The sixth-seeded Los Angeles Rams lost starting quarterback John Wolford to a neck injury in the first quarter of Saturday's NFC wild-card game at Seattle -- one that caused enough concern he was taken to a local hospital as a precaution, according to the team.
In the third quarter, they lost their best player, defensive lineman Aaron Donald to a rib injury.
But with regular starting QB Jared Goff coming on despite recent thumb surgery, Cam Akers running wild and the No. 1 overall defense swarming, the visiting Rams still eliminated Russell Wilson and the third-seeded Seahawks 30-20.
The Rams clinched it by recovering a fumbled punt with 7:02 remaining while holding a 23-13 lead. A few minutes later, Goff hit a wide-open Robert Woods in the left corner of the end zone for a 15-yard scoring pass and 30-13 lead.
Akers, a rookie from Florida State, gained 131 yards on 28 carries with one touchdown. He caught two passes for 45 more yards.
Goff finished 9 of 19 for 155 yards and a touchdown and no interceptions.
Matt Gay added three field goals, and Darious Williams returned an interception 42 yards for a touchdown. That was one of two takeaways for the defense to go with five sacks, including one on Seattle's final play of the game.
Anyone following coach Sean McVay's head coaching career would have seen this coming after the second quarter. Under McVay, the Rams came in with a 36-0 record when holding the lead at halftime.
Saturday at the half? They led 20-10.
The Seahawks, known for their boisterous crowds, lost a home playoff game after winning 10 in a row. This time the stadium was empty.
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