Andy Dalton threw three touchdown passes as the host New Orleans Saints defeated the Los Angeles Rams 27–20 on Sunday afternoon, Nov. 20.
Dalton completed 21 of 25 passes for 260 yards as the Saints (4–7) prevailed in a battle of injury-plagued teams.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, who missed the Rams’ loss to Arizona last week because of a concussion, left this game in the third quarter to be evaluated for a possible concussion and did not return.
Stafford, who completed 11 of 18 for 159 yards with two touchdowns, was replaced by Bryce Perkins, who completed 5 of 10 pass attempts for 64 yards and rushed five times for 39 yards.
Los Angeles (3–7) lost for the sixth time in seven games.
On the first possession of the third quarter, Dalton threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Jarvis Landry to give New Orleans a 17–14 lead.
On the Saints next possession, Dalton threw a 53-yard touchdown pass to rookie Chris Olave for a 24–14 lead at the end of the third quarter. Olave finished with game highs of five catches and 102 receiving yards.
Perkins’ first drive produced a 33-yard field goal by Matt Gay that trimmed the deficit to 24–17.
Wil Lutz’s 25-yard field goal increased New Orleans’ lead to 27–17 and Gay kicked a 58-yarder with six seconds left.
The Saints drove to the Rams 13 midway through the first quarter, and after consecutive sacks, Lutz kicked a 46-yard field goal for a 3–0 lead.
On the first play after the kickoff, Stafford threw a 62-yard touchdown pass to TuTu Atwell to give the Rams a 7–3 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Dalton threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Juwan Johnson to give New Orleans a 10–7 lead.
On the ensuing possession Los Angeles reached Saints territory but on fourth–and–1, Kyren Williams was stopped for a 1-yard loss at the 36.
The Rams got the ball back on a punt and drove 87 yards, and Stafford threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Allen Robinson II to take a 14–10 halftime lead.
