McCaffrey throws, catches, rushes for TDs, Niners rout Rams
Christian McCaffrey became the 11th player in NFL history with a rushing touchdown, a passing touchdown and a receiving touchdown in one game, and the San Francisco 49ers extended their regular-season mastery over the Rams to four full years with a 31-14 victory over Los Angeles.
Stafford throws 3 TD passes, Rams edge Goff's Lions 28-19
Matthew Stafford passed for 334 yards and three touchdowns against his former team, and Jalen Ramsey made an end zone interception on his 27th birthday with five minutes left in the Los Angeles Ramsโ 28-19 victory over Jared Goff and the winless Detroit Lions.
Top cornerbacks standing out on NFL's Super Bowl hopefuls
Nearly every team still vying for the Super Bowl has an elite cornerback often capable of shutting down an opponent's top receiver all by himself. The NFC playoff bracket has three of the conference's four Pro Bowl cornerbacks: Green Bay's Jaire Alexander, Los Angeles' Jalen Ramsey and New Orleans' Marshon Lattimore. Staley's scheme has employed Ramsey in multiple roles throughout the season, and his job often changes from play to play. Oddly enough, the remaining playoff team perceived to have the least dominant cornerbacks is defending champion Kansas City, the favorite to make it back to the Super Bowl. โSome of the best cornerbacks happen to play on the best teams, thatโs all I can say,โ Bills safety Micah Hyde said.
Rams get better of division rivals, toppling Seahawks 30-20
They watched less than two weeks ago as the Seattle Seahawks loudly celebrated a division title the Rams felt they gave away. No team was better at limiting yards or points than the Rams (11-6) and they continued to torment Wilson and the Seahawks (12-5). The victory sent the Rams into next weekโs divisional playoff round, likely at top-seeded Green Bay unless Chicago upsets New Orleans. His heart, his passion for the game is special,โ Rams left tackle Andrew Whitworth said. Seahawks: will head into an offseason filled with questions after winning the division but experiencing another early playoff exit.
Aaron Donald, Travis Kelce unanimous AP All-Pro Team choices
Donald was selected Friday, Jan. 8, 2021, to The Associated Press All-Pro Team. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear, File)Dynamic defensive star Aaron Donald and unstoppable tight end Travis Kelce are unanimous choices Friday for The Associated Press NFL All-Pro Team. It is the sixth All-Pro selection for Donald, who has helped the Los Angeles Rams to the top-ranked defense in the NFL, and the third for Kansas City's record-setting Kelce. Rounding out the offense are Cleveland right tackle Jack Conklin (second selection), and Washington right guard Brandon Scherff (first). The long snapper position is new to the All-Pro Team in 2020, and Baltimore's Morgan Cox is the choice.
Rodgers leads Pack to top of NFC after draft disappointment
(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)The NFC playoff field features the usual cast of quarterbacks in Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and Russell Wilson. Last Lombardi: Super Bowl 45, 31-25 over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Feb. 6, 2011, at Arlington, Texas. Last Lombardi: Super Bowl 48, 43-8 over the Denver Broncos on Feb. 2, 2014, at East Rutherford, N.J. Last year: No. The Bearsโ leading tackler left in the first quarter of the Green Bay game with an elbow injury. DBs Buster Skrine, rookie Jaylon Johnson and Deon Bush missed the loss to Green Bay.
LA Rams' top-ranked defense still rolling as playoffs loom
He might find a moment after the Rams (10-6) finish their playoff run, which begins Saturday at Seattle. But Rams fans already appreciate a defense that topped the NFL in several important categories and excelled at nearly everything during a remarkable season. 1 in total yards allowed, yards passing allowed, passing TDs allowed, first downs allowed and points allowed while becoming the Rams' first top-ranked NFL defense in decades. โWe're proud of the way we've competed,โ Staley said Tuesday as the Rams began preparations for their trip to Seattle. ... LT Andrew Whitworth has a shot to return this week after tearing ligaments in his knee during the Rams' first meeting with Seattle in November.
Wolford, defense lead Rams past Arizona 18-7, into playoffs
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Robert Woods, left, catches a pass against Arizona Cardinals middle linebacker Jordan Hicks (58) during the first half of an NFL football game in Inglewood, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021. It ended with the inexperienced quarterback fearlessly leading the Los Angeles Rams back to the playoffs. And though Wolford capably did his part, everybody in the Rams' jubilant locker room realized they owed this achievement to a dominant defense that scored as many points as the Rams' offense โ and a couple more than the Arizona Cardinals โ in Los Angeles' 18-7 victory Sunday. Wolford passed for 231 yards and rushed for 56 more, producing many moments of excitement in place of injured Jared Goff. Wolford racked up 47 yards rushing in the first half โ more than Goff managed in any game of his five-year career.
Big plays help Dolphins beat Rams 28-17 in Tua's 1st start
He entertained those along the bench by dancing after the Miami Dolphins' first touchdown, and greeted 5-foot-6 Jakeem Grant with a leaping chest bump to the face mask after another score. The early 33-yard scoring drive was the Dolphins' longest, as the big lead allowed them to keep Tagovailoa mostly under wraps. We tried to make him see a lot of different things, and for the most part it worked.โThe Rams' defense received little support from their offense, though. โWe heard a lot about the Rams' defense," Miami safety Eric Rowe said, โbut they had to worry about our defense.โINJURIESTwo-time Rams Pro Bowl cornerback Jalen Ramsey became ill before the game and didnโt play. ANTHEMFifteen Rams players knelt during โThe Star-Spangled Banner.โ The Dolphins stayed in the locker room during the national anthem.
Bears' offense seeks answers after poor showing against Rams
โI donโt ever remember having our own defense score more than our offense,โ Nagy said. โThatโs thatโs thatโs hard to do. But the offense has averaged 16 points per game in Folesโ four starts since, and heโs getting little help from the players around him. The offensive line struggled against the strong front of the Rams (5-2), producing just 2.9 yards per carry. Foles was sacked four times, twice at the hands of former Bears linebacker Leonard Floyd, and he threw two interceptions.
Rams dominate matchup of tough defenses, beat Bears 24-10
Josh Reynolds and Gerald Everett caught touchdown passes from Jared Goff, and the Rams won a matchup of dominant defenses, beating the Bears 24-10 on Monday night. โWe proved that we were the better defense today,โ Floyd said after a six-tackle performance in his first game against Chicago since the Bears released him last offseason. After his first sack, Floyd jumped up and went toward the Bears sideline, shouting and gesticulating at the team that let him go. Weโre just one tight unit right now.โThe Rams led 10-3 at halftime after holding the Bears to 126 yards. ... TE Tyler Higbee was inactive with a hand injury, missing his second game since 2016.
Texans stop Jags' 2-point conversion to get 13-12 win
HOUSTON (AP) - Justin Reid stopped Leonard Fournette on a 2-point conversion attempt with 36 seconds left, and the Houston Texans held on to edge the Jacksonville Jaguars 13-12 on Sunday. The Texans led 3-0 after a field goal with about two minutes left in the first quarter. FOR KICKSThe Jaguars tied it with a field goal with about three minutes left in the first half. Houston took a 6-3 lead into halftime thanks to another field goal as time expired in the second quarter. But they only got one play off after that before the field goal as coach Bill O'Brien didn't call a timeout despite having two.