Rams make it to the playoffs.
The only question now is whether they can hold on to first place in the NFC and have home-field advantage throughout the postseason. And can wide receiver Davante Adams be up to the task?
The Rams clinched the playoffs Sunday by scoring victory with a score of 41-34 over the Detroit Lions in front of 74,701 at Sophie Stadium in a game in which Adams left in the fourth quarter with a left hamstring injury.
Matthew Stafford got the better of Jared Goff, Puka Nacua continued his hot reception and the Rams defense shut down the Lions in the second half as the Rams improved their record to 11-3 and secured their seventh playoff appearance under nine-year coach Sean McVay.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford throws in the first half against the Lions on Sunday.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
It was a huge win for a Rams team that will be tested again Thursday night when they play the Seattle Seahawks in Seattle.
The Seahawks (11-3) defeated Philip Rivers and the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday in Seattle to set up a Thursday night showdown. The Rams currently hold the tiebreaker over the Seahawks thanks to their win over the Seahawks on Nov. 16 at Sophie Stadium.
Can they capture home field for the first time in the playoffs?
They reached the Super Bowl in the 2018 and 2021 seasons without being able to play all of their playoff games at home.
The Rams finish the regular season with games against the Seahawks, a trip to Atlanta and a home game against the Arizona Cardinals.
As expected, the victory over the Lions (8-6) was not easy.
The Rams overcame an early interception and a 10-point deficit late in the second quarter.
Adams, who was nursing a hamstring issue, walked off the field to the locker room and did not return to the game after being injured early in the fourth quarter.
McVay said Adams' injury “didn't look good” and was unsure if Adams would be able to play against the Seahawks.
Rams wide receiver Davante Adams went to ground after injuring his left hamstring against the Lions on Sunday.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
Stafford came alive in the second half, leading three straight scoring drives in the third quarter to give the Rams a 34-24 lead.
Stafford maintained his bid for the NFL Most Valuable Player award, completing 24 of 38 for 368 yards and two touchdowns with an interception.
Nacua, coming off a performance against the Arizona Cardinals that earned him NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors, caught nine passes for 181 yards. Adams caught four passes for 71 yards.
Tight end Colby Parkinson caught two touchdowns, Kyren Williams rushed for two touchdowns and Blake Corum also scored on the ground.
Defensive lineman Coby Turner had a key sack for the defense, which gave up three touchdown passes and several big plays in the first half but neutralized Goff for much of the second.
Goff and receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown got off to quick starts and helped the Lions take a 24-17 lead.
Stafford had a hand in it, throwing the ball into the waiting hands of Lions kicker Aidan Hutchinson, who returned the interception 58 yards. On the next play, Goff found St. Brown for a touchdown.
Williams' two short touchdown passes gave the Rams the lead midway through the second quarter. But Goff connected with St. Brown for a short touchdown and then hit Jameson Williams with a 31-yard scoring pass to give the Lions a 24-14 lead.
Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua celebrates during the second half Sunday against the Lions.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
The Rams cut the lead to seven points when Harrison Mevis ended the first half with a field goal.
The Rams opened the second half with another field goal, cutting the Lions' lead to four points.
The defense then forced a three-and-out on the Lions, forcing them to punt for the first time.
Stafford gave the Rams the lead with a 26-yard pass to tight end Colby Parkinson to give the Rams a 27-24 lead.
A sack of Goff by Turner helped set up another punt, and Stafford needed just 52 seconds to set up another touchdown. He connected with Nacua for a 39-yard gain, and Blake Corum added to the lead with an 11-yard touchdown.
The Lions kicked a field goal midway through the fourth quarter to cut the Rams' lead to seven points, but Stafford's second pass to Parkinson gave the Rams a 14-point lead with just under five minutes remaining.
David Montgomery's short touchdown run late in the fourth quarter cut the lead to seven.
Goff completed 25 of 41 passes for 338 yards and three touchdowns. St. Brown caught 13 passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns.
