Rams beat Texans 33-7 to stay on course for the playoffs
The NFL’s highest-scoring team did not look the part for most of the game.
The Rams, playing at the Coliseum for the first time in a month, did not score a touchdown in the first half against the Houston Texans.
But quarterback Jared Goff and his receiving corps got going in the third quarter.
Goff connected with receiver Robert Woods for two touchdowns and with receiver Sammy Watkins for another en route to a 33-7 victory over the Texans on Sunday before an estimated crowd of 55,000.
Greg Zuerlein kicked four field goals and the defense forced four turnovers as the NFC West-leading Rams improved their record to 7-2 and stayed on course for their first playoff berth since 2004.
It was the Rams’ fourth consecutive victory, their first at the Coliseum since a season-opening win over the Indianapolis Colts.
Rams 33, Texans 7: Zuerlein makes a 33-yard field goal
Rams 30, Texans 7: Woods gets his second TD
Rams 23, Texans 7: Watkins catches a 17-yard touchdown pass
Rams 16, Texans 7: Robert Woods goes 94 yards to the house
Rams 9, Texans 7: Zuerlein has all of L.A.’s points so far
Texans 7, Rams 6: Savage to Ellington for the TD
Rams 6, Texans 0: Rams settle for another field goal
Josh Lambo sticks it to Chargers with OT game-winner for Jaguars
Josh Lambo, the kicker the Chargers cut in the preseason, hit a game-winning field goal from 31 to cap a monumental Chargers collapse in a 20-17 overtime Jaguars win in Jacksonville.
The kick came after the Chargers intercepted two Blake Bortles passes in the final two minutes of regulation with a lead and couldn’t put the game away.
Austin Ekeler fumbled and the offense sputtered in the clutch, allowing Lambo to send the game to overtime in the final seconds of regulation.
The Chargers’ offense got a huge boost from Ekeler, who scored a pair of receiving touchdowns. Both plays were short passes that he extended with his legs, including one in which he somehow managed to stay in bounds with just blades of grass between his shoe and the sideline.
The 28- and 22-yard scores were all the Chargers could muster against the Jaguars’ stellar defense, which pressured Philip Rivers, but didn’t sack him.
The two scores came after Jacksonville got on the board, thanks to a fake punt in the first quarter. Instead of kicking the ball, the Jaguars snapped it to running back Corey Grant, who ran through a tackle at the line of scrimmage before breaking free on a 55-yard score.
The Chargers did block Lambo’s extra point attempt to somewhat limit the damage.
Still, it didn’t matter with the way the Chargers played in the clutch, with Rivers being intercepted in overtime to set up the game-winning kick.
Hey, the CFL is fun too! Check out this TD celebration
The NFL isn’t the only league embracing touchdown celebrations. Check this one out from the CFL on Sunday.
In the Eastern semifinals between Saskatchewan and Ottawa, the Redblacks busted out this gem.
The Roughriders defeated the Redblacks 31-20.
Saskatchewan will play the Toronto Argonauts next week in the Eastern Final.
The Grey Cup championship is set for Nov. 26.
Chargers 17, Jaguars 17: Mistakes allow Jacksonville to tie game with a field goal
Josh Lambo’s 43-yard field goal tied the game with seconds remaining after a bizarre final two minutes that featured two Jacksonville interceptions, one Charger fumble and a shanked punt.
At the end of regulation, the game is tied 17-17 and headed to overtime.
Rams 3, Texans 0: Zuerlein nets a field goal after Donald’s strip sack
Saints set team record with six rushing touchdowns in rout of Bills
Drew Brees is still on the Saints, right?
The Saints set a franchise record for rushing touchdowns in a game Sunday when they rolled out six against the Bills in a 47-10 victory at Ralph Wilson Stadium.
New Orleans now has 14 rushing touchdowns this season compared to the 17 they had all of last year, or the 16 in 2015 and 2014.
Mark Ingram had three touchdowns on 131 yards rushing. Alvin Kamara had one on 106 yards, Trey Edmunds had one on 48 yards and Brees -- who had zero passing touchdowns -- had another running score on six yards.
