LA Rams ends Seahawks streak as Bills win first playoff game in 25 years | NFL



[ad_1]

Cam Akers rushed for 131 yards and a touchdown and Darious Williams returned an interception for a score as the sixth-seeded Los Angeles Rams upset host Seattle Seahawks 30-20 on Saturday in the first round of the NFC qualifiers.

Matt Gay scored three field goals for the Rams and their defense allowed 278 yards in total offense against the third-seeded Seahawks, who had won their previous 10 playoff games at Lumen Field. Seattle’s last home playoff loss was to the St. Louis Rams in 2004.

Jared Goff, who suffered a broken right thumb in Seattle two weeks ago and required surgery, came off the bench to guide the Rams, throwing a 15-yard touchdown pass to Robert Woods with 4:46 to play to achieve victory. Goff finished 9 of 19 for 155 yards.

Russell Wilson of Seattle was 11th of 27 for 174 yards and two touchdowns, both against DK Metcalf. Wilson has been sacked five times, twice each by Aaron Donald and Leonard Floyd, and the Seahawks converted just 2 of 14 third-down attempts.

Metcalf’s 12-yard touchdown reception with 2:28 pulled the Seahawks to under 10 points, but Woods recovered the in-play kick that followed.

There were three touchdowns scored in 4:48 late in the first period, giving Los Angeles a 20-10 lead.

With the Rams up 6-3, Williams popped a Wilson screen pass intended for Metcalf, took it and conceded 42 yards for a touchdown with 6:46 left in the half.

Wilson scrambled to his left and threw a ball over the high school, finding Metcalf for a 51-yard touchdown with 3:43 left.

Third and 9th in the Rams’ 26-yard line, Goff hit Akers with a screen pass. The rookie took 44 yards on the straight sideline, establishing his own five-yard touchdown with 1:57 left in the half. Akers, a Florida State second-round pick, missed the Week 16 game between the teams with an ankle injury as the Seahawks won 20-9, claiming the NFC West title.

John Wolford started as a quarterback for the Rams and led them to the range on their second possession before sustaining a neck injury as he was tackled by Jamal Adams of Seattle. Wolford did not return and was taken to hospital.

Chris Carson of the Seahawks had 77 yards and Jason Myers scored 50 and 52 yards.

Indianapolis Colts 24-27 Buffalo Bills

Quarterback Josh Allen and goaltender Micah Hyde have teamed up to destroy the Buffalo Bills’ past history.

Now you Bill-ieve?

In a season in which the Bills faced numerous crashes, Allen became the first Buffalo starter in a quarter of a century to win a playoff game. And Hyde made sure the Bills didn’t suffer another collapse in the second half like it did last year in a loss to Houston, or a last-second touchdown.

With Buffalo, the AFC East champion for the first time since 1995 and hosting their first playoff game since 1996, Allen threw two touchdown passes and scored another run as he led the Bills to a 27-24 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in a wild card game on Saturday.

Hyde beat Philip Rivers’ pass of desperation as time passed to help Buffalo pull off a 0-6 playoff slip by winning their first playoff game since a 37-22 victory over Miami on December 30, 1995.

The past was very much on Allen’s mind as he reflected on how Buffalo squandered a 16-0 third-quarter lead in a 22-19 overtime loss to Houston in his first playoff appearance. career playoffs.

“Obviously we started a bit slow and we were able to get into a late rhythm. Play enough games to win, ”Allen said. “It’s new territory for me, but it just gives us a chance to play next week.”

The end of the game was so stunning, in which the Bills nearly squandered a 24-10 lead in the fourth quarter, safety Jordan Poyer still struggled to put the outcome into perspective.

Stefon Diggs
The Bills’ Stefon Diggs (14) catches a touchdown pass in front of Colts TJ Carrie (38) in the second half of Saturday’s playoff game. Photograph: Jeffrey T Barnes / AP

“I didn’t have time to celebrate and accept this, but it’s great for the Bills organization, the city, to be able to play a home game and get a win,” Poyer said at his fourth season in Buffalo. “Since 2017, we have been working on it, but on a day like today, to impose ourselves, we have worked very hard.”

Hyde’s pass defense eased memories of the Bills giving up DeAndre Hopkins’ 43-yard touchdown in the dying seconds of a 32-30 loss to Arizona on Nov. 15. Buffalo has won seven straight wins since for its longest winning streak since 1990.

And the victory came with a limited number of 6,700 fans attending for the first time this season.

Allen finished 26 of 35 for 324 yards with a 5 yard touchdown to Dawson Knox and a 35 yard touchdown to Stefon Diggs, which led to fans chanting “MVP!” MVP! To celebrate the first Buffalo player to lead the NFL in catches and receiving yards.

The Colts (11-6) ended a season in which they won 11 games for the first time since 2014 and reached the playoffs for the second time in three years under Frank Reich.

Rivers was 27th of 46 for 309 yards and saw his career playoff record drop to 5-7 as he finished his first – and potentially last – season with the Colts as he reflects on retirement.

Losing isn’t any easier for the 39-year-old, who only reached the conference championship once in 2008.

“Shoot, it’s hard to go back 12 years ago to think about how I felt in the locker room after that championship game,” Rivers said, referring to the Chargers’ 21-12 loss to Nova Scotia. England. “It’s always moving. But is it more emotional when you’re about to turn 40 and you don’t know if you were in your last click? Heck yeah. “

The game was not decided until the final game, when Rivers faced Buffalo fourth and 11th against 47. Rivers threw a deep pass for TY Hilton, who was surrounded by defenders in the right side of the end zone. Hyde pierced the crowd with bodies, leaping and kicking the ball to the ground.

Rookie kicker Tyler Bass scored for the tie-breaker hitting a 54-yard field goal to put Buffalo ahead 27-16 with 8:08 to go.

The Colts responded with a seven-game, 75-game practice topped off with a nine-yard touchdown pass to Pascal. After Bass increased Buffalo’s lead to 27-16, the Colts scored less than two minutes later. Rivers hit a wide-open Jack Doyle for a 27-yard touchdown and Doyle had a 2-point conversion.

The bills, however, did not help matters. Allen nearly lost a fumble in midfield when he was sacked for a 23-yard loss by Denico Autry on the Indianapolis 37’s first down. Offensive lineman Daryl Williams recovered, however, forcing the Bills to clear with 2:30 to play.

“It doesn’t matter what it looks like,” Allen said. “It’s the playoffs. It’s win or come home and we did it.

[ad_2]

Source link