The Los Angeles Rams gave up a field goal that cut their lead to just four points, then missed a field goal attempt off the right upright as the first half ended.
The score was 14-10, and the three-win Patriots were playing well. The Rams were starting to feel the pressure of possibly losing for a second week in a row.
But then Matthew Stafford threw a pass to Cooper Kupp on the second play of the second half, and Kupp raced 69 yards into the end zone, helping the Rams pull away and secure a 28-22 win over the Patriots on Sunday.
“Cooper, obviously, he’s been doing it for a long time. He’s so steady; he maximizes his moments,” Rams coach Sean McVay said after Kupp caught six passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns. “That’s what he’s been. That’s what makes him great.”
Stafford threw for four touchdowns, bringing his career total to 370, which moved him past Eli Manning into 10th place on the NFL’s all-time list. In addition to the 69-yard pass to Kupp, Stafford also threw a touchdown to Puka Nacua on the first play after Drake Maye’s fumble set the Rams up at the New England 12-yard line.
“To be able to have two capable guys… I think (Kupp’s) influence has rubbed off on Puka,” McVay said. “They were both great. They were instrumental in today’s win.”
Stafford finished with 295 passing yards, hitting Nacua seven times for 123 yards and a touchdown. Kyren Williams ran for 86 yards, and Michael Hoecht blocked an extra-point attempt to prevent the Patriots (3-8) from making it a one-score game after they pulled within 28-19 early in the fourth quarter.
A false start on a fourth-and-1 with five minutes left cost the Patriots another chance to close the gap, and they had to settle for a field goal. New England got the ball back at its own 10-yard line with 2:14 left and one timeout, but Kamren Kinchens intercepted Maye to seal the win for the Rams.
“We have enough talent in our locker room to be a very good football team, we’ve just got to be able to put it together,” Patriots coach Jerod Mayo said. “We’ll grow into being able to finish and close out these games.”