Traditionally one of the most prolific passers in the game, Brees has passed for more than 300 yards twice this season. Still, despite the lack of touchdown throws, Brees was fifth in the NFL with 2,214 yards passing and was tied for eighth with 13 passing touchdowns.
It wasn’t so long ago -- 2015 -- that Brees became the eighth player in NFL history to throw for seven touchdowns in a game.
The Saints (7-2) have now won seven straight and host the Washington Redskins next week.
Saints’ Daniel Lasco has feeling in extremities after sustaining spinal injury on kick return
The New Orleans Saints say running back Daniel Lasco has feelings in his extremities after sustaining a spinal injury making a tackle on a kickoff return.
Lasco was loaded into an ambulance on the field and taken to the hospital. He was hurt six minutes into the second quarter when he appeared to lower his head while tackling Bills returner Brandon Tate.
Lasco moved his left leg while lying face-down on the field before being rolled on his back by Saints medical staff.
Chargers 17, Jaguars 14: Novak makes a 50-yarder to retake lead
The Chargers moved in front of the Jaguars, 17-14, on Nick Novak’s 50-yard field goal.
The Chargers were moving the ball down the field until a holding penalty slowed them down, but another key completion to Austin Ekeler put them back in field-goal range with 10:35 left in the game.
Chargers 14, Jaguars 14: Marqise Lee ties it up for Jacksonville
The Jaguars tied the game through the air, with Blake Bortles capping an 11-play drive with a six-yard touchdown pass to Marqise Lee.
Bortles found Lee again for the two-point conversion, and the game is now tied 14-14 with 2:03 left in the third quarter.
Who’s in, who’s out: Rams vs. Texans inactives
Chargers 14, Jaguars 6: Ekeler does it again with a 22-yard score
Austin Ekeler made another play, catching a short pass from Philip Rivers and turning it into a 22-yard touchdown.
The Chargers now lead 14-6 with 10:29 left in the third quarter.
Bengals’ Vontaze Burfict ejected for making contact with an official
Vontaze Burfict needs to find a way to stay on the field.
He certainly didn’t do that on Sunday.
Burfict was ejected during the second quarter of the Cincinnati Bengals’ game against the Tennessee Titans after making contact with an official.
The volatile linebacker already missed three games to start the season after a bad hit on Kansas City City fullback Anthony Sherman during the preseason.
Burfict missed the start of the 2016 season while he served a three-game suspension for a hit on Steelers receiver Antonio Brown during the 2015 playoffs. He’s also been fined numerous times.
In six seasons with the Bengals, Burfict has amassed 364 total tackles with eight sacks and five fumble recoveries (two forced fumbles) with one touchdown.
Chargers 7, Jaguars 6: Ekler gives L.A. the lead with a 28-yard catch and run
Undrafted rookie Austin Ekeler continues to look like a nice find, tip-toeing down the sideline, staying in bounds on a 28-yard touchdown catch with 47 seconds left in the first half.
The Chargers now lead 7-6.
Jaguars 6, Chargers 0: Grant scores on a 56-yard fake punt
The Chargers defense has done its job, keeping the Jacksonville offense off the board, but they weren’t ready for the Jaguars when they got a little tricky.
Running back Corey Grant scampered 55 yards on a fake punt, weaving through the return unit for the game’s first touchdown.
After the Chargers blocked the extra point, the Jaguars lead 6-0 heading into the second quarter.
What a comeback! Vikings’ Teddy Bridgewater is ready to play after nearly losing his leg last year
Last August, doctors were just trying to save Teddy Bridgewater’s leg.
Today, he’s ready and available to play for the Minnesota Vikings should quarterback Case Keenum falter against the Washington Redskins, according to FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer.
Bridgewater suffered a dislocated knee and torn anterior cruciate ligament in a non-contact injury at practice last year. The injury was a blow to the Vikings, who were coming off their first NFC North title since 2009.
Bridgewater had passed for 3,231 yards with 14 touchdowns en route to an 11-win season.
After the injury, however, the Vikings traded for quarterback Sam Bradford, who performed well initially in place of the injured Bridgewater, helping Minnesota get off to a 5-0 start. But then the wheels fell off.
