NFL Locals: Tom Brady steals win from Rams, Cooper Kupp with late touchdown
From staff reports
It doesn’t matter how old he is, how many points he’s scored or his marital status.
There’s one thing you can’t do in the NFL: leave time on the clock for Tom Brady.
Brady engineered a six-play, 60-yard drive in 35 seconds to lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 16-13 over Cooper Kupp (EWU) and the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday in a rematch of an NFC Divisional playoff game.
The home team toiled without a touchdown for 59 minutes before Brady broke through with a 1-yard pass to Cade Otten.
He opened the drive with a 28-yard pass to Otton over the middle. The 45-year-old’s next went to Leonard Fournette for 4 yards, then twice to Scott Miller for gains of 14 and seven.
The Rams’ fate was sealed when Mike Evans was interfered with at the goal line. Brady won it on the next play with nine seconds to spare.
Weeks of anger on the sidelines, taken out on spiked tablets and chewed-out teammates turned to joy at the post game news conference.
“That was awesome,” Brady said. “We needed it and we got it. We fought until the end.”
The game seemed pivotal for both sides – two preseason favorites in the midst of skids – and ended in back-breaking defeat for the defending champion Rams, who have lost 4 of 5.
Kupp did his part, catching eight passes for 127 yards and a touchdown – a 69-yard score early in the second quarter.
But as it was in each of the Rams’ past three losses, a Kupp touchdown wasn’t enough.
Kupp is second in the NFL in receptions (72), fourth in receiving yards (813) and tied for second in receiving touchdowns (6).
Adding Kupp’s one rushing touchdown, he’s accounted for half of the Rams’ total of 14, which is the fifth-fewest in the league.
The Rams dropped to three-games back of the Seattle Seahawks for the NFC West lead. They host the Arizona Cardinals next week at 1:25 p.m.
• New England Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne (EWU) had three catches for 11 yards and one carry for a yard in a 26-3 rout of the visiting Indianapolis Colts.
Bill Belichick and the Patriots defense stifled second-year quarterback Sam Ehlinger and the Colts, who totaled 121 total yards and were 0 of 14 on third down.
That was the least amount of yards gained by a team this season, but a far cry from the NFL record of minus-seven achieved by the Seahawks against the Rams on Nov. 4, 1979.
• Carolina Panthers linebacker Frankie Luvu (WSU) had three tackles in a 42-21 loss to the host Cincinnati Bengals.
Running back Joe Mixon tormented the Panthers, racking up 211 total yards and five touchdowns – four coming in the first half.
• Arizona Cardinals safety Jalen Thompson (WSU) had six tackles and a pass defended in a 31-21 loss to the visiting Seahawks.