Field Level Media
Nov 23, 2020
Matt Gay booted a 40-yard field goal with 2:36 left and Jordan Fuller grabbed his second interception of the game less than a minute later as the Los Angeles Rams notched a 27-24 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night at Tampa, Fla.
Jared Goff completed 39 of 51 passes for 376 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions as the Rams (7-3) won for the third time in their past four games. Robert Woods had 12 receptions for 130 yards and a touchdown, while Cooper Kupp caught 11 passes for 145 yards.
Tom Brady completed 26 of 48 passes for 216 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions for the Buccaneers (7-4), who lost for the second time in the past three games. The two TD passes lifted Brady's career count to 566, allowing him to pass injured New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (565) for the most in NFL history.
Mike Evans and Chris Godwin caught scoring passes for Tampa Bay, which was outgained 413 yards to 251.
Gay was making his Los Angeles debut, and the winning field goal came against the team that employed him last season.
The Buccaneers had time to recover, but Brady made a poor downfield throw and Fuller easily intercepted the pass at the Los Angeles 31-yard line and returned it 6 yards with 1:49 left as the Rams went on to the win.
The contest featured an all-Black officiating crew for the first time in NFL history. Leading the way was Jerome Boger, who is in his 15th season as a referee and 17th overall as an NFL official.
Fuller returned his first interception 37 yards to help the Rams take a 24-17 lead in the third quarter. Los Angeles moved 37 yards on five plays after the takeaway, with Goff throwing a 4-yard touchdown pass to Cam Akers with 5:39 remaining.
Goff made a crucial mistake in the final stanza when he was intercepted by Tampa Bay's Jordan Whitehead with 7:17 left. The Buccaneers capitalized as Brady hit Godwin on a 13-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 24 with 3:53 to play.
The Rams scored on their initial possession of the game on Goff's 4-yard pass to Woods.
Tampa Bay responded with two touchdowns, the first coming in the opening minute of the second quarter when Evans caught a 9-yard pass from Brady. The second came on Leonard Fournette's 2-yard run with 8:35 left in the half.
Los Angeles knotted the score at 14 on Goff's 7-yard throw to Van Jefferson with 4:31 left in the second period. Gay's 38-yard field goal as time expired gave the Rams a 17-14 halftime lead.
The Buccaneers tied the score on Ryan Succop's 38-yard field goal with 12:41 left in the third quarter.
--Field Level Media