BEATEN & BATTERED
Titans fall to Rams, who rule NFC West
NASHVILLE — The Los Angeles Rams and first-year coach Sean McVay saved their real celebration for the locker room.
That’s where McVay, at age 31 the youngest coach in modern NFL history, channeled professional wrestling legend Ric Flair after the Rams clinched the franchise’s first NFC West title since 2003 by beating the Tennessee Titans 27-23 on Sunday.
“When you find a way to come on the road and finish up your road record 7-1 and win a division title, there’s only one thing you can say: Woooo! One more: Woooo!” McVay yelled before telling players they would be off until Wednesday.
Los Angeles trailed 23-20 before Jared Goff threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Cooper Kupp with 11:41 left. The Rams (11-4) came in needing to beat the Titans or have Seattle lose to secure the division championship and their first playoff berth in 14 years. They took care of business themselves, and running back Todd Gurley and Goff led the way again.
Gurley bolstered his résumé for the league’s MVP award with 118 rushing yards and 158 receiving yards with two touchdowns, including a screen pass he took 80 yards for the longest reception of his career. The former University of Georgia standout became only the third player in NFL history to put together such a performance in the same game, joining Ollie Matson (1954) and Herschel Walker (1986).
Goff, who passed for 301 yards and four touchdowns against the Titans, was asked about the prospect of Gurley being the MVP.
“He is in my book,” Goff said. “If there’s anyone out there that’s a running back that deserves it, he’s the guy.”
The Titans (8-7) extended their losing streak to three games, damaging their chances of ending their own playoff drought, which stretches to 2008. The loss handed the AFC South title to Jacksonville — which was busy losing in San Francisco — and Tennessee will host the Jaguars next Sunday in the regular-season finale needing a win to reach the postseason.
“We still have an opportunity to get into the playoffs,” Tennessee coach Mike Mularkey said, “and that is the next objective.”
The Titans had the ball and a chance to win late in the game. On fourthand-4 at the Rams’ 44, Marcus Mariota rolled right and chucked the ball incomplete under pressure from Connor Barwin. The Rams ran out the final 1:35 for their second straight victory and fourth in five games.
Tennessee’s losses during its skid have come by a combined 11 points, and now the pressure is truly on.
“Unfortunately, we kind of put ourselves in this situation,” Mariota said. “But we’re in it, and we’ve just got to go out there again, put one together — put a full, complete game together as a team — and see what happens.”
The Titans’ penchant for settling for field goals this season was costly once again.
They had four trips inside the Rams’ 20 and scored only one offensive touchdown, with that coming on DeMarco Murray’s 6-yard run in the third quarter. Tennessee’s Ryan Succop kicked three field goals and missed a 45-yard attempt wide right.
Linebacker Wesley Woodyard scored Tennessee’s first defensive touchdown of the season on a 4-yard fumble return.
“When you play a team that scores a lot of points,
you’ve got to score a lot of points, and obviously that was the difference in the game,” Mularkey said.
While the Titans at least got points from special teams, the Rams struggled in that department. Greg Zuerlein was placed on injured reserve this past Wednesday, and Los Angeles really missed its Pro Bowl kicker.
Instead of letting Sam Ficken kick with the Rams at the Tennessee 32 on their opening drive, they were flagged for delay of game, a penalty the Titans declined. Then punter Johnny Hekker’s pass intended for Michael Thomas was batted down. Ficken also missed his first extra-point attempt.
When the Rams turned first-and-goal at the Titans’ 7 into fourth-and-18, McVay sent Ficken out to attempt a 36-yard field goal. The kick bounced off the right upright and was no good.
The Rams forced a turnover on the opening drive for the eighth time this season. Linebacker Cory Littleton, who started with Mark Barron scratched from the lineup, intercepted Mariota on the Titans’ second play from scrimmage.
In addition to the game, the Titans might have lost their starting running back. Murray was helped to the sideline with 2:23 left with an injured right knee. Mularkey said Murray will have an MRI, but it doesn’t look good.