Rams Top Bucs in ‘Color Rush’

The Rams have now strung together a two-win streak following their five-game skid. With the Rams wearing their new color rush jerseys, and having the thought of fellow teammate Stedman Bailey in their prayers, they played lights out today. It showed when the team needed the secondary to play well and the unit didn’t perform.

Despite a dominating fourth quarter, in which Tampa Bay outscored St. Louis 17-3, the 21-3 deficit they faced at halftime was too much to overcome in front of the incredibly excited hometown audience.

Support for the team has rarely been so wholehearted in St. Louis. He picked apart the Tampa Bay defense, throwing for 234 yards and two touchdowns. Absolute insane numbers, as he looked controlled in the pocket, and never feared away from upcoming pressure. The game could be the final home contest for… Connor Barth made a 53-yard field goal for the Bucs’ first points, but Keenum struck right back with a 60-yard TD pass to Kenny Britt. Cook finished the day with 64 yards, as Kendricks had 27 yards to his name.

The Rams also have third-round pick Sean Mannion but have been in no hurry to get an early look at the rookie.

Tavon Austin scored twice, Todd Gurley topped 1,000 yards rushing, and Keenum threw two touchdown passes in the first quarter.

The move would restore a professional football team to one of the country’s biggest markets but there was little enthusiasm for the plan at Edward Jones Dome, where fans chanted “keep the Rams” and held up signs protesting the potential relocation.

“It feels good”, Gurley said of reaching 1,000 yards.

“Come Sunday, I think it’ll be all right”, he said. Perhaps in the history of the franchise.

The Bucs have not made the playoffs since 2007 and haven’t won a postseason game since their Super Bowl following the 2002 season.

Winston also threw an interception and lost a fumble to abort second-half drives.

“It was one of those days, ” Winston said.

“We didn’t see a whole lot to be excited about”, coach Lovie Smith said.

During an invigorating 31-23 defeat of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night, St. Louis Rams running back Todd Gurley became the first Ram to run for 1,000 yards in a season since legendary Ram (and one of Gurley’s heroes) Steven Jackson did it in 2012. The downfall for the Bucs were the two costly turnovers and 4th and 1 stop that gave the Rams momentum to close the game out. That is the kind of play that should earn Donald consideration as the league’s Defensive Player of the Year. The longest run among his first 11 carries Thursday against Tampa Bay went for a modest six yards. The Buccaneers, who haven’t qualified for the postseason since 2007, are two games off the pace in the NFC wild-card race and could officially be eliminated from contention this weekend. The Rams are quickly turning their season around, as they played their final home game Thursday night.

Rams owner Stan Kroenke is hoping to return the team to Los Angeles next season, where they played before moving to St. Louis in 1995.