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12/14 18:55 CST Matthew Stafford rallies Rams to 41-34 victory over Lions,
clinching another playoff berth
Matthew Stafford rallies Rams to 41-34 victory over Lions, clinching another
playoff berth
By GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) --- Matthew Stafford passed for 368 yards and hit Colby
Parkinson for two touchdowns, and the NFC-leading Los Angeles Rams clinched a
playoff berth with a furious second-half rally for a 41-34 victory over the
Detroit Lions on Sunday.
Kyren Williams rushed for two scores and Blake Corum added another TD for the
Rams (11-3), who came back from a double-digit deficit shortly before halftime
with 20 consecutive points to secure their eighth victory in nine games.
Los Angeles is headed to the playoffs for the third straight year and for the
seventh time in coach Sean McVay's nine seasons.
After throwing his fifth interception of the season in an inconsistent first
half, Stafford ruthlessly led the Rams to victory in the second half. He heard
chants of "M-V-P! M-V-P!" from the SoFi Stadium crowd after hitting Parkinson
for an 11-yard score with 4:49 to play.
Amon-Ra St. Brown scorched his hometown team for 163 yards and two touchdowns
on 13 receptions for the Lions (8-6). Jared Goff passed for 338 yards and three
TDs, but Detroit has alternated wins and losses since Week 5, endangering its
hopes for a third straight playoff berth.
Jameson Williams caught a 31-yard TD pass and had seven receptions for 134
yards. David Montgomery also scored with 2:42 to play to make it close --- but
the Rams got a first down to exhaust the Lions' timeouts, preventing a
last-second comeback.
Detroit's offense dominated the first half, averaging 8.5 yards per play and
taking a 24-14 lead shortly before halftime. St. Brown caught a 17-yard
touchdown pass set up by Aidan Hutchinson's 58-yard interception return in the
first quarter, and the Orange County native scored again in the second before
finishing the first half with nine catches for 127 yards.
But Parkinson caught a 26-yard TD pass late in the third quarter to put the
Rams back ahead. His second TD catch in the fourth quarter was his sixth in his
past six games, surpassing the veteran tight end's total TDs in his first 5 1/2
NFL seasons.
Stafford and the Rams controlled the second half even while losing both of
their star receivers in the fourth quarter.
Davante Adams injured his hamstring while running a long route with 12:36 to
play, and Puka Nacua --- who had nine catches for 181 yards --- left due to
cramps one snap before Parkinson's second TD. Nacua returned for the Rams'
final series.
Detroit missed a field goal on its opening drive, but Stafford's ill-advised
attempt at a screen pass moments later was picked off by the 6-foot-7
Hutchinson, who made a long return.
Kyren Williams scored on consecutive drives for the Rams, but USC product St.
Brown scored his second TD on an 8-yard catch before Jameson Williams got open
comfortably for his long scoring catch 30 seconds before halftime, sending the
Rams to their biggest deficit since Week 5.
But after Harrison Mevis made field goals on either side of halftime, the Rams
reclaimed the lead on Parkinson's sprawling TD catch in tight coverage.
The Rams forced a punt and went 50 yards in two plays for another score, with
Nacua's 39-yard catch setting up Corum's TD run.
Injuries Rams: Adams, the NFL's leader in TD receptions, has been limited by hamstring injuries twice already this season. He was listed as questionable for this game. Up next Lions: Host Pittsburgh on Sunday. Rams: At Seattle on Thursday for the overall NFC lead. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL |
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