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The Los Angeles Rams climbed to the top of the NFC West on Monday night with a mighty impressive 27-24 road victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
It was a tremendous team performance, with plenty of great individual plays by the team’s veteran leaders. But some of the biggest plays in the game were made by rookies, who provided quite a spark while also setting some career firsts.
Jordan Fuller
Perhaps the biggest star of the game was the Rams sixth-round pick, who returned after missing three games with a shoulder injury.
Fuller won’t go down as the greatest No. 199 pick in NFL Draft history, but he got the better of the man who will. Twice.
Yes, Fuller has his first career interception in the third quarter against Tom Brady, a fellow 199er.
Rookie safety Jordan Fuller snags his first career INT! #RamsHouse
— NFL (@NFL) November 24, 2020
: #LARvsTB on ESPN
: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/TIcsVC5VZ1 pic.twitter.com/IbJ2iw9M8P
And then, with Tampa Bay marching the field late in the fourth quarter, and another Brady comeback feeling inevitable, Fuller all but sealed the game with his second interception.
Jordan Fuller's second INT of the night! @RamsNFL take over with 1:49 left.
— NFL (@NFL) November 24, 2020
: #LARvsTB on ESPN
: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/TIcsVC5VZ1 pic.twitter.com/ymAbEIrzSV
Having your first and second career interception coming in the same game, against Tom Brady? That’s not one Fuller — or his coaches — will soon forget.
And he was mic’d up! So we’ll be getting a lot of footage and mileage out of this game.
.@j_fuller4 checkin’ in after a TWO pick game!
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) November 24, 2020
Watch til the end for a surprise pic.twitter.com/tOhiuxuNFD
Cam Akers
Fuller wasn’t the only Rams rookie to have a career first. Second-round pick Cam Akers also had a memorable play, with his first career touchdown. Akers was mediocre on the ground, picking up just 15 yards on five carries. And he only had one reception for four yards.
But those four yards were enough for his first career touchdown.
@thereal_cam3 with his first NFL touchdown! pic.twitter.com/YDgSBGvtWJ
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) November 24, 2020
Van Jefferson
It was a good day for Rams second-round picks to have their first career touchdowns. Wide receiver Van Jefferson was only targeted once all game, but that one target went for a seven-yard touchdown to tie the game in the second quarter.
.@VanJefferson12 with his first NFL touchdown!!! pic.twitter.com/NMUukWhlWP
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) November 24, 2020
All around it was a highly successful game for Rams rookies, and they were a huge part of why LA came away with a huge win, and a spot atop the division.