on his next carry. On third and goal from the 13, Keenum found Gurley for eight yards. Gurley fought to stay on his feet, but was brought down by two Bills defenders.

    Zuerlein jogged onto the field and hit his fourth field goal of the game, inching the Rams closer to the Bills.

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    Rams defense forces a Bills punt in a critical spot

    The Bills’ only points of the second half were a direct result of a Case Keenum interception. Aside from that, the Rams defense has forced five punts in the Bills’ last six possessions.

    The Rams went three and out after Nickell Robey-Coleman’s interception return for touchdown pushed the Bills ahead, 23-17.

    In an important spot, the defense couldn’t deliver from the start of the possession, as LeSean McCoy knifed through the left side for a 13-yard gain.

    On second and seven from the Rams 40, Mark Baron brought down Bills running back Mile Gilleslee before he could break free up the middle. That set up third and six, and the Rams dialed up the pressure and forced Tyrod Taylor to throw the ball away while falling out of bounds.

    After a well-placed punt by Colton Schmidt, the Rams took over on their own 7-yard line.

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    Rams trail Bills, 23-16, after Case Keenum interception is returned for a touchdown

    Welcome back to the Coliseum, Nickell Robey-Coleman.

    Facing second and 14, Case Keenum dropped back and threw an out route right into Robey-Coleman’s hands. Robey-Coleman, a former USC cornerback, ran the ball 41 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown.

    It was a much-needed jolt for the Bills, who had punted in four of their last five drives before the interception return. They now lead the Rams, 23-16, with 3:54 left in the third quarter.

    The Rams started the drive with a 21-yard pass from Keenum to tight end Lance Kendricks. Then Gurley took a direct snap and was swallowed up by Jerel Worthy in the backfield for a four-yard loss, and Keenum threw his pass right into Robey-Coleman’s hands.

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    Rams defense clamps down after special teams miscue

    The Rams gave the Bills a break, but then the defense clamped down behind what has turned into a raucous crowd.

    The Bills were punting away to the Rams after another three and out, but then rookie linebacker Josh Forrest was called for roughing punter Colton Schmidt.

    That gave the Bills a fresh set of downs, and they faced a third and seven two plays later. Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor burned a timeout with the Coliseum noise level elevating. The noise was only louder when the Bills came out of the timeout, and Taylor missed a wide-open, streaking Robert Woods by a few inches.

    The crowd exhaled, and then cheered some more. The Rams, with the score tied 16-16, will take over on their own 14-yard line.

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    Rams and Bills are tied, 16-16, after 54-yard field goal from Greg Zuerlein

    Greg Zuerlein has been a constant source of offense for the Rams on Sunday, nailing a 54-yard field goal to knot the score at 16-16 with 8:05 left in the third quarter.

    Kenny Britt caught a 14-yard pass to start the drive, and then Todd Gurley ran 16 yards up the middle for another first down.

    Gurley then caught a pitch on third and three, and it looked like he had nowhere to run. But he lowered his head and skipped past the first-down marker along the sideline, giving the Rams a fresh set of downs inside Bills territory.

    Two plays later the Rams faced another third and three, and Case Keenum was flushed out of the pocket before he was tackled for no gain.

    Zuerlein took it from there, punctuating the nine-play drive with the deep field goal.

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    Rams force three and out on Bills’ first possession of second half

    The Rams defense was shaky for much of the first half, but set the tone out of the halftime break by forcing the Bills into a quick three and out.

    LeSean McCoy tried to bounce outside on the first play of the possession, but was swallowed up by Eugene Sims at the line of scrimmage for a two-yard loss.

    The Rams then tackled Charles Clay well short of the first-down marker, and Tyrod Taylor threw way low of Marquise Goodwin while rolling to his left on third down. He was being chased by Sims, who did a good job setting the edge before pressuring Taylor into the awkward toss.

    After a favorable bounce on the ensuing punt, the Rams will start their first possession of the second half on their own 16-yard line.

