Completing a stunning turnaround from last season’s four-win finish, the Rams wrapped up the NFC West championship Sunday with a 27-23 win at Nashville.
NASHVILLE — So often this season, the Rams have made things look easy. On Sunday, with a chance to win their first NFC West title in 14 years, they stumbled and scrapped.
Beset by mistakes in all areas of the game, the Rams felt the loss of kicker Greg Zuerlein but managed to take the lead four minutes into the fourth quarter and held on for a 27-23 victory.
The Rams (11-4) have completely rebounded from last year’s four-win season, have won their division and, in two weeks, will host a first-round playoff game against a wild-card team.
The Rams held a 27-23 lead early in the fourth quarter, then lost guard Rodger Saffold to a rib injury, then had to face one final Titans chance, as they had the ball at their 20-yard line with 3:25 remaining.
The Titans drove to the Rams’ 49 but, on a fourth-and-4 play, Rams linebacker Connor Barwin pressured Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota, who was forced to throw an off-balance incomplete pass as the Rams celebrated on the sideline.
It was a huge game for Rams running back Todd Gurley, who surpassed 2,000 yards from scrimmage for the season and gave a boost to his chances of winning NFL MVP honors.
Gurley, for much of the game, essentially was the Rams’ offense, as he had 22 carries for 118 rushing yards and 10 catches for 158 yards and two touchdowns. According to ESPN, Gurley became the first player since Herschel Walker in 1986 to top 100 rushing yards and 150 receiving yards in the same game.
Rams quarterback Jared Goff had an up-and-down game but still managed great statistics, threw four touchdowns and completed 22 of 38 attempts for 301 yards.
The game was tied 13-13 at halftime, and after the Titans missed a 45-yard field-goal attempt in the third quarter, the Rams took a 20-13 lead on their next possession when Goff connected with receiver Sammy Watkins for a 3-yard touchdown.
Adoree’ Jackson, the former USC standout, returned the ensuing kickoff 57 yards to put the Titans in great position, and they tied the game 20-20 with 4:23 left in the third quarter on DeMarco Murray’s 6-yard touchdown run.
After a Rams punt, the Titans took the lead on a 27-yard field goal, which made it 23-20 in the first minute of the fourth quarter.
The Rams didn’t trail for long. They capitalized on a 33-yard pass-interference penalty, but still faced a 3rd-and-6 play at the Tennessee 14. Goff threw the ball to the corner of the end zone and rookie receiver Cooper Kupp made an off-balance catch to give the Rams a 27-23 lead with 11:51 left in regulation.
The Rams (and Titans) played in front of their former coach, Jeff Fisher, who owns a home in the Nashville area and attended the game. Fisher didn’t see a particularly well-played game. A disjointed first half ended, somewhat fittingly, in a 13-13 tie, and the Rams left a few points on the field.
On their first drive, the Rams drove 72 yards to the Titans’ 32, but the drive stalled, and punter Johnny Hekker attempted a fake and a pass that went incomplete. Two plays into the Titans’ ensuing drive. Rams linebacker Cory Littleton intercepted Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota.
The Rams scored on that drive, on a 3-yard pass from Goff to Gurley, but Ficken missed the extra-point attempt wide right and the Rams led 6-0, six minutes into the game.
Tennessee mixed the pass and run well on the next drive, and got to the Rams’ 1, but a false-start penalty and a sack forced the Titans into only a field goal, which cut the Rams’ lead to 6-3.
The Rams missed a chance to extend their lead early in the second quarter, when Ficken’s 36-yard field-goal attempt hit the right upright. The Rams got the ball back after a Titans punt, but on the first play, from their 11-yard line, Goff was sacked by Jurrell Casey and fumbled. Titans linebacker Wesley Woodyard returned the fumble three yards for a touchdown and a 10-6 Titans lead.
Then, as he has so often this season, Gurley boosted the Rams in a time of need. On a second-and-11 play from the Rams’ 20, Gurley caught a short screen pass and ran 80 yards, untouched, for a touchdown to give the Rams a 13-10 lead with 4:24 remaining in the first half.
Tennessee tied the game 13-13 on Ryan Succop’s 37-yard field goal with 19 seconds left in the half.
The Rams were at linebacker, as starter Mark Barron and backup Matt Longacre were out.
Barron left last week’s game early in the first quarter with a knee injury, but was listed on the team’s injury report as “not injury related.” The Rams didn’t practice Wednesday, and Barron was listed as “limited” on Thursday and “full” on Friday, and was not given an injury designated, such as doubtful or questionable. Longacre was declared out for the game by McVay on Friday.
