LONDON – Behind a career performance from WR Cooper Kupp, the Rams (5-3) defeated the Bengals 24-10 before an announced crowd of 83,720 at Wembley Stadium.
Kupp finished with seven receptions for a career-high 220 yards plus one touchdown, besting his previous mark of 162 yards against the Vikings last season. His total against the Bengals marked the second-highest in an NFL game this season, behind Cowboys WR Amari Cooper's 226 in Week 5.
The victory extended Los Angeles' win streak to two games heading into the bye week and earned LT Andrew Whitworth the distinction of becoming the 12th starter and second offensive lineman in NFL history to defeat all 32 teams.
QB Jared Goff completed 17 of 31 pass attempts for 372 yards and two touchdowns. Besides Kupp, Goff's other touchdown pass went to WR Josh Reynolds, who also registered three receptions for 73 yards filling in for the injured Brandin Cooks. RB Todd Gurley finished with 10 carries for 44 yards and scored his sixth rushing touchdown of the season.
Defensively, LB Ogbonnia Okoronkwo recorded his first career sack and DT Aaron Donald got his fifth of the season.
Cincinnati (0-8) was led by QB Andy Dalton, who finished 30 of 43 for 329 yards and one touchdown. RB Joe Mixon added 17 carries for 66 yards, both game highs. WR Austin Erickson chipped in six catches for 97 yards.
Cooks was knocked out of the game with a concussion on L.A.'s first offensive series after taking a helmet-to-helmet hit. He was replaced by Reynolds. The Rams adjusted, though, as the drive – which started from their own 10 and ended at the Cincinnati five – ended with a 23-yard field goal by kicker Greg Zuerlein for an early 3-0 lead.
Helped by a pair of big catches by TE Tyler Eifert and a fourth-down conversion, Cincinnati answered with a 28-yard field goal by kicker Randy Bullock for a 3-3 tie.
Kupp's receptions of 32 and 23 yards paved the way for a 31-yard touchdown pass from Goff to Reynolds and a 10-3 Rams lead with 10:43 left in the second quarter. Kupp had four catches for 101 yards 19 minutes into the game.
The Bengals responded with a five-and-a-half minute scoring drive anchored by the running game, with Dalton throwing a one-yard touchdown pass to Mixon for a 10-10 tie with 5:18 left second quarter. Cincinnati entered the contest averaging the fewest rushing yards per game in the league at 53.1 but produced 81 by that point.
A double-reverse flea flicker put the Rams back on top, as Goff found Kupp for the 65-yard touchdown pass. The reception gave Kupp a new career high of 165 yards receiving and the Rams a 17-10 lead which they would take into halftime.
Gurley gave L.A. its third touchdown of the day on a 3-yard run early in the third quarter which extended the Rams lead to 24-10. It was the only points scored by either team during that period.
Dalton threw what was originally ruled as his second touchdown pass, a 9-yard strike to WR Auden Tate, with four seconds left, but officials ruled the pass incomplete upon further review. Dalton targeted Tate again on 4th and goal from the Rams 9, but the pass sailed over Tate's head. And with that, the Rams notched their second straight London win and began getting ready for their bye week.
