Bijan Robinson rushed for 195 yards, including a 93-yard touchdown, Zane Gonzalez kicked a 51-yard field goal with 21 seconds left and the Atlanta Falcons rallied after blowing two 21-point leads to upset the playoffs. Los Angeles Rams 27-24 on Monday evening.
Robinson 93 yard touchdown was the longest in Atlanta history, and Jesse Bates III scored on a 34-yard interception return. Those big plays put the Falcons up 21-0 at halftime and 24-3 early in the second half.
Matthew Stafford recovered from three interceptions to help the Rams tie the game at 24. 11 yard touchdown pass at Puka Nacua the game was tied with 2:46 remaining.
The Falcons (7-9) extended their winning streak to three games, and Robinson also set the Falcons record for most scrimmage yards in a season.
The Rams (11-5) lost for the second time in a row. They started the week by heading NFL in scoring and yards and were eliminated from the game in the first half. Down 21-0 at halftime, the Rams didn't get into the end zone until Stafford threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Terrence Ferguson late in the third quarter.
Los Angeles cut Atlanta's lead to 24-17 when Emmanuel Forbes Jr. blocked Gonzalez's 37-yard field goal attempt and Jared Wehrs returned the ball 76 yards for a touchdown. It was the Rams' first blocked kickoff return touchdown since 1986.
Stafford's second interception, by Atlanta rookie Xavier Watts, gave the Falcons the ball at 7 in the second quarter. Robinson burst through the line and down the sideline, beating the Los Angeles defense for the longest run of the season in the NFL.
Watts' second interception, the third thrown by Stafford, stopped the Rams on fourth down from the Atlanta 27 with 9:04 remaining.
The Rams will open the playoffs on the road, the result of which was decided after NFC West rivals Seattle and San Francisco won on Sunday. They entered the game as the NFC's No. 5 seed, and their motivation against the Falcons was to defend that spot and a first-round matchup against a team from the NFC South, either Carolina or Tampa Bay.
Stafford, who earned his third Pro Bowl honor this season, started the week NFL leader in touchdown passes and passing yards. He threw just five interceptions before his poor game against the Falcons.
Stafford completed 22 of 38 passes for 269 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions. He has a career-best 42 touchdowns this season.
Robinson needed 151 rushing and receiving yards to break William Andrews' team record of 2,176, set in 1983. Robinson added five catches for 34 yards, including a four-yard touchdown reception, and finished with 229 yards in the game and 2,255 on the year.
