Rams, Cooper Kupp give London something to remember them by in win over Bengals

LONDON — It was the kind of fun, creative, spectacular play that fans of American football fans over here in Britain don’t get to see with their own eyes often enough.

For that matter, it’s the kind of play the Rams themselves don’t get to see often enough.

A shotgun snap to Jared Goff. A handoff to Cooper Kupp sprinting in from left end. An exchange with Robert Woods crossing over from the right. A flip back to Goff, a pass to Kupp up the right sideline. Kupp leaving a fallen defensive back in his wake, running over another at the goal line and completing a 65-yard touchdown play.

Not-so-simple as that, the Rams had the lead late in the first half and were on their way to a 24-10 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday at Wembley Stadium.

And the 83,720 fans had something to remember the Rams by as the team made the last of their three scheduled appearances since 2015 in the NFL’s International Series.

Kupp finished with a career-high 220 yards on seven receptions. Goff finished 372 yards and two touchdowns on 17 of 31 passing, and enjoyed talking about the double-reverse afterward.

It’s a play the Rams have practiced and even called in games but wound up canceling until Sunday, when a first-down play at their 35 yard line with 4:11 left in the first half presented the right place and time and defensive look to try it.

“I joke (with the coaches) that we don’t run any trick plays,” Goff said. “Maybe we can talk Sean into running more of them.”

Rams coach Sean McVay said this was one time when a nervous coach enjoys a play just as much as the fans do.

“When it works like that, I probably enjoy it more than the fans,” he said.

🚨RAMS DOUBLE REVERSE ALERT🚨 @CooperKupp pic.twitter.com/QA3nYA8pyk

— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) October 27, 2019

There was more for McVay to enjoy: A big game by wide receiver Josh Reynolds (3 catches, 73 yards, a 31-yard touchdown), stepping in after Brandin Cooks went out early with a concussion. More bright moments for rookie running back Darrell Henderson (49 yards on 11 carries and 20 yards on two receptions), filling in behind Todd Gurley with top backup Malcolm Brown sidelined again. Five sacks (for the second straight week) by the defense against the Bengals’ Andy Dalton.

But there were some worries: Gurley wasn’t able to take advantage of the Bengals’ NFL-worst run defense as hoped, although his 44 yards on 10 carries included a strong 20-yard run and a three-yard touchdown jog around left end that capped the scoring early in the third quarter. The defensive secondary gave up some big gains, suggesting that Jalen Ramsey’s arrival 12 days earlier isn’t a cure-all. There were no turnovers by either team, but the Rams made mistakes, committing nine penalties to the Bengals’ six.

The win wasn’t absolutely certain until a replay overturned a Dalton touchdown pass to Auden Tate with 8 seconds to play, showing the ball had touched the ground on Tate’s diving catch.

The result, though, means the Rams have turned a three-game losing streak into a two-game winning streak and go into their bye week with a 5-3 record in the first half of the season.

As well as perhaps the single-play highlight of the first half.

Here, they might call the Rams’ flea-flicker a bit cheeky.

On the L.A. sideline, it would have brought back happy memories of Kupp’s 66-yard gallop against the New Orleans Saints six weeks ago, back when the Rams were carefree in the middle of a three-game winning streak to open the season.

Two things seemed likely going into the game on a dry night with temperatures in the 40s at England’s soccer capitol: The Rams, having regained their footing in a 37-10 victory over the Falcons in Atlanta a week earlier, should toy with the Bengals (now 0-8). Gurley, going against a weak Bengals run defense, would have his best night of the season.

Not so fast.

It was 10-10 late in the first half after Dalton lobbed a pass to running back Joe Mixon, alone on the right, for a 1-yard touchdown. That ended a 75-yard Cincinnati drive powered by a 25-yard Dalton pass and a roughing-the-passer penalty against Rams defensive end Michael Brockers.

Giving up long gains through the air had been the Rams’ problem one defensive series earlier when the Bengals tied the game at 3-3 on a 28-yard field goal by Randy Bullock. Dalton completed passes for 27, 22 and 14 on that drive, which Brockers helped to stall by combining with Dante Fowler for a nine-yard sack.

The Rams had scored the first two times they got the ball.

After exchanging field goals, they went up 10-3 when Reynolds, getting his most extensive action of the season, got his first touchdown of 2019.

Reynolds caught a Goff pass close to the goal line and jogged into the end zone untouched for a 31-yard touchdown.

All that, and it’s the one play that the biggest crowd to see the Rams this season will remember.

Kupp caught the pass at the 50 and wasn’t touched until he was inside the 5, where he crashed over Cincinnati cornerback William Jackson to squeeze into the near right corner of the end zone to put the Rams up 17-10 late in the first half.

Goff said the play was designed for a deeper pass. Kupp gave Goff credit for holding the ball so he could come back to it. That might have been what caused Bengals cornerback B.W. Webb to slip and fall as Goff’s pass was arriving, freeing Kupp.

“Luckily,” Kupp said. “I thought I was going to get whacked on (the catch).”

A lot of skill, a little creativity and a dash of luck, and Kupp and the Rams were on their way.

FINAL: The @RamsNFL are bringing home a W from London! #CINvsLAR pic.twitter.com/nyDUKoeJUi

— NFL (@NFL) October 27, 2019