FOXBOROUGH, Mass. _ Jeff Fisher and the Los Angeles Rams traveled across the country nearly 3,000 miles, but they could not escape controversy.
A few hours after news broke Sunday that Fisher has a contract extension, his team played an uninspired game in a 26-10 loss to the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium.
The defeat, the Rams' seventh in eight games, dropped their record to 4-8.
The news of Fisher's extension _ he is 31-44-1 in four-plus seasons _ and the loss to the Patriots came seven days after the New Orleans Saints humiliated the Rams, 49-21. And it came six days after hall of famer Eric Dickerson plunged Fisher and the Rams into a weeklong controversy because of a dust-up with Fisher about sideline passes.
Fisher is in the final year of a contract that pays him $7 million annually. General Manager Les Snead, who also is in the final year of his contract, also has an extension. The new deals were confirmed by people with knowledge of the situation, but terms of the new deals were not released
On a sunny day that featured temperatures in the 30s, Tom Brady became the winningest quarterback in NFL history as the Patriots improved to 10-2.
The Patriots outgained the Rams, 402-162, and 66 of the Rams' yards came on one play. The Rams converted only one of 12 third downs.
Brady completed 33 of 46 passes for 269 yards and a touchdown.
Rams quarterback Jared Goff, making his third start, completed 14 of 32 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown, with two interceptions. One turnover came on a pass that tipped off tight end Lance Kendricks' hands, the other after a Patriot defender hit Goff's arm while he was attempting to pass.
The Rams' Todd Gurley rushed for only 38 yards in 11 carries.
The Patriots took a 17-0 halftime lead and got three second-half field goals from Stephen Gostkowski.
One of the only things that went right for the Rams was when Fisher won a challenge after officials ruled that Brian Quick was out of bounds when he made a 17-yard catch in the third quarter. Greg Zuerlein's 44-yard field goal six plays later eliminated the possibility of a shutout.
Goff connected with receiver Kenny Britt for a 66-yard gain with less than two minutes left, and then passed one yard to Britt for a touchdown that made the score 26-10.
The Patriots cruised to the 17-0 halftime lead on a long touchdown run by LeGarrette Blount, a touchdown pass from Brady to receiver Chris Logan and a field goal.
The Patriots outgained the Rams, 230-25, and held the ball nearly 22 minutes in the first two quarters.
The Rams, who gave up two touchdowns on fourth-down plays last week at New Orleans, did it again Sunday.
On the first possession of the game, the Patriots had a fourth-and-one at the Rams' 43. Blount took a hand-off, bounced outside toward the right sideline and turned around safety Maurice Alexander on his way to the end zone for a 7-0 lead.
Goff's pass on the final play of the first quarter bounced off Kendricks' hands and into the arms of cornerback Malcolm Butler.
Brady took over at the 30-yard line and four plays later connected with Logan for a 14-yard touchdown.
The Patriots added a late field goal for the 17-0 lead.
