Gurley’s big rookie year reaches 1000 yards

Besides the emotional backdrop of the potential final home game in St. Louis, the team was inspired by a FaceTime chat with Bailey on game day. His status for a December 27 home game with Chicago isn’t known yet.

It would be easy for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to lose perspective after dropping two games in five days while all but falling out of the playoff race.

St. Louis Rams quarterback Case Keenum celebrates following an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday, Dec. 17, 2015, in St. Louis.

(AP Photo/Billy Hurst). Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston, front right, is stopped by St. Louis Rams middle linebacker James Laurinaitis and cornerback Trumaine Johnson, left, after scrambling for a 5-yard gain during the second quarter o…

“It was pretty awesome”, St. Louis defensive end William Hayes said.

(AP Photo/L.G. Patterson). St. Louis Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald, top celebrates with teammate Michael Brockers (90) after stopping Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Charles Sims for a 2-yard loss during the second quarter of an NFL football gam… “I don’t know. I have to watch to see what happened”. They simply didn’t turn the ball over, which maybe was more about Case Keenum (234 yards, two touchdown passes) starting instead of Nick Foles, while Tavon Austin, who also had a receiving touchdown, added another one on the ground to keep on demonstrating his incredible versatility as an offensive playmaker. “We just kept pushing the ball down the field”.

Still, we’re sure he’ll know better next time.

Fans chanted “Keep Our Rams!” The last match saw a huge crowd with 51,295 tickets distributed for the 66,000 dome capacity.

The Tampa Bay defense tried to take away the run and was successful for the most part by limiting St. Louis to 98 yards and a 3-yard average a week after they piled up 203 yards against Detroit.

“The first half, I didn’t play good enough for us to win”, Winston said. “I just want to show the world how good this team really is so this is our chance”. If not for one hellacious effort by Winston attempting to recreate the comeback magic he became known for in his sophomore year at Florida State, this would have been the ugliest loss of the season since week one when Marcus Mariota and the Tennessee Titans sliced and diced them all over Raymond James Stadium.

Fisher said Keenum was “much more comfortable” and a lot more decisive against Tampa Bay.

“We didn’t see a whole lot to be excited about”, coach Lovie Smith said. “Being close just doesn’t do it on a night like tonight”. Mike Evans was in one of his best performances with nine catches for 157 yards despite his team losing.

-TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins’ delay of game penalty after being tackled at the 1-yard line in the fourth quarter might have cost the Bucs a touchdown. Cunningham’s 43-yard kickoff return set them up with a short field, and Keenum cashed it in with a 17-yard scoring strike to Austin 3:06 into the game.

Rams running back Todd Gurley reached the 1,000-yard mark in Thursday night’s win over the Buccaneers, another landmark in what has been an outstanding rookie year.

With the Bucs loading up the run box to slow him down, Gurley mustered just 48 yards on 21 carries.

Former Rams greats Isaac Bruce, Kevin Greene, Torry Holt, Orlando Pace and Kurt Warner – all semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2016 – were honored at halftime.

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.