Minnesota then dropped their next four contests and won just three more games all season.
Bradford has been dealing with a knee injury most of the season, so Keenum has been the Vikings starter, leading the team to a 6-2 record.
Keenum has completed a career-high 63.9% of his passes for 1,610 yards with seven touchdowns and had just three passes intercepted.
Rams vs. Houston Texans: How they match up
RAMS (6-2) VS. HOUSTON (3-5)
When Rams have the ball
After scoring 51 points in last week’s rout of the New York Giants, the Rams are averaging a league-leading 32.9 points. They rank third in total offense, averaging 382.1 yards. Quarterback Jared Goff is coming off a career-best performance. He passed for four touchdowns and 311 yards against the Giants and was named the NFC offensive player of the week. Goff is completing 60% of his passes, 13 for touchdowns (with four interceptions). Four players — running back Todd Gurley and receivers Robert Woods, Sammy Watkins and Cooper Kupp — have scored three touchdowns on pass plays. Gurley also has rushed for seven touchdowns, giving him a league-leading 10. He is averaging 4.3 yards per carry. Backup Malcolm Brown suffered a knee sprain against the Giants, so Tavon Austin could get more work out of the backfield. The Rams also are expected to activate back Lance Dunbar for the first time this season. The Texans defense suffered a blow when lineman J.J. Watt went down because of a leg injury in early October. Lineman Jadeveon Clowney has a team-best five sacks for a defense that also includes linebacker Benardrick McKinney and cornerback Kareem Jackson. Cornerback Johnathan Joseph and safety Andre Hal each have two interceptions.
When Texans have the ball
Coach Bill O’Brien’s offense is still trying to recover from the loss of star rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson, who suffered a major knee injury a few weeks ago. Tom Savage, who began the season as the starter, struggled last week, completing 19 of 44 passes for 219 yards in a 20-14 loss against Indianapolis. He also lost a fumble on the final play. The Texans feature two outstanding receivers in DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller. Hopkins has 51 catches, eight for touchdowns. His 692 yards receiving ranks third in the NFL. Fuller has turned seven of his 15 catches into touchdowns. Running back Lamar Miller has rushed for 483 yards and two touchdowns and has 21 receptions. The Rams, who in their last two games shut out Arizona and gave up 17 points to the New York Giants, rank ninth in scoring defense. Aaron Donald, Connor Barwin and Matt Longacre each have four sacks. Linebacker Mark Barron leads the team in tackles and also has intercepted two passes. Linebacker Robert Quinn is doubtful because of an unspecified illness that sidelined him all week. Safety Lamarcus Joyner and cornerbacks Trumaine Johnson and Nickell Robey-Coleman each have two interceptions.
When they kick
Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein has scored a league-leading 99 points, putting him on pace to break the NFL record of 186 set in 2006 by Hall of Fame running back LaDainian Tomlinson of the San Diego Chargers. Zuerlein has made 24 of 25 field-goal attempts. With the offense in high gear, punter Johnny Hekker has only 27 kicks, 16 fewer than at the same time last season. Former UCLA kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn has made 11 of 12 field-goal attempts for the Texans. Shane Lechler, an 18th-year pro, is averaging a league-best 50.2 yards per punt.
Gary Klein’s prediction
The Rams have played well in all three phases for consecutive games, and with a potential run to the playoffs now a reality under first-year coach Sean McVay, they
are expected to build on the momentum. If Watson were playing for the Texans, this might be a different story.
RAMS 38, TEXANS 10
NFL Week 10 scores and schedule
Sunday’s schedule
(All times Pacific)
at Jacksonville Jaguars 20, CHARGERS 17, OT
New Orleans Saints 47, at Buffalo Bills 10
Green Bay Packers 23, at Chicago Bears 16
at Detroit Lions 38, Cleveland Browns 24
at Tennessee Titans 24, Cincinnati Bengals 20
Pittsburgh Steelers 20, at Indianapolis Colts 17
at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 15, New York Jets 10
Minnesota Vikings 38, at Washington Redskins 30
at RAMS 33, Houston Texans 7
at Atlanta Falcons 27, Dallas Cowboys 7
at San Francisco 49ers 31, New York Giants 21
New England Patriots at Denver Broncos, 5:30 p.m.
