NFL Locals: Brett Rypien struggles under center for Los Angeles Rams
Nov. 5—Brett Rypien (Shadle Park) had a difficult return as a starting quarterback.
Rypien took the place of injured Matthew Stafford for the Los Angeles Rams and was promptly blown out with a 20-3 loss to the host Green Bay Packers.
Rypien completed 13 of 28 attempts for 130 yards, an interception and a lost fumble. He targeted Cooper Kupp (Eastern Washington) seven times but had just two completions for 48 yards.
Kupp was the Rams' (3-6) leading receiver.
The Packers (3-5) didn't fare much better on offense, leading 7-0 at halftime and 13-3 until late in the fourth quarter. Green Bay scored 10 points off of Rypien's turnovers.
Rypien has played nine games in his four-year career, completing 60.7% of his attempts with four touchdowns and eight interceptions. He is on a 1-year contract with the Rams.
Stafford has a bye week to recover from a sprained ligament in his thumb before the Rams' game against the Seattle Seahawks on Nov. 19.
—Gardner Minshew (Washington State) got a big boost from his defense to snap a three-game losing streak.
Kenny Moore II returned two interceptions for touchdowns to lead the Indianapolis Colts over the Carolina Panthers 27-13 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Minshew completed 17 of 26 attempts and a 10-yard touchdown pass to Jonathan Taylor in the second quarter. Minshew also led two field goal drives in the first half, but Moore did the rest, running back a 49-yard interception with 20 seconds left in the second quarter and a 66-yard interception early in the fourth quarter.
Minshew also didn't commit a turnover for the first time in four games for the Colts, who improved to 4-5.
Frankie Luvu (WSU) led the Panthers (1-7) with 11 tackles.
—Kaden Elliss (Idaho) and the Atlanta Falcons surrendered a remarkable comeback to a player who barely knew his teammates' names.
Joshua Dobbs, who was traded to the Minnesota Vikings earlier in the week, came in as an emergency quarterback for injured rookie Jaren Hall and led the Vikings to a 31-28 win at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Dobbs reportedly hadn't taken a snap with the Vikings (5-4) at practice and didn't know most of his teammates' first names, he later admitted at a news conference.
Dobbs completed 20 of 30 passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns. He threw a go-ahead touchdown pass to Brandon Powell with 22 seconds left.
Elliss had nine tackles and a pass defense as the Falcons dropped to 4-5.
—With Jaylen Watson (WSU) and the Kansas City Chiefs defense on the field, German football fans would be treated to more scoring if they went to watch a Bayern Munich soccer game.
The Chiefs shutout the Miami Dolphins in the first half and held on for a 21-14 win in Frankfurt, Germany.
Watson had five tackles and a sack for the Chiefs (7-2), who limited the Dolphins (6-3) to under 300 total yards and nearly 150 under their season average.
—The long season for Jalen Thompson (WSU) and the Arizona Cardinals isn't getting easier.
After trading quarterback Dobbs to Minnesota, rookie Clayton Tune took over and the Cardinals were shut out in a 27-0 loss to the host Cleveland Browns.
Thompson had five tackles and a quarterback hit as the Cardinals fell to 1-8.
