Rams Beat Browns 26-20, Make Playoffs

Aeneas Williams made two interceptions – the first for a 46-yard touchdown – in a 24-second span just before halftime as St. Louis clinched a spot in the NFC playoffs with a 26-20 win Monday night over the Cleveland Browns.

Williams’ two lightning-quick picks enabled the Rams (10-3) to score 14 points in the final 1:04 of the second quarter, giving St. Louis a 23-7 lead.

“This was certainly amazing,” Williams said. “Who ever sees stuff like that?”

Jeff Wilkins kicked four field goals – 26, 28, 29 and 37 yards – for the Rams, who won have five straight, nine of 10 and advanced to the playoffs for the fourth time in five years.

The win kept St. Louis on pace with Philadelphia in the race for home-field advantage in the playoffs. The Rams can win their third NFC West title next Sunday in St. Louis with a victory over second-place Seattle (8-5).

“This is just one step,” Rams receiver Dane Looker said. “We’re excited but not overly excited.”

St. Louis had to withstand a valiant comeback by the Browns (4-9), who were making their first regular-season appearance on “Monday Night Football” since 1995.

Quarterback Tim Couch replaced Kelly Holcomb and rallied Cleveland, but was stripped of the ball by Rams defensive end Brian Young on fourth down with 1:51 left, and St. Louis ran out the clock.

Marshall Faulk rushed for 102 yards on 24 carries, the fourth straight game the Rams’ do-it-all back has broken 100.

St. Louis went just 7-9 last season, missing the playoffs for the first time since 1998. They’re glad to be going again.

“It’s sweet to get back,” Williams said. “We’ve kind of been under the radar most of the season, which is OK. But the coaches have always talked about what is possible.”

Couch went 6-for-9 for 98 yards and threw a 28-yard TD pass to Quincy Morgan after replacing Holcomb, whose two interceptions in three pass attempts just before halftime doomed the Browns.

“To give up 14 points like that is unforgivable,” said Holcomb, whose first season as a starting quarterback has not gone well. “It’s all on me. You can’t make mistakes like that. They got 14 points off me.”

Following the game, Browns coach Butch Davis refused to say who his starting quarterback would be next week in Denver.

“We’ll talk about it tomorrow. I’m sure we’ll have a decision to make first thing in the morning,” Davis said.

The Browns have been ravaged by injuries all season and they may have lost four more players to season-ending ones.

Kicker Phil Dawson broke his left arm making a tackle in the second half. Right guard Chad Beasley fractured his right ankle on the first drive after halftime.

Also, defensive end Courtney Brown (arm) and running back James Jackson (knee) were injured in the first half and did not return.

But Cleveland didn’t quit, and twice had the ball down 26-20 in the final minutes. Couch, though, couldn’t bring the Browns all the way back and they dropped their fourth straight.

Young’s strip sealed it for St. Louis’ overlooked defense, which recorded five sacks and forced four turnovers.

“Our defense was resilient,” Williams said. “We made stops when we had to.”

The Rams’ offense failed to get into the end zone in the first half, relying on three field goals by Wilkins to take a 9-7 lead before Williams bailed St. Louis out.

The 35-year-old cornerback stepped in front of a pass intended for Quincy Morgan and took it back for his ninth career interception return for a TD and his 12th return for a score – one shy of the career record for defensive TDs held by Oakland’s Rod Woodson.

Two plays later, Williams again picked off Holcomb, bringing it back to the Browns’ 20.

“He baited me on those,” Holcomb said. “I made some bad decisions. You can’t do that.”

St. Louis quarterback Marc Bulger capitalized on the turnover, hitting Isaac Bruce with a 16-yard scoring pass – the only TD scored by the Rams’ offense.

Bulger finished 22-of-36 for 223 yards.

Notes:@ Since moving from Los Angeles to St. Louis in 1995, the Rams are now 30-0 when a player rushes for 100 yards or more. Faulk has 23 of them. … Before the game, a couple was married in the rowdy Dawg Pound bleacher section. … The Browns wore their brown jerseys with orange pants for the first time since Dec. 18, 1983, when they beat Pittsburgh. … Wearing a throwback Jim Brown jersey, Cavaliers rookie LeBron James was interviewed by ABC TV’s Al Michaels at halftime. … Rams LB Robert Thomas strained his groin in the first quarter and didn’t come back.