Rams Victorious In Record-Setting NFL Game

LOS ANGELES, CA — Jared Goff's fourth touchdown pass, a 40-yarder to tight end Gerald Everett with one minute, 49 seconds to play, gave the Los Angeles Rams a 54-51 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs Monday evening in the third highest-scoring game in NFL history.

Kansas City had two chances to regain the lead, but both were ended by interceptions, the first by former Chief Marcus Peters and the second by Lamarcus Joyner.

The matchup of the teams with the NFL's best records and second- and third-highest-scoring offenses was the first NFL game where both teams scored more than 50 points. The only higher scoring games were the Washington Redskins 72-41 victory over the New York Giants on Nov. 27, 1966, and the Cincinnati Bengals 58-48 victory over the Cleveland Browns on Nov. 28, 2004.

There were five lead changes, four in the fourth quarter, and two ties in the first "Monday Night Football" game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum since Oct. 28, 1985, when the Los Angeles Raiders defeated the San Diego Chargers, 34-21. at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

"There were times where we felt like we had all the momentum, we thought we were going to put the knife in and finish it and then there were times where it was the other way around where we were like, `All right, we need to kind of claw back into this,"' Goff said.

The Chiefs (9-2) took what proved to be their last lead with 2:47 remaining on Patrick Mahomes' sixth touchdown pass, a 10-yarder to Chris Conley before a crowd announced at 77,002.

The Rams (10-1) faced a third-and-nine on the ensuing possession when Goff threw a short pass Brandin Cooks turned into a 22-yard gain, giving the Rams a first down on their own 48-yard line. Goff threw the winning touchdown pass three plays later.

Rams outside linebacker Samson Ebukam scored two touchdowns. Aaron Donald sacked Mahomes and forced a fumble, which Ebukam returned 11 yards for a score 1:50 before halftime. The fumble recovery and touchdown were both the first of his 27-game NFL career.

Ebukam needed less than a quarter for his second touchdown, which came on an interception he returned 25 yards for a score with 2:14 left in the third quarter, giving the Rams a 40-30 lead.

Kansas City also got a defensive touchdown. Goff was sacked by linebacker Justin Houston, who forced a fumble, which was recovered by defensive lineman Allen Bailey, who ran two yards for a touchdown that put the Chiefs ahead 44-40 with 11:07 to play.

Bailey's touchdown came 57 seconds after Mahomes' 73-yard touchdown pass to Tyreek Hill.

The Rams regained the lead on Goff's 7-yard touchdown pass to Everett with 9:38 to play.

Goff completed 31 of 49 passes for 413 yards and ran 7 yards for the first score of the second half that gave the Rams a 30-23 lead. Goff lost two fumbles leading to 14 Kansas City points.

Mahomes completed 33 of 46 passes for 478 yards. He had three passes intercepted and lost two fumbles. The Rams scored 21 points off Chiefs turnovers.

"The turnovers just changed the game," Mahomes said.

Kansas City outgained the Rams, 546 yards to 455. The Rams led in first downs, 29-27, and time of possession, 30:23-29:37.

The Rams 54 points matched the third highest total in franchise history. The team record is 56, set on Oct. 8, 1950 against the Philadelphia Eagles and matched on Nov. 25, 1956 against the Baltimore Colts. The Rams also scored 54 points against the Chiefs on Oct. 22, 2000.

The score was tied 23-23 at halftime with Mahomes throwing an 8-yard pass to Conley 13 seconds before halftime. Harrison Butker missed the extra point attempt.

Goff threw 7- and 4-yard touchdown passes to Robert Woods and Josh Reynolds on the Rams first two possessions which gave them a 13-0 lead. Greg Zuerlein missed the extra point kick after the first touchdown.

Mahomes threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Hill with 3:25 left in the first quarter for Kansas City's first points.

Zuerlein kicked a 23-yard field goal six seconds into the second quarter and a 33-yarder with 2:24 remaining in the third.

Butker kicked a 21-yard field goal in the second quarter. Mahomes threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Kareem Hunt on the Chiefs next possession, giving them their first lead, 17-16.

Firefighters and law enforcement officers who responded to the mass shooting at the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks and the Woolsey Fire in Ventura and Los Angeles counties were honored at the game.

Karen and Jordan Helus, the wife and son of Ventura County sheriff's Sgt. Ron Helus, who was killed in the Borderline shooting, lit the Coliseum torch before the opening kickoff.

A memorial banner with the names of the 12 Borderline shooting victims was positioned in the peristyle between Gates 1 and 33.

Players and coaches from both teams wore caps honoring a variety of Los Angeles-area fire and law enforcement agencies -- the California Highway Patrol, Los Angeles Fire Department, Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles County Fire Department, Ventura County Fire Department and Ventura County Sheriff's Office.

The agency's logo is on the front of the cap and the team's logo is on the side. The hats were auctioned off on NFL Auction following the game, with all proceeds going to the Conejo Valley Victims Fund and American Red Cross Southern California Wildfire Relief, the Rams announced.

Game-worn jerseys were auctioned off on NFL Auction, with proceeds going to the relief efforts.

Members of the California Lutheran University Choir sang the national anthem, joined on field by 200 first responders from the greater Los Angeles region. The Ventura County Sheriff's Office Honor Guard presented the colors.

Justin Meek, a Cal Lutheran alumnus who was a member of the choir, was among the victims of the Nov. 7 Borderline shooting. The Rams have trained at the university since their return to Southern California in 2016.

The Rams and Chiefs captains were joined at midfield for the coin toss by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and the mayors of the other cities most affected by the Woolsey Fire and Borderline shooting -- Andrew Fox (Thousand Oaks), Fred Gaines (Calabasas), William D. Koehler, Rick Mullen (Malibu) and Mark Rutherford (Westlake Village).

The Rams Fan Fest included an 8- by 20-foot "LA Together Wall" for fans to sign and leave messages of hope and support for those affected by recent tragedies, a team official said. The wall featured a message reading: "Los Angeles, Our Hearts Are With You." The Rams will donate the wall to the city of Thousand Oaks.

Proceeds from the in-game 50/50 raffle benefited the Conejo Valley Victims Fund, American Red Cross Southern California Wildfire Relief and United Way of Greater Los Angeles.

The game had been scheduled for Mexico City, but was shifted to the Coliseum after NFL officials ruled last Tuesday that the field at Estadio Azteca did "not meet NFL standards for playability and consistency."

The game had always been considered a Rams home game. In each of their first three seasons during their second stint in Southern California, the Rams have been designated as the home team in a game scheduled for outside the U.S., costing them a game in the Coliseum.

City News Service; Photo: LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 19: Brandin Cooks #12 of the Los Angeles Rams runs for a first down during the third quarter of the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on November 19, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)