Scott Eklund / Associated Press
After splitting the regular season series with the Seattle Seahawks, the Los Angeles Rams won the rubber game 30-20 victory in the NFC Wild Card Round Saturday at Lumen Field.
Los Angeles has dropped a 3-3 record in the playoffs in the last six games, including a 23-20 loss to the New York Jets in Week 15. With a fresh start against an opponent they are doing well ken, the Rams got back on track to clinch a place in the division round next weekend.
The Seahawks beat the Rams 20-9 two weeks ago to clinch the NFC West. They have won the regular season with four wins, while the defense has averaged 84 points in the last six games.
This time it was Los Angeles’ defense that stepped up to the mark. Russell Wilson was detained until 174 erven and only 40.7 completed 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 made the game icy with a 15-yard touchdown to Robert Woods for a 30-13 lead with less than five minutes of play.
Cam Akers did most of the work in Los Angeles. The rookie who runs back finishes with 176 yards of scrums and once.
Remarkable game stats
- Jared Goff, LA: 9-of-19, 155 yards, TD
- Cam Akers, LA: 28 carries, 131 yards, TD; 2 reception, 45 meters
- Cooper Cup, LA: 4 receptions, 78 meters
- Russell Wilson, SEA: 11-of-27, 174 yards, 2 TD, INT
- DK Metcalf, SEA: 5 reception, 96 meters, 2 TD
- Chris Carson, SEA: 16 yards, 77 yards
Akers, Opportunistic defense lifts rams to exacerbate victory
The Rams faced a difficult task when Wolford was named the starting quarterback, but head coach Sean McVay was forced to adapt when Goff was put back into action late in the first quarter.
McVay, who is already considered one of the best offensive players in the NFL, has put together a heavy game plan that could allow his offense to succeed without throwing on the ball.
Akers ran 131 meters, received another 45 meters and recorded the Rams’ only offensive attack in the first half to give them a 20-10 lead.
Luckily for the Rams, the Los Angeles defense also stepped up against a Seahawks offense that tried to come out in the second half of the season.
The defense looked like it could have been in trouble in the third quarter when Donald left with a chest injury. He had previously been everywhere in the backfield and scored three quarterbacks and two tackles for loss.
Darious Williams played one of the best defensive games of the entire season. The third-year cornerback read a quick screen to DK Metcalf, stepped in front of the pass and took home for a touchdown of 42 yards.
Not to be outdone, Jalen Ramsey had another excellent day as the primary corner kick against Metcalf after keeping him in check during the regular season.
ESPN Statistics and Information @ESPNStatsInfo
It was Russell Wilson’s 2nd Pick-6 career in the playoffs and the first since the 2015 Division Playoffs. Wilson is 3-5 in his playoff career when he is at least 10 points behind, after starting 3-1 in such games, he has lost 4 in a row. https://t.co/aFeonwXlik
The Rams’ ability to cover the Seattle receivers on the outside caused their pass to rush to get constant pressure on Wilson without sending extra help.
McVay and defense coordinator Brandon Staley put together a perfect game to maximize the talent they had available. The players executed it and consequently the Rams extended their season for at least another week.
Expensive mistakes Doom Seahawks
This game followed a similar formula for the Seahawks, based on how they finished the season. The offense was held to 278 meters against the Rams, who finished their third consecutive game with less than 300 meters.
When Wilson Metcalf hit 51 yards in the second quarter, reducing the deficit to 13-10, it looked like the Seahawks would eventually find their opening and start sailing against an underrated Rams team.
Instead of getting on course, however, Seattle’s offense never found a constant rhythm. Wilson threw one interception and still had at least two passes to choose from.
Los Angeles’ pressure from the top four kept Wilson moving for most of the game. He showed the ability to perform outside the bag throughout his career, but it does not work for him against an opponent who knows his tendencies very well.
ESPN Statistics and Information @ESPNStatsInfo
It was Russell Wilson’s 2nd Pick-6 career in the playoffs and the first since the 2015 Division Playoffs. Wilson is 3-5 in his playoff career when he is at least 10 points behind, after starting 3-1 in such games, he has lost 4 in a row. https://t.co/aFeonwXlik
However, the mistakes were not just limited to Wilson. On their second ride of the game, the Seahawks lost 15 yards before running a play due to a hold on Mike Iupati and a false start by Will Dissly.
Seattle tried to get a driving force late in the third quarter to potentially tie the game, but penalties at rugby games put the offense in a first-and-25 situation. On a 4th-and-1 early in the fourth quarter, the offense lined up for it, but a false start by Jordan Simmons forced Pete Carroll to score earlier.
Whatever it was that changed for the offense from the first half of the season to the second, Carroll and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer could never figure it out.
As a result, the Seahawks find that they were on track earlier in the off-season than anyone would have expected when they averaged 34.3 points per game during Week 9.
What’s next?
The Rams will play the New Orleans Saints if they beat the Chicago Bears; otherwise, they assume the winner of the Washington Football Team-Tampa Bay Buccaneers game in the NFC Division Round.