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Lindsey ThiryESPN
DETROIT — Jared Goff appeared to be sleepwalking across the turf at Ford Field, but the Los Angeles Rams offense did just enough to wake their quarterback from his slumber.
The Rams outlasted the Detroit Lions, 30-16, on Sunday to clinch the NFC West for a second consecutive season, becoming back-to-back division champions for the first time since 1979.
The Rams (11-1) are the first team since the San Francisco 49ers in 2011 to wrap up the NFC West by Week 13, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
With the win, the Rams also remain in control of NFC home-field advantage in the playoffs after the Dallas Cowboys defeated the New Orleans Saints at AT&T Stadium on Thursday, which dropped the Saints to 10-2.
Coming off a bye and playing their first game in the Eastern time zone this season, the Rams’ offense appeared out of sync, and lacked urgency throughout most of Sunday’s game.
The Lions held the Rams, who averaged 35.4 points and 448.6 total yards per game through 12 weeks, to 277 total yards through three quarters, before the Rams woke up in the fourth to finish with 344 total yards.
Goff threw his seventh interception of the season, and suffered his second lost sack-fumble in as many games. The third-year quarterback completed 17 of 33 passes for 207 yards and a touchdown. He was sacked twice.
Todd Gurley rushed for 132 yards and two touchdowns. Brandin Cooks became the first Rams receiver to surpass 1,000 receiving yards this season after he caught four passes for 62 yards.
Aaron Donald strip-sacked Matthew Stafford in the fourth quarter, as he continued his campaign to repeat as the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year. Donald sacked Stafford twice, and has 16.5 sacks this season, the most by a defensive tackle through 12 games since 1982, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
The Rams return to the Midwest next Sunday to face the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on Sunday Night Football.