The Los Angeles Rams absorbed a jarring jolt late in regulation Sunday.
It merely paved the way for a fulfilling finish.
Harrison Mevis kicked a game-ending 42-yard field goal with 3:19 left in overtime and Kyren Williams rushed for two touchdowns to lift the visiting Rams to a 20-17 victory against the Chicago Bears in a snowy and windy NFC divisional playoff.
Los Angeles, the fifth seed, advanced to face the top-seeded Seahawks in the NFC championship game on Jan. 25 in Seattle.
“It was a beautiful game. The weather, everything about this; it just felt like the playoffs,” Rams wide receiver Davante Adams said. “And we came out on the right side of it, so that’s even better.”
Chicago finished a resurgent season under first-year coach Ben Johnson, ultimately falling short after rallying to tie the game with 18 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
“Yeah, we won the NFC North, tried to get the No. 1 seed, ended up being the No. 2 seed, got a couple home (playoff) games here. … No one expected us to be here, but we did it,” Bears safety Jaquan Brisker said. “We can hang our heads up high, but the losing part is tough.”
Los Angeles drove for the winning field goal after Kamren Curl intercepted Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, who threw three picks, including two to Cobie Durant.
“It was just playing together,” Curl said. “We trust each other. … We came to show what we can do. We make plays.”
Los Angeles took a 17-10 lead on Kyren Williams’ 5-yard touchdown run with 8:50 remaining in regulation. After gaining just 89 yards on six drives following its opening possession, the Rams marched 91 yards in 14 plays.
Chicago drove to the Los Angeles 2 on its ensuing possession, but Omar Speights thwarted the threat by breaking up Caleb Williams’ fourth-down pass intended for Luther Burden III with 3:03 remaining.
The Bears forced a Rams punt, which set up the latest display of Chicago’s late-game heroics. The Bears, who set an NFL record this season with seven comebacks while trailing in the final two minutes, tied the game on a 14-yard touchdown pass from Caleb Williams to Cole Kmet with 18 seconds to play. Williams released the pass from around the LA 40 amid a heavy Rams pass rush.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford was 20-for-42 for 258 yards while Kyren Williams gained 87 yards on 21 carries. Puka Nacua had five catches for 56 yards and Colby Parkinson had three receptions for 56 yards.
Stafford had completions of 15, 12, and 16 yards on the final possession, leaving Adams to lobby for the veteran quarterback’s league MVP candidacy after the game. That award is based off regular-season results, of course, where Stafford boosted his bid in a pair of games against the Seahawks, passing for five touchdowns against zero interceptions.
The NFC West rivals split the series, with each team prevailing on its home field. Los Angeles edged visiting Seattle 21-19 in Week 11 before the Seahawks returned the favor with a 38-37 overtime victory in Week 16.
Host Seattle routed fellow division foe San Francisco 41-6 in a divisional playoff game on Saturday.
“Hey, look, we’ve got to come out. We know what (the Seahawks are) about. They’ve got a great team, and I mean, they’ve got a lot of threats,” Adams said. “But at the end of the day, we feel like we’re the best team in football when we’re doing what we’ve got to do. So, we’ve just got to go out and handle business.”
Caleb Williams was 23 of 42 for 257 yards and two scores, and he also rushed five times for 40 yards. Teammate D’Andre Swift had 19 carries for 76 yards and Colston Loveland caught four passes for 56 yards.
The Rams and Bears played to a 10-all tie in the first half. Los Angeles opened the scoring when Kyren Williams rushed for a 4-yard touchdown with 6:20 remaining in the first quarter, punctuating a 14-play, 85-yard opening drive.
–Field Level Media
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