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In one of the final "Thursday Night Football" affairs of the 2020 season, Sean McVay showed why he is regarded as one of the best young coaches in the NFL. McVay and the Los Angeles Rams enacted vengeance for their recent Super Bowl defeat at the hands of the New England Patriots, toppling Bill Belichick's squad in a 24-3 defensive showcase.
5. Patriots gamble costs them
With eight minutes remaining in the first half and the Patriots offense showing little life, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels elected to go for it. Instead of taking the points two yards from the Rams goal line, McDaniels ran a play for his quarterback, Cam Newton, that was blown up for a loss of two.
The Patriots added three points later on a field goal, but the Rams defensive front stymied New England all night, and back against their own goal line was no different.
4. Cam Akers flourishes as feature back
Though Akers was questionable coming into Thursdays game, fantasy owners who decided to roll the dice and start him in their playoff matchup were rewarded. Akers, who had 357 rushing yards coming into Thursday, finished the primetime game with 29 rushes for 171 yards.
Akers has split time with Darrell Henderson for most of the season, but after Henderson left last weeks game with a leg injury, Akers and Malcom Brown sat atop the depth chart.
3. Kenny Young grabs pick-six
On the first play of the second quarter, Cam Newton dropped back and tried to wait for his screen play to develop. Tossing the ball over the oncoming Rams lineman (and over his intended target) Newton's pass fell into the arms of Kenny Young who was already sprinting to the other end of the field.
The 79-yard pick-six put the Rams up 17-0 and was the first interception score of Young's NFL career.
2. Cam Newton's continued mediocrity
After the first two weeks of the 2020 NFL season, Cam Newton was being lauded as a candidate for comeback player of the year. GMs who elected not to sign Newton were being harrassed online and the Patriots were going back to the playoffs.
In the weeks since, Newton has suffered a positive COVID-19 test and has not returned the same player. On Thursday night Newton completed just 9 passes for 119 passing yards and handed the Rams six points on a returned interception.
1. Rams' defense wins them another game
The Rams were the only team in football to have a top three passing and rushing defense coming into week 14 (by yards allowed), and on Thursday Night Football they showed why.
Los Angeles allowed just 253 total yards, had 6 sacks, a pick-six, and continually forced the Patriots to punt. Even with an average performance from Jarred Goff, the Rams had control all night long because of their defense.
