Los Angeles—The San Francisco 49ers punched their ticket to the NFL post-season for the second time in eight years on Sunday, rallying from a 17-point deficit for a thrilling 27-24 overtime win over the Los Angeles Rams.
The 49ers, who started the season 3-5, were down 17-0 in the first half against the Rams before they orchestrated one of the biggest comebacks of the NFL regular season which wrapped up Sunday with an strong slate of playoff landscape changing games.
“We are dangerous, real dangerous. It is about to get scary, let’s go,” said Niners running back Deebo Samuel, who ran for a touchdown and also finished off a trick play by throwing for one.
The 49ers locked up the number six seed in the NFC playoffs and will face the Dallas Cowboys in their first game of the playoffs next week.
The Rams clinched the NFC West title despite the defeat, but they dropped to the No. 4 seed in the NFC.
Sunday’s see-saw win in Los Angeles was the 49ers’ sixth straight victory over the Rams.
Gritty quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo played through a painful thumb injury, completing 23-of-32 passes for 316 yards with a touchdown.
“It was tested,” Garoppolo said of the thumb. “We got the win and that is all that matters.”
Garoppolo drove the 49ers down the field in overtime setting the stage for Robbie Gould’s game-winning field goal from 24 yards.
San Francisco cornerback Ambry Thomas helped seal the win late in the fourth with his first career interception.
“Just a special moment,” said Garoppolo. “The guys came together, made huge plays on third down, stepped up on defense and Ambry had a great interception.
“We go to Dallas now and I know the guys are ready.”
Elsewhere, Ryan Tannehill threw four touchdown passes as the Tennessee Titans secured a top seed in the playoffs by holding on to beat the Houston Texans 28-25.
Tannehill tossed three of his four touchdowns in the first half as the Titans, who are back-to-back AFC South division champions, started quickly by jumping out to a 21-0 lead then outlasted the Texans.
The Titans finished the regular season atop the AFC at 12-5 to capture a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the post-season.
“We knew what we were playing for,” Tannehill said. “We found a way to make plays down the stretch when we needed it and that’s why I’m proud of our guys.”
If the Titans had lost Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs would have claimed the number one spot in the AFC. The Green Bay Packers had already sealed the top seed in the NFC.
Tennessee grabbed a 21-point lead but Houston went to work, reeling off 18 consecutive points, closing the gap to just three points in the final quarter.
After Tannehill connected with receiver Julio Jones for a three-yard touchdown, the Texans trimmed the deficit again on a Davis Mills 26-yard touchdown pass to Danny Amendola.
Steelers stay alive
Elsewhere, it was almost a lock that Ben Roethlisberger’s last dance won’t be on Sunday after the Pittsburgh Steelers kept their playoff hopes alive by edging the Baltimore Ravens 16-13 in overtime.
The win, coupled with the Jacksonville Jaguars’ 26-11 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, meant the Steelers would make the playoffs as long as the San Diego Chargers-Las Vegas Raiders game on Sunday night didn’t end in a tie.
Kicker Chris Boswell booted a 36-yard field goal with just under two minutes left in overtime to lift the Steelers to victory.
Roethlisberger, who likely will retire at the end of this season, set up the winning kick when he completed a 10-yard pass over the middle to Ray-Ray McCloud for a clutch first down.
The Ravens were missing superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson, who missed a fourth straight game with an ankle injury.
In the second quarter, Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt made a sack to tie Michael Strahan’s single-season record of 22 1/2 sacks.
The Jaguars, meanwhile, secured the first pick in the NFL entry draft despite knocking the Colts out of playoff contention because Detroit upset Green Bay.
In Phoenix, Rashaad Penny rushed for 190 yards and a touchdown as the Seattle Seahawks played the role of spoiler by beating Arizona 38-30 and denying the Cardinals a shot at the NFC West title.
The Buffalo Bills, who had already secured a playoff spot in week 17, clinched the AFC East with a 27-10 win over the New York Jets.