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    Rams-Bills: Halftime stats

    The Rams trail the Rams, 16-13, after two quarters at the Coliseum.

    Here are some notable numbers from the first half of action:

    Rams

    • Rams quarterback Case Keenum is 10 for 14 for 137 yards.
    • Running back Todd Gurley, who has been held in check for much of this season, ran for 47 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries.
    • Tavon Austin led the Rams with six receptions or 55 yards. He also carried the ball twice for 17 yards. Kenny Britt caught two passes for 46 yards.
    • In total, the Rams gained 192 yards on 30 plays in the half.

    Bills

    • Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor went eight for 13 for 102 yards and a touchdown. He also ran three times for 26 yards.
    • Running back LeSean McCoy lit up in the first, rushing for 111 yards on just nine attempts. That was good for 12.3 yards per carry, aided by a 53-yard run.
    • Tight end Charles Clay led all Bills’ receivers with four catches for 67 yards. Receiver Justin Hunter’s first catch as a member of the Bills went for a four-yard touchdown in the first quarter.
    • In total, the Bills gained 238 yards on 29 first-half plays.
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    Rams trail Bills, 13-16, at halftime

    The Bills were dead in their tracks, then LeSean McCoy danced into Rams’ territory, where Dan Carpenter hit a chip-shot field goal as the first-half clock expired.

    The Bills lead the Rams, 16-13, after two quarters.

    The Bills faced third and one at their own 48-yard line, and Tyrod Taylor rolled to his left before finding Robert Woods for a 17-yard gain.

    That marched the Bills into Rams territory. Defensive end Ethan Westbrooks broke the Bills’ rhythm by sacking Taylor on the next down. But McCoy kicked the offense right back into gear, bobbing and weaving for 17 yards to the Rams’ 23-yard line with the second-quarter clock winding down.

    With nine seconds left in the first half, Taylor hit a falling-down Charles Clay on the four-yard line. The field goal team jogged onto the field, and Carpenter knocked through a 23-yard attempt to give his team a three-point lead at the break.

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    Rams and Bills are tied, 13-13, after Todd Gurley touchdown run

    Case Keenum stood at the line and pushed his palms toward the crowd, asking the Coliseum crowd for a bit of quiet before a first-and-goal play. Keenum then called for the ball, handed it to Todd Gurley and Gurley fell into the end zone for the Rams’ first touchdown of the game.

    Keenum turned around while emphatically pumping his first, and the crowd was now free to celebrate too.

    The Rams and Bills are now tied, 13-13, with 1:56 left in the first half.

    On the first play of the drive, Gurley burst through the line for a 12-yard gain. After he ran for two yards a down later, Keenum hit Kenny Britt on a slant route for 18 yards.

    That put the Rams on the Bills’ 32-yard line, and Keenum connected with Brian Quick on third down to move the chains down to the 15. A five-yard penalty inched the Rams closer to the end zone, and Tavon Austin then ran out of the backfield for eight yards down to the two.

    Earlier in the drive, Austin caught his sixth pass of the game, which is a season-high for him. But it was a shifty run that set up the Rams’ first touchdown of the day, a two-yard dive to Gurley.

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    Rams trail Bills, 13-6, after Greg Zuerlein hits his second field goal

    The Rams offense has been good in bunches through a quarter and a half, but only has two Greg Zuerlein field goals to show for it.

    At the end of the team’s fourth drive, Zuerlein connected from 32 yards out. The Rams now trail the Bills, 13-6, with 7:46 left in the second quarter.

    Keenum, who repeatedly worked the ball to Tavon Austin on the Rams’ first possession, found the speedy receiver for a 31-yard gain on the first play of the drive. Bills’ defensive tackle Corbin Bryant was then called for a facemask penalty, moving the Rams a yard inside the red zone.

