How the NFC West Was Won Week 15: Rams just about wrap it up
Dec 18, 2017, 6:33 AM | Updated: 4:10 pm
(AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
The Los Angeles Rams nearly beat the Seattle Seahawks earlier this season in L.A. A six-point game came down to a fourth-down throw that went through the hands of Cooper Kupp, giving Seattle a win.
Sunday’s rematch didn’t come down to one play, as the Rams inched closer to their first division title since 2003 with a 35-point beatdown of the Seahawks.
Meanwhile, the 49ers stayed hot behind Jimmy Garoppolo and the Cardinals couldn’t find the end zone if they programmed into their smartphone.
Here’s a closer look at everything that went down in Week 15 in the NFC West.
Los Angeles Rams 42, Seattle Seahawks 7
Well, that was quite the statement.
In a game for first place in the NFC West, the Rams avenged an earlier loss to Seattle, smacking the Seahawks by five touchdowns at CenturyLink Field.
Todd Gurley totaled 180 yards from scrimmage and four total touchdowns and the Rams’ defense sacked Russell Wilson seven times and held the Seahawks to just 149 yards.
The Rams scored on six of seven first-half possessions to build a 34-0 lead at the break. Gurley added a 14-yard touchdown catch from Jared Goff midway through the third quarter to make it 40-0.
Seattle finally got on the board with 1:23 left in the third when Wilson hit tight end Luke Willson on a 26-yard touchdown pass.
Stat of the Game: The 35-point loss was the Seahawks’ worst ever at CenturyLink Field and second-worst home defeat in team history. The New York Jets beat Seattle 41-3 at The Kingdome in Week 1 of the 1997 season.
He Said It (Seattle): “Obviously, it was an embarrassing game for us.” — Wide receiver Doug Baldwin
He Said It (Los Angeles): “I think our guys knew it was a big opportunity to come in here and try to take a two-game lead in our division with two games left.” — Rams head coach Sean McVay.
What’s Next: The Rams can wrap up the division with a win or a Seahawks loss next week. Los Angeles travels to Tennessee to face the Titans, who have lost each of the last two weeks to NFC West opponents. The Seahawks are in Dallas to take on the Cowboys.
Washington Redskins 20, Arizona Cardinals 15
It’s really hard to win one — let alone back-to-back games — in the NFL without scoring a touchdown. The last team that accomplished that feat was the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, who went on to win the Super Bowl on the strength of one of the most dominant defenses in league history.
The Cardinals beat Tennessee a week ago by getting four field goals from Phil Dawson and holding the Titans to one score in a 12-7 triumph.
Dawson booted five field goals Sunday in Washington, but the Cardinals fell short of joining the 2000 Ravens, as they lost 20-15 at FedEx Field — the franchise’s eighth straight loss to the Redskins on the road.
On Arizona’s third play from scrimmage, Anthony Lanier sacked Blaine Gabbert, forcing a fumble that Preston Smith smith scooped up and returned to the Cardinals’ 6-yard line. Washington scored two plays later on a Kirk Cousins-to-Jamison Crowder touchdown pass.
The Cardinals were simply dreadful in the red zone, failing to score on six trips inside the Washington 20. They were almost as bad on third down, converting only 4-of-19 opportunities.
Late in the game, trailing by five, the Cardinals drove to the Washington 21, but Gabbert uncorked four straight incomplete passes to allow the Redskins to snap a two-game skid. The loss also officially eliminated Arizona from 2017 playoff contention.
Stat of the Game: The Cardinals ran 80 offensive plays to just 47 for the Redskins. Arizona became the first team this season to lose a game having run 80 or more offensive plays.
He Said It: “Time of possession doesn’t mean crap. It’s production time when you have it. That was poor.” — Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians
What’s Next: The Cardinals return home to University of Phoenix Stadium to host the New York Giants on Christmas Eve.
San Francisco 49ers 25, Tennessee Titans 23
Robbie Gould hit a 45-yard field goal, his sixth of the game, as time expired, lifting the 49ers to a third consecutive win.
The fourth quarter was a wild one. Tennessee took a 20-16 lead on a Marcus Mariota-to-Rishard Matthews touchdown pass with 13:31 left.
Gould would then hit field goals from 50 and 48 to put San Francisco up 22-20 with just over three minutes left. Tennessee’s Ryan Succop answered with a 50-yarder of his own with 67 seconds left.
But that left just enough time for 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who drove his team 48 yards on seven plays to get into Gould’s range, and the kicker did the rest.
Stat of the Game: Garoppolo, making just his third start for the Niners since being acquired in a trade with the New England Patriots, threw for a career-high 381 yards. It’s the most passing yards allowed by the Titans in a game this season. Garoppolo is now 5-0 as a starter in his NFL career, joining Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger as the only two active quarterbacks to win their first five career starts.
He Said It: “I love it when they blitz us like that — it makes everything easier.” — Garoppolo
What’s Next: The 49ers host the AFC South-leading Jacksonville Jaguars at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
Award Winners
Offensive Player of the Week: Todd Gurley, RB, Los Angeles Rams – The third-year back averaged 7.2 yards per carry in racking up a season-high 152 yards rushing.
Defensive Player of the Week: Aaron Donald, DT, Los Angeles Rams – This dude is a beast. Donald had five tackles, three sacks for 37 yards in losses, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble in the Rams’ romp in Seattle.
Special Teams Player of the Week: Robbie Gould, K, San Francisco 49ers – Six field goals (first time he’s ever done that), three of which came in the fourth quarter, including the 48-yard game-winner.
Standings
Team | Wins | Losses | Ties | Points For | Points Against |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
10 | 4 | 0 | 438 | 272 | |
8 | 6 | 0 | 321 | 394 | |
6 | 8 | 0 | 246 | 337 | |
4 | 10 | 0 | 253 | 337 |