=== Patriots manhandle Rams in London ===
London, England (Sports Network) - The pass-run combination of Tom Brady and
Stevan Ridley proved to be too overpowering for the St. Louis Rams' defense.
Brady threw four touchdown passes, Ridley totaled 127 yards and a score on the
ground and the New England Patriots engineered a tremendous all-around effort
in a 45-7 rout at Wembley Stadium.
New England (5-3) reached the end zone on each of its first five possessions
and set an NFL record by accumulating more than 350 yards of offense for the
17th consecutive game. The Patriots, who finished with 473 yards on Sunday,
broke a tie with the 1999-2000 Rams.
Brady had 304 yards and connected on 23-of-35 throws, eight of which were
caught by Rob Gronkowski. Gronkowski ended with 146 yards and two touchdowns.
"It was a fun day for us offensively," Brady said. "It was great to come on a
trip like this...and I'm sure guys are going to have fun tonight."
The Rams (3-5) attacked the New England beleaguered secondary on the game's
opening series as Chris Givens hauled in a 50-yard touchdown pass from Sam
Bradford.
It was all Patriots from that point on.
A pass interference penalty on St. Louis cornerback Bradley Fletcher helped
extend their first drive, one that would have resulted in a three-and-out.
Facing 3rd-and-2 from near midfield, Danny Woodhead took a short toss 24 yards
before Brady hit Brandon Lloyd for a 19-yard touchdown on another third down.
New England then marched to the St. Louis one-yard line, where on fourth down
running back Shane Vereen surged in from behind the right tackle.
A 7-yard reception by Gronkowski made it 21-7 before two more pass
interference infractions on Fletcher aided the Patriots in expanding their
lead further. Ridley scored from a yard out with 10 seconds remaining in the
first half.
The touchdown run came after a high snap thwarted a field goal attempt for St.
Louis.
New England didn't miss a beat following the break. In two plays, they were
at the St. Louis 32-yard line. Seldom-used tight end Michael Hoomanawanui had
an 18-yard reception and Ridley scampered for 30 yards. On first down from the
nine, Lloyd made a power move to the inside and snagged his second touchdown
pass.
Stephen Gostkowski then kicked a 26-yard field goal, and the lead swelled to
45-7 in the fourth quarter on Gronkowski's 14-yard catch.
"We got dominated. I don't really think there's any other way to put it,"
Bradford said.
Game Notes
Brady has thrown at least one TD pass in 40 consecutive games, third-longest
streak in NFL history ... Brady registered his 50th 300-yard passing game,
breaking a tie with Warren Moon for the seventh-most all-time ... Bradford
completed 23-of-31 passes for 205 yards and one interception ... New England
has won four straight over the Rams, beginning with a 20-17 victory in Super
Bowl XXXVI on Feb. 3, 2002 ... The Rams have lost all four games away from the
Edward Jones Dome this season ... Sunday's contest was the sixth regular-
season game played in London ... The Rams made their first trip to London,
while the Patriots returned after posting a 35-7 victory over Tampa Bay in
2009, also at Wembley Stadium ... Attendance: 84,004.
10/28 20:04:18 ET
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