FOXBOROUGH, MASS. • Last week in Cleveland, Sam Bradford threw for only 24 yards, and other than a first down via penalty didn't move the chains in seven series at quarterback for the Rams.

But Thursday night at Gillette Stadium he looked like, well, a No. 1 overall draft pick. Bradford was accurate, decisive and firm in the pocket. And when it was time to get rid of the ball, he got it out with the quick release that the great ones have.

"It was a blast out there tonight," Bradford said. "Tonight was really the first time that I had fun. It felt like doing what I'm used to doing, which is moving the offense up and down the field and scoring points. Any time you can do that it's a blast."

Preseason or not, there are easier places to start your NFL career than the House That (Tom) Brady built, where three Super Bowl banners hang and the Patriots went 8-0 in the 2009 regular season.

But Bradford was sharp in the Rams' 36-35 victory. Very sharp, completing 15 of 22 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns, for a passer rating of 125.0. He was sacked only once, as Rams blockers put together another good game in terms of pass protection.

All in all it was quite a change from Bradford's first two games, when he completed only 12 of 27 passes for 81 yards. Did the light switch suddenly flip on Thursday?

"Watching the film of the first two games, I've said, I felt like I was in the right place with the ball the first two weeks," Bradford said. "I just really think I never got myself in a rhythm - like I was always trying to rush through things. Tonight, before I went out there I took a deep breath and said, ‘Stay in rhythm; do what you do.' I knew I was capable of it."

Yes, Bradford missed a wide-open Laurent Robinson for what would have been a third TD in the closing seconds of the first half. Robinson caught the ball, but out of bounds, right at the goal line.

But maybe coach Steve Spagnuolo should concede what looked obvious Thursday, that Bradford will be his starter on Sept. 12 against Arizona. After Bradford's performance, there's only one question on the minds of Rams Nation: Is Bradford your opening-day starter?

"I've got to watch the film tomorrow," Spagnuolo joked. "You know that."

But obviously, Spagnuolo liked what he saw from Bradford.

"He felt and looked very comfortable before the game, warming up," Spagnuolo said.

"He had a look in his eye. He was determined."

Bradford was finished for the night at halftime, with the Rams taking a 20-14 lead into the locker room. (Thaddeus Lewis, an undrafted rookie from Duke, took over at quarterback at the start of the second half.)

Starting in place of the injured A.J. Feeley, who's out with a sprained thumb, Bradford led the Rams on a 10-play, 72-yard touchdown drive on their first offensive series of the night. Bradford completed four of four passes on the march, including a 5-yard TD pass to rookie tight end Michael Hoomanawanui.

But that made it only 7-7 because New England's Brandon Tate had taken the opening kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown.

Bradford had running back Steven Jackson in the backfield with him for the first time this preseason. And as he did last week in Cleveland, Jackson made his presence felt, rushing five times for 22 yards on the drive. Jackson was replaced by Kenneth Darby on the Rams' next possession.

Bradford wasn't the only Rams rookie to shine Thursday. Bradford to Hoomanawanui, perhaps we should get used to that combination. Bradford threw a second touchdown pass to the University of Illinois product, this time from 12 yards out with 7 minutes 2 seconds to play in the first half. The strike gave St. Louis a 17-7 lead.

Running the 2-minute offense at the end of the half, Bradford closed out his night leading a 48-yard drive that ended in a field goal by Josh Brown.

"I'm glad Sam was able to be out there and watch one of the really great quarterbacks play," Spagnuolo said. "I told him last night that when he had a chance and was on the sideline watch No. 12 (Brady). He does it right. He may be one of the best ever. And I thought he could learn from that."

Bradford got to watch a lot of Brady because even though Bradford was done at halftime, Brady wasn't. The Patriots quarterback played into the fourth quarter, completing 18 of 22 passes for 273 yards and three touchdowns. But two of those TD passes came in the second half against the Rams' second stringers.

As a result, the Rams saw a 27-14 lead turn into a 35-27 deficit. But after a TD run by Keith Toston with 4:33 left to play, the Rams got the ball back in time to win on a 37-yard field by Brown as time expired.