Falcons and the Titans march on in the play-offs

Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons showed the upstart Los Angeles Rams what playoff poise in the NFL is all about.

Ryan passed for 218 yards and hit Julio Jones for an eight-yard touchdown with 5:48 to play as the defending NFC champion Falcons advanced from the wild-card round with a methodical 2613 victory over the Rams on Saturday.

Joining them are the Tennessee Titans, who came from 18 points behind to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs 22-21.

Devonta Freeman rushed for an early score and Matt Bryant kicked four field goals for the Falcons (11-6), who spoiled the Rams’ first play-off game in 13 years by showing off the post-season poise they earned from last season’s journey to the Super Bowl.

“This game’s kind of the way our season’s been, tough,” Ryan said. “We had to grind it out. We ran the football well. Our guys up front played so hard. Then in the second half we started to get it going. So, I’m just proud of it.”

Atlanta never trailed at the Los Angeles Coliseum in winning play-off games in consecutive seasons for the first time in franchise history. The Falcons advance to face the top-seeded Eagles on January 13 in Philadelphia.

“Doesn’t matter where we’re going,” Ryan said. “We’re going. And that’s the most exciting part.”

The Falcons jumped to an early 13-0 lead while capitalising on two early fumbles by Pharoh Cooper, the Rams’ Pro Bowl kick returner.

The Falcons’ defence did more than enough to slow down the NFL’s highest-scoring offense, harassing Jared Goff into a 24-for-45 performance in his play-off debut.

Robert Woods caught nine passes for 142 yards for the NFC West champion Rams (11-6), but rookie Cooper Kupp scored the only touchdown late in the first half.

Atlanta held MVP candidate Todd Gurley to 101 yards rushing — just 43 in the first three quarters — and four receptions for a mere 10 yards.

At Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Marcus Mariota did everything to help the Titans advance, with two touchdown passes and running for crucial first-downs in providing the spark needed to rally from a 21-3 half time hole.

He even caught one of his own touchdown passes.

It all added up to a heart-stopping 22-21 victory over the Chiefs on Saturday, the first post-season win for the Titans in 14 years, and quieted talk that Tennessee coach Mike Mularkey’s job was on the line.

After the game Mariota had his coach’s back.

“I think he’s done a great job keeping this team together,” Mariota told ESPN. com.