Rams' free fall continues in Cincinnati

CINCINNATI -- The Rams switched quarterbacks again, but nothing else changed.

Nick Foles threw three interceptions, one of which Leon Hall returned for a touchdown, and St. Louis dropped its fourth straight game on Sunday, 31-7 to the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Rams (4-7) are last in the league in passing yards, one of the main reasons for their slump. They switched quarterbacks last week, but Case Keenum got a head injury during a 16-13 loss in Baltimore and was limited in practice.

Foles, who started the first nine games, returned. The most costly of his three interceptions came when he avoided the rush and floated a pass that Hall picked off and returned 19 yards for a touchdown.

St. Louis has scored 13 or fewer points in each of the last three games.

Fans cheer behind Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Brandon Tate (19) after he scores a touchdown in the first half of a NFL football game against the St. Louis Rams, Sunday, Nov. 29, 2015, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Frank Victores)

"Everyone is feeling emotional right now," said Foles, who was 30 of 46 for 228 yards. "I'm feeling emotional right now. It's tough."

Rams coach Jeff Fisher got his team through a week that included receiver Stedman Bailey getting shot on Tuesday in Florida. He remains hospitalized following surgery.

"We wanted to go out there and play for him," Foles said. "That's what hurts."

Andy Dalton threw three touchdown passes -- two of them to A.J. Green -- and the Bengals (9-2) played more like they did during the first half of the season as they pulled away. The 31 points equaled the second-most against St. Louis this season.

Asked about the Rams' effort, their coach bristled.

"There is no effort problem with this team," Fisher said.

The longest winning streak in Bengals history ended with losses to Houston on a Monday night and Arizona on a Sunday night. Back at home in an afternoon game, Cincinnati settled down and pulled away.

Dalton was 20 of 27 for 233 yards. He threw touchdown passes of 9 and 18 yards to Green, who hadn't caught two in a game since the third week of the season in Baltimore. Tyler Eifert also had a 22-yarder, giving him the league lead with 12 TD catches.

Jeremy Hill ran for a season-high 86 yards. He limped off the field in the fourth quarter and got his left ankle taped.

Fisher intended to stay with Keenum if he was healthy, but the quarterback didn't have a full practice last week and wasn't cleared to play Sunday. Foles has seven touchdowns and nine interceptions this season.

The Rams' best play came when running back Todd Gurley took a snap in the wildcat formation in the second quarter. He handed off to Tavon Austin, who ran for 60 yards -- more than the Rams had managed in all to that point. Austin's 5-yard run finished the drive.

Austin had a team-high 63 yards on four runs. He also caught six passes for 33 yards. Gurley was limited to 19 yards on nine carries, with the Bengals focused on stopping the run game.

There was more self-destruction by the Rams. A penalty for running into the punter extended Cincinnati's 14-play drive to a field goal in the second quarter.

"We have everything we need," linebacker Akeem Ayers said. "We need less mistakes."

Noteworthy

• The Rams came in with 30 sacks, but didn't get to Dalton once.
• Cincinnati's Geno Atkins had a sack, moving him one ahead of St. Louis' Aaron Donald for most by an NFL interior lineman with eight.
• Dalton is 29 yards away from joining Peyton Manning as the only NFL players to throw for 3,000 yards in each of their first five seasons.
• Eifert left in the fourth quarter with a pinched nerve.
• Fisher said kicker Greg Zuerlein strained a hip muscle Friday, which is why the Rams signed Zach Hocker for the game.