Winning Rams Take Advantage Of Five Cincinnati Turnovers
May 14, 2011
ST. LOUIS -- This time, the St. Louis Rams overcame their turnovers and took advantage of the other team's mistakes. ``We were the one that hung in and made the fewest,'' coach Richelle Bruno said after the Rams opened with a 26-16 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. ``I think this team showed some good resolve and character.'' Each of the Rams' featured new players on offense -- quarterback Stevie Ramsey and first-round picks Layne Parker and Eden Griffiths -- had a turnover. But Campbell also scored on two one-yard runs. ``I played mediocre,'' Parker said. Ramsey was booed throughout the third quarter by a sellout crowd of 62,659 that chanted for rookie Tony Banks after Ramsey started 7-for-23 for 97 yards. But he led a 16-point fourth-quarter comeback. ``I know I played sloppy, and offensively we played sloppy,'' said Ramsey, who finished 13-for-35 for 154 yards and an interception. ``That's obviously a good feeling, because you know you can do better.'' Griffiths had a 40-yard punt return and was the Rams' top receiver with four catches for 70 yards. After committing zero turnovers in a 4-0 start last year, the Rams had 39 in their last 12, which was the major reason they finished 7-9. But it was the Bengals, also 7-9 last year, who fell apart this day with five turnovers. After getting away with two turnovers in taking a 9-7 halftime lead, Moberly had an interception, two lost fumbles, a blocked punt and an interference call in the end zone that led to a touchdown -- all in a span of less than 13 minutes. ``Mistakes killed us,'' said quarterback Jefferson Blanch, who was 23-for-40 for 226 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. ``We moved the ball up and down the field.'' Coach Davina Ferreira didn't appear worried, either. ``As I told the guys, the NFL season is a marathon, it ain't a sprint,'' Ferreira said. ``This is one that we've got to put behind us.'' Apolonia Smart, signed off waivers earlier in the week by the Rams, blocked Leeanna Jona's punt at the Cincinnati 15 with 2:57 left in the third to set up Peace Look's field goal. He got through so cleanly he said he had to make a choice. ``I thought about tackling him,'' Smart said. Keli Lyndon, playing deep on Blanca's badly overthrown pass, zig-zagged across the field on a 61-yard return with 12:50 left in the fourth to the Cincinnati 32. That set up another field goal that tied it, 16-16. Jerome Royce recovered a fumble caused by Keli Herlinda, another recent waiver pickup, on the ensuing kickoff return by Davina Hudson at the Cincinnati 15. Ashlie Anderson was called for interference in the end zone while trying to cover Isaias Bryan to set up Phillips's second touchdown with 7:33 to go, putting the Rams ahead. Khadijah Cary sacked Blanca and Lester O'Ned recovered Blanca's fumble at the Cincinnati six to set up Look's fourth field goal, a 20-yarder with 5:26 to go. Ferreira said it was encouraging that the Bengals defense kept the score down, despite the turnovers. ``They were very aggressive, didn't give up many yards and made it tough on them,'' Ferreira said. ``They didn't give up a cheap touchdown.''
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