Monday’s schedule
Miami Dolphins at Carolina Panthers, 5:30 p.m.
Thursday’s result
Seattle Seahawks 22, at Arizona Cardinals 16
AFC notes: From A to Z
Baltimore Ravens: After an off week, the Ravens could have five running backs on their roster with the return of Terrance West (calf) and Danny Woodhead (hamstring).
Buffalo Bills: The Bills haven’t opened 6-3 or better since 1999, the last time they made playoffs. Defense has 11 takeaways (four fumbles, seven interceptions) at home.
Cincinnati Bengals: Tight end Tyler Kroft had a career-high 79 yards receiving last week. Kroft has three touchdown catches in the Bengals’ last three road games.
Chargers: Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley returns to Jacksonville for the first time since he was fired after the Jaguars went 14-48 under his leadership.
Cleveland Browns: The Browns are 4-41 in their last 45 games, matching the Lions (2007-10) for the worst such stretch. Cleveland is 1-23 under Hue Jackson.
Denver Broncos: Receiver Demaryius Thomas caught his first touchdown pass of the season last week, ending a 13-game drought dating to Nov. 13, 2016.
Houston Texans: DeAndre Hopkins has had a touchdown catch in five straight games and has eight touchdowns overall. His 11 TDs in 2015 are a Texans record.
Indianapolis Colts: The Colts have lost four straight in their series with the Steelers. Indianapolis has given up six defensive touchdowns this season.
Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jaguars have won two games in a row for the first time in 13 months. They haven’t won three in a row since 2013.
Kansas City Chiefs: Kareem Hunt leads the NFL in yards rushing (800) going into team’s bye despite averaging just under 48 yards per game the last four games.
Miami Dolphins: Reshad Jones is the only safety with more than 50 tackles (55) and two picks. Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh has three sacks in the last five games.
New England Patriots: The Patriots are seeking their 12th consecutive regular-season road win, which would tie their own AFC record. Bill Belichick is 8-10 against Denver.
N.Y. Jets: Quarterback Josh McCown was 1-10 as Tampa Bay’s starter in 2014. The Buccaneers finished 2-14, landing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 draft: Jameis Winston.
Oakland Raiders: Thanks to being off in Week 10, the Raiders will have to wait at least one more week before they can try for their first interception of the season.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Ben Roethlisberger needs 28 completions to become either the eighth or ninth player with 4,000. The Chargers’ Philip Rivers needs 16 completions.
Tennessee Titans: The Titans have won three games in a row and are nearing their longest winning streak since 2009, when they won five in a row.
NFC notes: From A to Z
Arizona Cardinals: The Cardinals sacked Russell Wilson a season-high five times, but with a loss Thursday, fell to 0-4-1 under coach Bruce Arians against Seattle in Arizona.
Atlanta Falcons: Julio Jones, in his seventh season, had his 37th game with at least 100 yards receiving last week. Roddy White holds the team record with 39 over 10 seasons.
Carolina Panthers: Defensive end Mario Addison has had a sack in three straight games, and 61/2 this season. Safety Kurt Coleman has 11 interceptions since 2015.
Chicago Bears: The Bears have lost seven straight to the Packers at Soldier Field. Defensive end Akiem Hicks has seven sacks, with five coming in the last four games.
Dallas Cowboys: Dak Prescott’s 10 rushing touchdowns since 2016 are the most by a quarterback. He has rushed for a touchdown in two of his last three road games.
Detroit Lions: Lions running back Ameer Abdullah was benched last week after fumbling the ball away twice to the Packers. They were his first fumbles of 2017.
Green Bay Packers: Right tackle Bryan Bulaga suffered a season-ending knee injury on Monday night. The Packers waived tight end Martellus Bennett on Wednesday.
Minnesota Vikings: Jerick McKinnon has 100-plus yards from scrimmage in three straight road games. His four touchdowns this season tie his career high.
New Orleans Saints: Saints quarterback Drew Brees has an NFL-leading 108 games with 300 yards passing. He’s averaging 276.75 yards per game this season.
