Turnovers Plague Rams In Loss to Bills

LOS ANGELES, CA -- Two Los Angeles Rams turnovers led to touchdowns and Tyrod Taylor passed for two other scores for the Buffalo Bills in a 30-19 victory Sunday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

The Bills took the lead for good with three minutes, 54 seconds left in the third quarter when USC alumnus Nickell Robey-Coleman intercepted a pass by Case Keenum and returned it 41 yards for a touchdown.

The Rams (3-2) had three chances to retie the score.

They punted after three plays the first time they had the ball following the touchdown. They drove 94 yards to Buffalo's 4-yard line on their next possession, but coach Jeff Fisher opted for a field goal, with Greg Zuerlein kicking his fourth of the game, a 22-yarder, cutting the deficit to 23-19, with 5:55 to play.

"We had plenty of time and had three time outs left, so take the points, get a drive stop on defense, go down and a touchdown wins the game for you, " Fisher said.

On fourth down and five yards to go on their own 23-yard line on the next possession, the ball was snapped to receiver Bradley Marquez, who was lined up as a blocker for punter Johnny Hekker. Marquez was stopped two yards short of a first down.

Taylor threw a six-yard touchdown pass to Marquise Goodwin three plays later before a crowd announced at 83,679.

"I wouldn't called it if I didn't think it was going to work," Fisher said. "We practiced it all week, we had the look and it didn't work. They executed it in practice, but they didn't execute it there."

One factor in the play's failure according to Fisher was Bills cornerback Ronald Darby, who made the tackle, stopping covering a Rams special teams tackler "when he heard the crowd roar" and "came back and made the play."

Buffalo coach Rex Ryan said he thought stopping the fake punt was "the biggest play of the day."

"(Special teams coordinator) Danny Crossman, (special teams assistant) Eric Smith and (special teams quality control coach) Kathryn Smith did a great job preparing special teams for that exact play, so we were ready for it," Ryan said.

Smith is the NFL's first female full-time coach. She is not related to Eric Smith.

The Rams outgained the Bills 345 yards to 305, led in first downs, 23- 15, and time of possession -- 35:34-24:26.

Keenum completed 21 of 31 passes for 271 yards, with two interceptions. Taylor completed 12 of 23 for 124 yards.

LeSean McCoy ran for 150 yards on 18 carries for Buffalo (3-2), winners of three consecutive games.

The Rams played without two defensive linemen who started each of their first four games -- defensive tackle Michael Brockers and defensive end Robert Quinn, and a third who started the first three, defensive end William Hayes.

"What those guys do is pressure the quarterback and Rob's always making a chase play from behind and we just didn't get that today," Fisher said.

Brockers has a hip injury, Quinn a shoulder injury and Hayes an ankle injury.

"They're all willing but we're looking at the long haul right now and they wouldn't have been productive," Fisher said. "They wouldn't have been able to protect themselves."

Receiver Pharoh Cooper, who the Rams chose in the fourth round of the draft, made his NFL debut after missing the first four games because of a shoulder injury suffered in preseason. Cooper was the intended target of one pass -- which was intercepted by Robey-Coleman and returned for a touchdown -- and returned a kickoff 23 yards.

The Bills first capitalized on a turnover 13:59 before halftime when Mike Gillislee ran five yards for a touchdown, two plays after a fumble by Pro Bowl running back Todd Gurley was recovered by safety Corey Graham. McCoy ran for 53 yards on the play before Gillislee's touchdown.

Dan Carpenter's extra point kick was blocked by Cam Thomas, leaving Buffalo ahead 13-3.

Zuerlein kicked a 37-yard field goal on the game's first possession. The Bills responded with a 12-play, 76-yard drive, which was culminated by Taylor's four-yard touchdown pass to Justin Hunter.

The Rams tied the score, 13-13, on Gurley's one-yard touchdown run 1:56 before halftime. Carpenter kicked a 23-yard field goal as the first half ended, giving Buffalo a 16-13 lead.

Zuerlein kicked a 54-yard field goal on the Rams first second-half possession, tying the score, 16-16. It was his longest field goal since his franchise-record 61-yarder Nov. 18, 2015 at Minnesota when the team was based in St. Louis. Zuerlein also kicked a 32-yarder in the second quarter. He has made all nine of his field goal attempts this season.

The loss ended the Rams three-game winning streak, their longest since a seven-game streak in 2003.

The game was the Rams Breast Cancer Awareness game, part of a leaguewide effort intended to raise awareness for the importance of regular breast cancer screenings.

The Rams pledged $1,000 to the American Cancer Society per reception. The Rams made a season-high 21 receptions, meaning they will donate $21,000.

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and the Albertsons Companies Foundation will match that amount, with proceeds benefiting breast cancer charities. Cedars- Sinai Medical Center and the Albertsons-owned Albertsons, Vons and Pavilions store chains are team sponsors.

The Rams made two quarterback sacks, meaning each defensive lineman and defensive line coach Mike Waufle will make a $200 donation to help fight homelessness in Los Angeles.

The Rams defensive line began the "Sack Homelessness" initiative in the 2012 season. The program generated more than $200,000 in its first four seasons, a team official said.

-- By STEVEN HERBERT, City News Service. Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Rams