Falcons topple Rams to keep dreams alive
Titans edge out Chiefs in a thrilling play-off opener
The Atlanta Falcons kept their bid for Super Bowl redemption on track on Saturday with a 26-13 victory over the upstart Los Angeles Rams in the first round of the NFL play-offs.
Matt Bryant booted four field goals and the Falcons defence kept the explosive Rams offence in check as the Falcons booked a second-round clash with the National Football Conference top seeds Philadelphia.
In American Football Conference action, the Tennessee Titans rallied from an 18-point deficit to beat the Chiefs 22-21 in Kansas City.
The Chiefs haven’t won a home play-off game since January of 1994 — and have now gone 0-6 since then at Arrowhead Stadium in the postseason.
With the Rams in their second season back in Los Angeles, the Southern California city was hosting a play-off game for the first time since the Raiders made it to the postseason in 1994. The Falcons, devastated by the New England Patriots comeback victory in last season’s Super Bowl, squeaked into the play-offs after an erratic season.
But their experience paid off against a young Rams team that had earned the third seed in the NFC. Devonta Freeman rushed for a touchdown for the Falcons and quarterback Matt Ryan added a scoring pass to Julio Jones — an eight-yarder that gave Atlanta a 26-13 lead with 5:48 remaining.
The vaunted Rams offence, meanwhile, produced just one touchdown.
Quarter-back Jared Goff
Saturday’s games: American Football Conference
Tennessee Atlanta 22 26 KansasCity
National Football Conference
LA Rams 21 13 completed 24 of 45 passes for 259 yards, including a 14yard touchdown pass to rookie Cooper Kupp that pulled the Rams within 13-7 with 2:34 left in the first half.
A Sam Ficken field goal pulled the Rams within 13-10 at halftime, and Ficken booted a 32-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter to narrow the gap to 19-13 before the Falcons closed out their methodical victory.
There was drama in Kansas City, where Tennessee quarterback Marcus Mariota’s exploits included catching a touchdown pass from himself.
The Titans advance to a divisional game against either the Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots or the Pittsburgh Steelers.