Los Angeles Rams at New Orleans Saints 2nd half live updates gamethread

3rd Quarter

• Rams will receive the ball to start. Are points a must? Possibly.
• Hell of a drive. Big 3rd down pickup to TE Gerald Everett and then GREAT mobility from QB Jared Goff to step up and hit RB Malcolm Brown who amazingly gets into the end zone without stepping out of bounds.
• Rams 24, Saints 35
• GET A DAMN STOP.
• GOT A DAMN STOP.
• Drive gets deep into Saints territory but stalls out. Not having Gurley on 2nd, 3rd downs as he was taking a breather was big.
• GZ good from 34.
• Rams 27, Saints 35
• And the Rams get another stop! We got a game!
• TOUCHDOWN COOPER KUPP!!!
• And Young Gerald punches it in on the quick screen! Tie ballgame!!!
• Rams 35, Saints 35
• Rams kill the drive, but Saints K Will Lutz nails a 54-yarder. GAME ON!
• Rams 35, Saints 38

What a hell of a first half.

The Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints were locked in a back-and-forth shootout until the Rams faked a field goal as P Johnny Hekker seemingly picked up the first. But the spot was short and a replay surprisingly didn’t overturn the call and the Saints took off as the Rams stalled out.

A late field goal from K Greg Zuerlein made it Rams 17, Saints 35, but the real takeaway here is the pressure.

The Rams haven’t been under this level of pressure, physically and mentally, this season.

You can tell. DL Aaron Donald picking up an unsportsmanlike conduct flag. LG Rodger Saffold lashing out and nearly negating that half-ending field goal.

They’re being pushed to the edge. And that could be a good thing. To make them uncomfortable and put them under a level of adversity they haven’t faced this year.

So yes, the defense has struggled...mightily. And yes, the interception from QB Jared Goff came at about the worst time possible.

But this is NFL football between two good teams. It’s going to be a battle.

And I’m more interested in the response from this point than how they got here.