Mike Thomas’ early fumble for the Rams sets tone in loss to Falcons

By Jack Wang for Los Angeles Daily News.

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Taylor Gabriel catches a touchdown pass as Los Angeles Rams middle linebacker Alec Ogletree looks on during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 11, 2016, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

LOS ANGELES >> Mike Thomas knows he screwed up.

On Sunday at the Coliseum, the Rams’ rookie receiver was set to return the opening kickoff. He stood well into his own end zone, ready to catch the ball as it came off Matt Bosher’s foot. Instead, it grazed his fingers — bouncing forward and setting up the first of six Atlanta touchdowns in a 42-14 blowout.

“There isn’t really too much I can explain,” Thomas said. “You saw what happened. I didn’t put the ball all the way in. It’s a mistake.”

Had Thomas simply let the ball bounce away untouched, the Rams (4-9) would have had a touchback and started the possession on their own 25-yard line. Instead, Paul Worrilow dove to recover the fumble on the 3-yard line. On the next play, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan threw an easy score to receiver Justin Hardy.

The loss can’t be pinned on that play alone. Only 10 seconds had elapsed on the game clock, giving even the Rams’ anemic offense plenty of time to climb back. But even Thomas admitted that his mistake set a “negative” tone for the game.

Still, he added that his teammates only backed him up.

“The good thing about this team, they all surrounded me as brothers and told me to keep playing,” Thomas said. “A lot of the ballgame left. So they all surrounded me, kept my head up, told me to keep pushing, keep fighting. They didn’t jump down my throat or none of that.”

Thomas had found himself in position to muff the kick return due to the absence of running back Benny Cunningham, who was sidelined all week by a neck injury and deactivated on Sunday. Cunningham, who backs up Todd Gurley, also ranked third in the league with 27.2 yards per kick return.

His injury also elevated second-year pro Malcolm Brown to the role of backup tailback. Brown had four carries for 14 yards, but lost a fumble in the third quarter near midfield — one of five turnovers for the Rams, their highest single-game total since 2009. Eight plays later, the Falcons took a 35-0 lead.

“You know, I think Benny might be second or third in the league in kickoff returns,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “He makes really good decisions. He’s got great ball skills. Malcolm is usually pretty solid about not putting the ball on the ground. I can’t remember him putting the ball on the ground, and so credit them they ripped it out.

“You still can’t allow that to happen.”

A STEP BACK?

Rams quarterback Jared Goff had a tough time in his fourth NFL start, as he completed 24 of 41 attempts for zero touchdowns and two interceptions and was sacked three times (all by linebacker Vic Beasley).

Goff totaled nine completions and 89 yards in the fourth quarter, after the Rams trailed 42-0.

“Jared is gaining valuable experience for his career,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “He’s going to be our quarterback for a long, long time. He showed some things today that were impressive. He’s not happy. He does not like losing, but from a coaching perspective, you can see improvement each week.”

One of the interceptions clearly was not Goff’s fault. It came on the Rams’ first series, when after he deftly led the team into the Atlanta red zone. Goff’s accurate pass hit the hands of receiver Kenny Britt, then the ball bounced up and was intercepted by Atlanta safety Ricardo Allen.

Goff had rough moments, though. In the second quarter, he clearly didn’t see Atlanta linebacker Deion Jones, who stepped in front of a Goff pass and returned it 26 yards for a touchdown. In the third quarter, Beasley recorded a strip-sack and returned the ball for a touchdown.

“I think I’m always improving, always trying to progress,” Goff said. “I don’t think I took a step back. But obviously, we got our (butts) kicked.”

HAPPY RETURN

Rams receiver Tavon Austin, who missed last week’s game with a chest injury, caught seven passes for 62 yards. Austin was targeted a season-high 11 times.

“I felt good,” Austin said. “When you sit out, it really lets you appreciate how much you love this sport. When you’re on the sideline watching your brothers go to war and you can’t do nothing, you come back the next week and it makes you want to go that much harder for them.”

INJURY REPORT

Two Rams defensive starters missed the game with injuries: defensive end Robert Quinn (concussion) and cornerback E.J. Gaines (thigh). Tight end Cory Harkey, a part-time starter, and backup running back Benny Cunningham also missed the game.

The only significant injury during the game appeared to be safety Maurice Alexander, who entered concussion protocol after a big hit in the third quarter. Alexander stayed down for several minutes and had to leave the field on the back of a motorized cart.

NO TIME

The Rams don’t have much time to mope, as they face a short week and a Thursday night game at Seattle. The Rams won’t have a day off, as they will practice Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday before their flight north.

“You have no choice,” safety T.J. McDonald said. “(The Seahawks) don’t care about what we have going on. We don’t care about what they have going on. We know that it’s a Thursday night game. We’ll have a lot of eyes on us.”

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