Rams close out home season in style with win over Bucs

If this was indeed the final St. Louis Rams home game, the home team went out on a high note.

Tavon Austin used his blazing speed on two touchdowns and rookie Todd Gurley went over the 1,000-yard mark Thursday as the Rams handled the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-23 Thursday at the Edward Jones Dome.

The Rams (6-8) announced tickets distributed at 51,295, but the actual crowd appeared to be smaller. However, the ones that showed up were extremely loud and intensely into the nationally televised game.

The Rams’ 31 points were their most since their 34-31 overtime win over Seattle in the season opener. The 21 points in the first half were also a season high.

EMOTIONAL NIGHT

After Austin scored his second TD of the night on a scintillating 21-yard run late in the third quarter, fans began chanting “Keep Our Rams! Keep Our Rams.”

Rams defensive end William Hayes said the players definitely appreciated the love from the home fans.

“That was awesome,” Hayes said. “It was awesome just to hear how much they appreciate us even though our product that we put on the field the whole year wasn’t what we expected it to be. The fact that they stuck by us the whole year is a beautiful thing.”

Not long after that, the almost predictable negative chants toward Rams owner Stan Kroenke began and were just as loud. Kroenke is trying to move the team to Los Angeles, while San Diego and Oakland have a dueling stadium plan in nearby Carson, Calif.

The Rams’ final two games this season are on the road, meaning this could be their last game in St. Louis depending on how things progress on the relocation front.

There were splashes of color all over the Edward Jones Dome, from the bright Nike “color rush” uniforms worn by the teams to the gold Rams logo and gold end zones.

CONDIMENT BOWL

The Rams were decked out in extremely bright “yellow gold” jerseys with blue numbers while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ all-red ensemble looked as if the players had been dipped in ketchup. With the Rams’ colors roughly approximating that of a French’s Mustard bottle, some pundits were quick to dub this game the “Condiment Bowl.”

The Rams broke on top quickly, with Austin snaring a quick-out from Case Keenum and slicing through the Bucs’ defense for a 17-yard TD pass.

According to the NFL, Austin is the first player with four or more rushing TDs five or more rusing TDs and a punt return for a touchdown in one season since former Chicago Bears star Gale Sayers in 1965.

After Tampa Bay got a 53-yard field goal from Connor Barth, the Rams’ once struggling offense caught fire again.

Keenum double-pumped and Kenny Britt used a double move to elude Tampa Bay cornerback Jude Adjei-Barimah, hauling in a 60-yard TD pass with 3:15 remaining in the first quarter.

After scoring, Britt presented the TD catch ball to his daughter, Ava, in the stands.

An already enthusiastic Rams crowd dialed up the volume a bit more with defensive tackle Aaron Donald living in the Bucs’ backfield for much of the first half. He had two tackles for loss.

There was a brief skirmish in the first half when Bucs quarterback Jameis Winston took exception to a hard hit at the end of his run by Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins. The pair argued and Winston later got a light shove from Donald.

KEY PERFORMERS

Gurley reached the 1,000-yard mark in his rookie season on a 3-yard TD run with 2:09 remaining in the first half.

He became the first Rams rookie to run for 1,000 yards in a season since Jerome Bettis did it in 1993. The only other Rams rookie back to surpass the mark was Eric Dickerson, who ran for 1,808 yards in 1983.

Keenum was sharp, completing 14-of-17 passes for 234 yards and two TDs.

Austin broke loose for a 21-yard TD run with 5:35 remaining in the third quarter on an end-around play. After reaching the end zone, Austin held up his finger in a “1” and “2” salute to No. 12, Rams receiver and former University of West Virginia teammate Stedman Bailey.

Bailey has shown good progress recently while recovering from two gunshot wounds to his head during a drive-by shooting in Florida.

He spoke via computer with the entire team before the game Thursday and Austin dedicated the game to Bailey as well. Hayes had Bailey’s No. 12 on his helmet, risking an NFL fine by doing so.

Rams return man Benny Cunningham got the crowd fired up again early in the fourth quarter as he zigged and zagged his way for a 102-yard kickoff return. Cunningham did his best to power his way into the end zone, lowering his shoulder on the final defender before being hauled down at the 3-yard line.

The kick return momentum died quickly as the Rams were unable to reach the end zone from teh 3-yard line and settled for a 19-yard field goal by Greg Zuerlein.

Trumaine Johnson’s sixth interception, the third-highest in the NFL this season, shut down another Tampa Bay drive late in the game. However, the Bucs scored with 1:34 remaining on a 9-yard TD pass from Winston to Austin Seferian-Jenkins.

The fans got another treat at halftime as Hall of Fame semifinalist and former Rams star Kurt Warner tossed another TD pass to fellow Hall of Fame semifinalist Torry Holt.’

Former Rams left tackle Orlando Pace and former Rams receiver Isaac Bruce are also among the 25 Hall of Fame semifinalists this year. Marshall Faulk is already in the Hall of Fame.

This story was originally published December 17, 2015 at 10:42 PM with the headline "Rams close out home season in style with win over Bucs."