Cam Akers ran for 131 yards and a touchdown and Darious Williams returned an interception to a score as the Los Angeles Rams sixth-head defeated host Seattle Seahawks 30-20 Saturday in the opening round of the NFC playoffs.
Matt Gay kicked three field goals for Rams and his defense allowed 278 yards of total attack against third-placed Seahawks, who had won his previous 10 postseason matches at Lumen Field. The last home loss in the Seattle playoff was for the St Louis Rams in 2004.
Jared Goff, who suffered a fractured right thumb in Seattle two weeks ago that required surgery, stepped off the bench to guide the Rams, launching a 15-yard touchdown pass to Robert Woods with 4:46 left to help ensure victory. Goff was 9 out of 19 for 155 yards.
Russell Wilson of Seattle made 11 of 27 for 174 yards and two touchdowns, both for DK Metcalf. Wilson was fired five times, twice each by Aaron Donald and Leonard Floyd, and the Seahawks converted only 2 of 14 attempts at third descent.
The reception of the Metcalf’s 12-yard touchdown with 2:28 pulled the Seahawks to less than 10 points, but Woods recovered the next side kick.
There were three touchdowns scored in a 4:48 break at the end of the first half, giving Los Angeles a 20-10 lead.
With the Rams winning 6-3, Williams skipped Wilson’s screen pass to Metcalf, picked it up and advanced 42 yards for a touchdown with 6:46 remaining in the middle.
Wilson ran to the left and passed a ball over the secondary, finding Metcalf for a 51-yard touchdown with 3:43 remaining.
In the third to 9 of Rams’ own 26-yard line, Goff hit Akers with a screen pass. The rookie advanced 44 yards down the right sideline, establishing his own five yard touchdown run with 1:57 to go in the middle. Akers, a second-round pick from the state of Florida, missed the Week 16 clash between the teams with an ankle injury when the Seahawks won 20-9, winning the NFC West title.
John Wolford started out as a Rams defender and took him into the basket area in second possession before suffering a neck injury when he was knocked down by Seattle’s Jamal Adams. Wolford did not return and was taken to the hospital.
Chris Carson of the Seahawks ran for 77 yards and Jason Myers kicked 50 and 52 yards.
Indianapolis Colts 24-27 Buffalo Bills
Quarterback Josh Allen and safety Micah Hyde teamed up to make the Buffalo Bills lose their past history.
Now you Bill-ieve?
In a season when the Bills broke several takedowns, Allen became the first Buffalo starter in a quarter of a century to win a playoff game. And Hyde assured that the Bills would not endure another collapse in the second half, as it did last year in a loss to Houston, or a touchdown in the last second.
With Buffalo, AFC East champion for the first time since 1995 and hosting his first playoff game since 1996, Allen made two touchdown passes and scored another run, leading the Bills to a 27-24 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in a wild Saturday game card.
Hyde countered Philip Rivers’ desperation when time ran out to help Buffalo break 0-6 in the postseason, winning his first playoff game since the 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 lead in the third quarter in the 22-19 loss to Houston in his first career playoff appearance.
“Obviously we started a little bit slowly and managed to get into the rhythm late. He made enough moves to win, ”said Allen. “It’s new territory for me, but it only gives us a chance to play next week.”
The end of the game was so impressive, in which Bills almost wasted a 24-10 lead in the fourth period, safety Jordan Poyer was still having a hard time putting the result in perspective.
“I didn’t have time to celebrate and accept, but it’s incredible for the organization of Bills, the city, to be able to play at home and get a win,” said Poyer, in his fourth season in Buffalo. “We have been working on this since 2017, but on a day like today, to come out on top, we work hard.”
Hyde’s pass defense eased the Bills’ memories by giving up DeAndre Hopkins’s jump to a 43-yard touchdown in the closing seconds of a 32-30 loss in Arizona on November 15. Buffalo has won seven consecutive wins since 1990 for his longest winning streak.
And the victory came with a limited number of 6,700 fans attending for the first time this season.
Allen finished 26 from 35 to 324 yards with a 5-yard touchdown for Dawson Knox and 35 yards for Stefon Diggs, which led fans to shout “MVP! MVP! ”To commemorate the first Buffalo player to lead the NFL in receiving receptions and yards.
The Colts (11-6) ended a season in which they won 11 games for the first time since 2014 and made it to the playoffs for the second time in three years under Frank Reich.
Rivers finished 27 from 46 to 309 yards and had his career playoff record dropping to 5-7 as he completed his first – and potentially last – season with the Colts while he plans to retire.
Losing is not easier for the 39-year-old, who came to the conference championship only once in 2008.
“Wow, it’s hard to go back 12 years ago to think about how I felt in the locker room after that championship game,” said Rivers, referring to the Chargers’ 21-12 defeat by New England. “It is always exciting. But is it more exciting when you are about to turn 40 and not sure if you were at the last meeting? Heck yeah. “
The game was not decided until the final game, when Rivers faced fourth and 11 against 47 from Buffalo. Rivers launched a deep pass to TY Hilton, who was surrounded by defenders on the right side of the end zone. Hyde broke through the crowd of bodies, jumping and throwing the ball on the floor.
Rookie kicker Tyler Bass was responsible for the decisive points when hitting a 54-yard field goal to put Buffalo on 27-16 with 8:08 remaining.
The Colts responded with seven moves and 75 moves, culminating in 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 Jack Doyle wide open for a 27-yard touchdown and Doyle managed a 2-point conversion.
The accounts, however, did not facilitate. with Allen almost missing a fumble in midfield when he was sacked for a 23-yard loss by Denico Autry on the first run of Indianapolis 37. Striker Daryl Williams, however, recovered, forcing Bills to punt 2: Remaining 30.
“It doesn’t matter what it looks like,” said Allen. “It’s the playoffs. It’s winning or going home and that’s it.