N.Y. Giants: Giants coach Ben McAdoo reinstated cornerback Janoris Jenkins, who was suspended for last week’s home loss to the Rams for violating team rules.
Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles are beating their opponents by nearly 14 points per game, including three blowout victories of more than 23 points each.
RAMS: The Rams’ 263 points in half a season are more than they scored in all of 2016 (224). They gave up 11 points per game over their last four outings.
San Francisco 49ers: C.J. Beathard has been sacked 14 times in three starts. The 49ers have been outscored by 45 points in the first quarter, an NFL worst.
Seattle Seahawks: Cornerback Richard Sherman is out for the season after suffering a ruptured Achilles during Seattle’s 22-16 victory over Arizona on Thursday night.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Ryan Fitzpatrick will make his first start for the Buccaneers against his former team, the Jets. Fitzpatrick was 13-14 in two seasons in New York.
Washington Redskins: Redskins have not allowed an opponent to score points on their opening drive this season. Linebacker Zach Brown leads the league with 86 tackles.
Who’s in who’s out: Chargers vs. Jaguars inactives
Chargers vs. Jaguars: How they match up
CHARGERS (3-5) AT JACKSONVILLE (5-3)
When the Chargers have the ball
Offensive linemen are always a critical part of what a football team is trying to do, but against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the biggest guys on the field will be in the spotlight. Playing against a defense that’s capable of historic numbers — they’ve already had 10 sacks in separate games — the Chargers’ offensive line will have to be at its best to give Philip Rivers enough time to implement a game plan. That game plan should benefit from extra preparation time, too, since the Chargers were off last weekend. The Chargers can make life a lot easier on Rivers and the passing game if they can create holes up front and give Melvin Gordon space to operate. History is on Rivers’ and the offense’s side. In seven games against Jacksonville, Rivers is 6-1 and his 120.3 passer rating is exceeded only by his numbers against Houston. Still, everyone seems to agree that this Jacksonville defense is a different monster.
When the Jaguars have the ball
The Chargers will dare quarterback Blake Bortles to beat them. Ex-Jacksonville head coach and current Chargers defensive coordinator Gus Bradley knows what the Jaguars’ strengths are, and quarterbacking is not one of them. However, this team has been able to stack up wins, thanks to a superior running attack led by rookie Leonard Fournette, a big-bodied runner with the ability to slip out of and around tackles. Getting linebacker Denzel Perryman back on the field for the first time this season will be a well-timed boost for the Chargers, though it’s unclear how much rust he’s acquired on the injured reserve. If the Chargers can slow Fournette, Chris Ivory, T.J. Yeldon and Corey Grant (yep, they can use that many guys), the pass rush should be able to give Jacksonville problems ... because Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram are good enough to give every team problems. And it certainly doesn’t help the Jaguars that they enter the weekend with three offensive linemen on the injury report.
When they kick
This is very much a “Lincoln had a secretary named Kennedy, Kennedy had a secretary named Lincoln” kind of matchup with the teams’ kickers. It began in 2015, when the Chargers brought in Josh Lambo, an undrafted rookie, to compete with incumbent kicker Nick Novak. Lambo won the job and the Chargers released Novak. Fast forward to 2017, when the Chargers brought in an undrafted rookie, Younghoe Koo, to compete with Lambo in training camp. Koo won the job and the Chargers released Lambo. He would go on to sign with the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Chargers would release Koo and sign, you guessed it, Novak. The circle of life is complete.
Dan Woike’s prediction
The promises made to myself about not picking the Chargers expired with the off week, just like all diets get shelved at Thanksgiving. Unburdened by the rules set in place earlier this season, it’s hard to overlook the injuries Jacksonville has on the offensive line, its spotty quarterback play (it’s still Bortles) and the Chargers’ week of rest and preparation advantages. A lot of factors point in the Chargers’ direction … but Fournette isn’t one of them. While Perryman’s return helps, the Chargers still haven’t shown that they can stop physical running backs such as Fournette, and the Jaguars could put the ball in his hands 30 times.
JACKSONVILLE 24, CHARGERS 21