    The quarterback then handed the ball to Todd Gurley, who rumbled down to the Bills’ 14-yard line. The Rams tried a swing screen to Austin on third and five, but he didn’t have any blockers and pushed out of bounds by a crowd of Bills defenders.

    Zuerlein then came on for his second field goal try of the game, and knocked it through to pull the Rams within a touchdown of the Bills.

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    Rams force a three and out on the Bills’ third drive

    After the Bills scored touchdowns on their first two drives, the Rams defense toughened up to force a punt on the third.

    The Rams trail, 13-3, and badly need a sound possession to give their defense a breather. The defense dialed up the pressure on first down, and Dominique Easley sacked Tyrod Taylor for a seven-yard loss. LeSean McCoy then gained four yards to set up third and 13, and Taylor fired a pass to tight end Charles Clay right at the first-down marker.

    The refs met at the spot and decided the Bills were a foot or two short. The Rams, if only barely, finally slowed the Bills’ attack after two early scores.

    The Rams are now three for four on third down and have gained 116 rushing yards on 10 attempts.

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    Rams trail Bills, 13-3, as LeSean McCoy runs wild

    In a flash, the Bills lead 13-3, and Rams fans are booing at the Coliseum.

    Two plays after Todd Gurley fumbled away the Rams’ second possession, Bills running back LeSean McCoy ran 53 yards to the doorstep of the end zone.

    One play after that, Tyrod Taylor tossed the ball to Mike Gillislee, and he sprinted around the edge and into the end zone. The Rams — without starting defensive linemen Michael Brockers, William Hayes and Robert Quinn — are having a lot of trouble slowing the Bills’ ground attack.

    The Rams blocked the ensuing extra point, which let a quick cheer replace the disgruntled sighs of the home crowd.

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    Rams trail Bills, 7-3, in the first quarter

    Poor tackling plagued the Rams on the Bills’ first drive of the game, and it ended with Tyrod Taylor dancing out of the pocket before throwing a four-yard touchdown pass to Justin Hunter.

    The Bills lead the Rams, 7-3, with 2:22 left in the first quarter.

    The Bills went right to the ground, as LeSean McCoy knifed through the Rams’ front seven for 15 yards. But an errant snap sent Taylor running backward on the second play of the drive, and Alec Ogletree sacked him for a loss of 18 yards.

    McCoy ran nine yards to set up third and 19, and Taylor zigzagged through the Rams’ defense to pick up a first down. At the end of his run, Taylor faked Ogletree out before diving toward the first-down marker.

    They both ended up on the ground again, except this time, it was Taylor who prevailed.

    Three plays later, the Bills converted another improbable first down when fullback Jerome Felton rumbled into Rams territory. Then Taylor found tight end Charles Clay, who fell to the Coliseum grass and then got up before he was tackled at the Rams’ four-yard line.

    The Rams held tough for two plays, forcing an incomplete pass and then holding McCoy to no gain. But Taylor slipped out of the pocket on the next play, waited for Hunter to break free in the back-left corner of the end zone and then looped a pass right into the receiver’s hands.

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    Rams lead the Bills, 3-0, after methodical first drive stalls in red zone

    The Rams methodically drove into the red zone on their first drive of the day, but couldn’t punch the ball into the end zone. After a false-start penalty wrecked their rhythm, the Rams settled for a 37-yard field goal from kicker Greg Zuerlein.

    The Rams lead the Bills, 3-0, with 9:31 left in the first quarter.

    Case Keenum started the game with a quick out to Tavon Austin, who skipped out of bounds after gaining four yards. Then Keenum gave the ball to Todd Gurley on an inside handoff, and he gained four yards before tumbling to the ground.

    That set up third and two, and a chance for the Bills to knock the Rams offense right off the field. But Keenum floated a pass to Gurley on the near sideline, and Gurley broke a tackle before scampering 24 yards to the Bills’ 47-yard line.

    Keenum then found Austin for another first down — on a near identical play to Austin’s first catch — and Gurley moved the chains again two plays later.

