Michael Thomas set a franchise record with 211 yards receiving and Drew Brees threw for four touchdowns as the New Orleans Saints squandered a 21 point lead, but rallied to win their seventh straight game, handing the Los Angeles Rams their first loss of the season, 45-35 in front of a raucous crowd at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

Brees completed 25 of 36 passes for 346 yards and four touchdowns, while Alvin Kamara had 116 combined yards and three touchdowns.

Jared Goff was 28-40 for 391 yards and three scores, but suffered a costly interception.  Todd Gurley was held to 68 yards on 13 carries and one score.  Former Saint Brandin Cooks led the Rams in receiving with six catches for 114 yards and a touchdown.

The Saints got on the scoreboard first, on the first possession of the game, when Alvin Karama scored on an 11-yard touchdown run, capping off a 10-play, 75-yard drive, to give them a quick 7-0 lead at the 9:25 mark of the first quarter.

The Rams answered right back on their first possession, when Todd Gurley scored on an 8-yard touchdown run at the 6:04 mark of the opening quarter, completing a 6-play, 71-yard drive, to tie the game, 7-7.

New Orleans regained the lead on their next possession, when Drew Brees connected with Kamara on a 16-yard touchdown pass, ending an 8-play, 75-yard yard drive, to give them a 14-7 advantage at the 1:40 mark of the initial period.

Los Angeles made it four-consecutive touchdowns by the two teams, combined, when Jared Goff hit Brandin Cooks with a short 4-yard scoring toss, culminating a 6-lay, 75-yard drive, to even the contest once again, 14-14, with 14:12 left in the second quarter.

The Saints grabbed the lead back at the 7:35 mark of the second quarter, when Brees threw his second touchdown pass of the game, this one to Tre'Quan Smith from 4 yards out, putting the exclamation point on a 10-play, 87-yard drive, to give them a 21-14 edge.

After Greg Zuerlein missed a field goal attempt from 51 yards, the Saints drove 59 yards with Brees hitting Benjamin Watson from 13 yards out to give the Saints a 28-14 lead.

Alex Anzalone then gave the Saints a big break when he picked off Goff and put the Saints in business at the Rams' 34 yard line.  Kamara scored from a yard out and the Saints had what looked like a safe lead at 35-14.

But Zuerlein hit a 56 yard field goal at the end of the half and the Rams used the momentum coming out of the locker room.  Goff hit Malcolm Brown on an 18 yard touchdown pass on the Rams' first possession of the third quarter.  After a Saints punt, Zuerlein hit from 34 yards out to make the score 35-27.  And, after another punt, Goff found Cooper Kupp with a 41 yard touchdown pass and the two point conversion tied the game at 35 with 9:57 remaining.

The Saints moved into Rams territory and Wil Lutz pounded home a 54 yard field goal, his 14th consecutive, to put the Saints in front 38-35 with just over six minutes left.

The Saints then forced a punt and Brees found Thomas three plays later with a 72 yard touchdown pass to make the score 45-35 and the Saints got another stop to get the victory.

 

 

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