[ad_1]
Scott Eklund / Associated Press
After sharing the regular season streak with the Seattle Seahawks, the Los Angeles Rams won the rubber game with a 30-20 victory in the NFC Wild Card Round Saturday at Lumen Field.
Los Angeles has limped into the playoffs with a 3-3 record in its last six games, including a 23-20 loss to the New York Jets in Week 15. With a fresh start against an opponent they know well, the Rams got back on track for a place in the divisional round next weekend.
The Seahawks beat the Rams 20-9 two weeks ago to clinch NFC West. They finished the regular season with four straight wins, the defense holding their opponents to 84 points in the last six games.
This time, it was the Los Angeles defense that took over. Russell Wilson was held to 174 assists meters and finished only 40.7 percent of his passes.
Jared Goff was put into action early in the game when starter John Wolford left with an injury. The Rams didn’t ask their quarterback to do much, but he froze the game with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Robert Woods for a 30-13 lead with less than five minutes to go.
Cam Akers did most of the work for the Los Angeles attack. The rookie running back finished with 176 yards of scrimmage and a touchdown.
Notable game statistics
- Jared Goff, LA: 9 of 19, 155 yards, TD
- Cam Akers, LA: 28 carries, 131 yards, TD; 2 receptions, 45 meters
- Cooper Kupp, LA: 4 receptions, 78 yards
- Russell Wilson, SEA: 11 of 27, 174 yards, 2 TD, INT
- DK Metcalf, SEA: 5 receptions, 96 yards, 2 TD
- Chris Carson, SEA: 16 carries, 77 yards
Akers, opportunist defense lifts rams to defeat victory
The Rams were already facing a tough job when Wolford was named starting quarterback, but head coach Sean McVay was forced to adjust when Goff was put back into action late in the first quarter.
Already considered one of the best offensive players in the NFL, McVay devised a heavy-handed game plan that allowed his offense to succeed without having to rely on the toss of the ball.
Akers ran 131 yards, added 45 extra yards and scored the Rams’ only offensive touchdown in the first half to give them a 20-10 lead.
Luckily for the Rams, Los Angeles ‘defense also stepped up against a Seahawks’ offense that tried to make sense in the second half of the season.
The defense appeared to be struggling in the third quarter when Donald left with a chest injury. He was all over the court before that, recording three quarterback hits and two tackles for a loss.
Darious Williams made one of the best defensive plays of the season. The third-year cornerback perfectly read a quick screen to DK Metcalf, passed the pass and took it home for a 42-yard touchdown.
Not to be outdone, Jalen Ramsey had another great day as a main cornerback against Metcalf after holding him in check during the regular season.
ESPN Statistics and Information @ESPNStatsInfo
It was Russell Wilson’s second career pick-6 in the playoffs and the first since the 2015 divisional playoffs. Wilson is 3-5 in his playoff career as he trailed by at least 10 points , after starting 3-1 in such matches, he lost 4 in a row. https://t.co/aFeonwXlik
The Rams’ ability to cover Seattle receivers on the outside allowed their rush to pass constant pressure on Wilson without having to send in any extra help.
McVay and defensive coordinator Brandon Staley put together a perfect game to maximize the talent they had. The players executed it, and as a result, the Rams extended their season by at least another week.
Costly Doom Seahawks Mistakes
This game followed a similar formula for the Seahawks depending on how they ended the season. The offense was held at 278 yards against the Rams, scoring their third straight game with less than 300 yards.
When Wilson hit Metcalf for a 51-yard touchdown in the second quarter to cut the deficit to 13-10, it looked like the Seahawks were finally finding their opening and would start sailing against an under-endowed Rams team.
Instead of getting on the right track, the Seattle attack never found a steady pace. Wilson threw an interception and had at least two more passes that could have been put out.
Los Angeles pressure from the top four kept Wilson moving most of the game. He showed his ability to excel outside the pocket throughout his career, but it didn’t work for him against an opponent who knows his tendencies very well.
ESPN Statistics and Information @ESPNStatsInfo
It was Russell Wilson’s second career pick-6 in the playoffs and the first since the 2015 divisional playoffs. Wilson is 3-5 in his playoff career as he trailed by at least 10 points , after starting 3-1 in such matches, he lost 4 in a row. https://t.co/aFeonwXlik
Benjamin left-handed @BenjaminSolak
It’s pretty crazy that Brandon Staley is saying “we’re going to show two pre-snap highs and play” and the combined efforts of Russell Wilson and Brian Schottenheimer over 2.75 games, neither of which is totally at fault or totally flawless, delivered “uhhhhh” in response.
The errors were not limited to Wilson, however. In their second practice of the game, the Seahawks lost 15 yards before making a play due to a waiting penalty on Mike Iupati and a false start from Will Dissly.
Seattle was trying to get some practice late in the third quarter to potentially tie the game, but back-to-back play penalties put the offense in a 1-and-25 situation. On a 4th and a 1 early in the fourth quarter, the attack lined up to go forward, but a false start from Jordan Simmons forced Pete Carroll to pitch instead.
Whatever has changed for the attack from the first half of the season to the second, Carroll and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer have never been able to figure it out.
As a result, the Seahawks find themselves heading into the offseason much earlier than anyone would have expected when they averaged 34.3 points per game through Week 9.
And after?
Rams will play the New Orleans Saints if they beat the Chicago Bears; Otherwise, they will face the winner of the Washington soccer team’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC division round.
[ad_2]
Source link