    Next Austin was in the backfield, and he took a handoff eight yards up the middle to set up another first-down run by Gurley. The drive then hit a speed bump, as Gurley took a toss for two yards and Keenum threw an incomplete at his feet before Rodger Saffold jumped offside.

    One play later, Zuerlein jogged onto the field for his first try of the day. He connected, nudging the Rams ahead.

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    Bills send out four former USC players as captains

    Wondering how big a role Reggie Bush will have in his return to the Coliseum on Sunday?

    For starters, he’s a Bills captain along with the three other former USC players. Joining Bush at midfield for the coin toss were wide receiver Robert Woods, cornerback Kevon Seymour and cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman.

    Whether Bush will get a lot of carries — he was inactive for the last three weeks — remains to be seen. But the day started with the former USC star in the spotlight.

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    A homecoming for Reggie Bush as he jogs into the Coliseum for warmups

    Reggie Bush is back at the Coliseum with the Buffalo Bills — for a matchup with the Rams on Sunday — and knelt for a quick prayer before jogging onto the field for pregame warmups.

    Here are two shots from Bush’s walk through the tunnel and into the stadium where his legend grew more than a decade ago.

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    Reggie Bush is active for Rams-Bills game at Coliseum

    Reggie Bush was once the biggest attraction at the Coliseum when he was sprinting out of the backfield for USC.

    Check that, he was the biggest attraction in college football.

    Now, more than 10 years later, he returns to play at the stadium where his name has been reduced to a series of asterisks.

    Bush was at the center of an NCAA investigation that led to some of the harshest penalties in college sports history. The Trojans were barred from bowl play for two years, lost 30 scholarships and were forced to permanently disassociate themselves from Bush after he won a Heisman Trophy that is no longer his.

    Bush, 31, is a backup running back for the Bills and will be active when his team takes on the Rams on Sunday. He was inactive the past three weeks, but Bills’ feature back LeSean McCoy has been nursing a hand injury.

    That means Bush could see more carries this week, as he’s run the ball just three times this season for minus-four yards.

    As for the reception Bush will receive from the Coliseum crowd, Bills Coach Rex Ryan has been known to put players of interest in the spotlight.

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    Rams inactive list for Bills game includes three starting defensive linemen

    The Rams kick off against the Buffalo Bills in about 90 minutes – and they will do so without three starting defensive linemen.

    Ends Robert Quinn and William Hayes and tackle Michael Brockers are inactive, the Rams announced.

    Quinn, who is nursing a shoulder injury, Hayes (ankle) and Brockers (hip) did not practice this week and were regarded as game-time decisions.

    The Rams cut cornerback Coty Sensabaugh on Saturday and promoted defensive lineman Morgan Fox from the practice squad to add depth.

    Eugene Sims and Ethan Westbrooks could start at end. Dominique Easley or Cam Thomas could start at tackle.

    The Rams defensive line faces a huge challenge in Buffalo’s dual-threat quarterback Tyrod Taylor.

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    You have questions, he’s got some answers

    (Dilip Vishwanat / Getty Images)

    The Rams have not started 4-1 since 2006, but they have a chance to reach that mark Sunday when they play the Buffalo Bills at the Coliseum.

    The Rams rebounded from a season-opening loss to the San Francisco 49ers and won three consecutive games against the Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Arizona Cardinals.

    Now, on to your questions. Keep them coming at @latimesklein or gary.klein@latimes.com

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    What to expect when the Rams play the Bills

    Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor drops back to pass against the New England Patriots on Oct. 2.
    Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor drops back to pass against the New England Patriots on Oct. 2.
    (Kevin Sabitus / Getty Images)

    The Rams and their 3-1 start are the surprise of the NFL.

    They overcame a shutout loss against San Francisco to beat the Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Arizona Cardinals.

    Now they get to play at home with momentum and confidence, and face a Bills team minus star receiver Watkins.

    The Bills also must travel cross-country after last week’s shutout victory at New England.

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