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Todd
Gurley-led
Rams
beat
Lions
30-16,
clinch
NFC West
title
By
LARRY
LAGE
APNews.con
DETROIT
- Todd
Gurley
ran for
132
yards
and two
touchdowns
to help
the Los
Angeles
Rams
overcome
a
sputtering
start to
beat the
Detroit
Lions
30-16
Sunday
and
clinch
the NFC
West
title
for a
second
straight
season.
The
Rams
(11-1)
also
moved a
step
closer
to
earning
home-field
advantage
in the
NFC
playoffs,
taking a
one-game
lead
over New
Orleans
after it
lost to
Dallas
on
Thursday
night.
It is a
cushion
Los
Angeles
needs
because
its only
loss was
against
the
Saints
last
month.
The
Lions
(4-8)
have
lost
five of
six
since a
surge of
success
gave
them a
winning
record
in late
October.
Detroit’s
defense
held Los
Angeles’
high-powered
offense
in check
for
three
quarters,
giving
the
slumping
team a
shot to
potentially
pull off
a
stunning
upset.
The
Lions,
though,
failed
to make
the most
of the
opportunity
because
their
offense
struggled
to move
the ball
and
score.
Aaron
Donald
helped
seal the
win by
forcing
Matthew
Stafford
to
fumble
midway
through
the
fourth
quarter.
The star
defensive
tackle
had two
strip-sacks
in his
last
game on
Nov. 19,
a 54-51
win over
Kansas
City.
Linebacker
Samson
Ebukam
recovered
Stafford’s
fumble
at the
Detroit
24 and
Gurley
scored
on a
13-yard
run
three
snaps
later,
giving
the Rams
a 23-13
lead.
Jared
Goff,
perhaps
rusty
coming
off a
bye
week,
was off
the mark
on many
passes
and lost
a fumble
to help
keep the
game
close.
His
lackluster
performance
led to
Los
Angeles
settling
for Greg
Zuerlein
kicking
three
field
goals.
Goff was
17 of 33
for 207
yards
with a
tie-breaking
8-yard
touchdown
pass to
Robert
Woods
late in
the
second
quarter.
Goff
also
threw an
interception
on an
overthrown
pass in
the
second
quarter
and lost
a fumble
in the
third
period.
The
Rams
were
able to
lean on
Gurley,
who has
a
single-season
franchise
record
with 15
rushing
touchdowns.
The
standout
running
back
also
caught
three
passes
for 33
yards.
Stafford
was 20
of 33
yards
for 245
yards
with an
11-yard
touchdown
pass to
tackle
Taylor
Decker,
who
faked
the Rams
out by
blocking
for a
moment
before
releasing
into the
flat,
where he
was wide
open.
Decker’s
touchdown
pulled
Detroit
within
three
points
late in
the
third
quarter.
The
Lions
had a
chance
to cut
the
deficit
to three
again
late in
the
game,
but
Kenny
Golladay
couldn’t
get both
feet in
the end
zone on
a pass
from
Stafford.
They had
settle
for Matt
Prater’s
third
field
goal.
Gurley
converted
a third
down on
the
ensuing
drive
and
after
breaking
free, he
chose
not to
score to
run more
time off
the
clock
and
force
Detroit
to take
timeouts.
It
proved a
good
move
because
Gurley
ran for
a 2-yard
score
with
1:54
left.
The
Lions’
final
drive
that
ended
with
Troy
Hill
intercepting
a pass
in the
end zone
with 12
seconds
left.
INJURY
REPORT
Rams: RB
Malcom
Brown
left
with a
shoulder
injury.
CB Aqib
Talib
played
for the
first
time
since
going
down
with an
ankle
injury
in Week
3.
Lions:
LB Devon
Kennard
went out
with a
hip
injury.
UP
NEXT
Rams:
Play at
Chicago
on
Sunday
night.
Lions:
Play at
Arizona
on
Sunday.
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