Running back Cam Akers and mostly a great defense have the Los Angeles Rams moving on in the NFC playoffs at the expense of the Seattle Seahawks.
Akers rushed for 131 yards and a touchdown, Darious Williams returned a Russell Wilson interception 42 yards for a score and the Rams beat the Seahawks 30-20 in an NFC wild-card-round game Saturday.
The best defense in the league during the season carried its dominance into the playoffs — even while missing unanimous All-Pro tackle Aaron Donald for much of the second half. No team was better at limiting yards or points than the Rams (11-6), and they continued to torment Wilson and the Seahawks (12-5).
The Seahawks quarterback was under a siege from a defensive front and secondary that minus one play never let DK Metcalf or Tyler Lockett break loose. Donald, before leaving with a rib injury, and Jalen Ramsey were superb. But so were other role players such as Troy Reeder, Jordan Fuller and Leonard Floyd.
Floyd had two of the Rams’ five sacks. Donald had two others. The Rams allowed just 278 yards and 11 first downs.
It added up to sending the Rams into next week’s divisional round, likely at the top-seeded Green Bay Packers unless the Chicago Bears upset the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
Williams’ interception was his third of the season against Wilson after picking him off twice in Los Angeles in November. He jumped a wide receiver screen intended for Metcalf and returned it untouched to give the Rams a 13-3 lead midway through the second quarter.
Akers added a 5-yard touchdown run just before halftime for a 20-10 lead. It proved enough with a Seahawks offense that was disjointed and confused nearly from the start.
Wilson had one of his worst playoff performances. He was 11 of 27 for 174 yards. Wilson connected with Metcalf on a pair of touchdowns — 51 yards in the first half off a broken play and a 12-yarder with 2 minutes, 28 seconds left to make the score more respectable.
The Seahawks never played with the lead and were 2 of 14 on third downs. Their first home playoff game in four years was a dud without their raucous home crowd, and the Seahawks saw their 10-game home playoff winning streak come to an end.
Their last home playoff loss came in January 2005 to the St. Louis Rams.
These Rams pulled off the upset without a healthy quarterback for more the three quarters of the game. John Wolford started for the second straight week but suffered a neck injury when he dived headfirst in the first quarter and Jamal Adams’ shoulder hit him in the helmet. Wolford was taken to a local hospital as a precaution.
Jared Goff took over less than two weeks after undergoing surgery on his right thumb; he was injured in the Week 16 loss to the Seahawks. Goff didn’t do anything spectacular but also avoided major mistakes.
Goff was 9 of 19 for 155 yards. He capped the victory with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Robert Woods with 4:46 left after the Seahawks’ D.J. Reed fumbled a punt.
Rams rookie Akers was outstanding after not playing two weeks ago. He had the best rushing day by a Rams running back since Marshall Faulk went for 159 against the Philadelphia Eagles in January 2002.
The Rams finished with 164 rushing yards.
Donald left in the third quarter with a rib injury. After going in and out of the locker room a couple of times, he was a spectator most of the second half. Receiver Cooper Kupp limped off grabbing at his right knee in the closing minutes.
Wolford was 3 of 6 passing for 29 yards and had one run for 2 yards before getting hurt.
