LOS ANGELES_No major mistakes on offense. Only a few lapses on defense. And none on special teams.
The Los Angeles Rams showed on Saturday night that they learned from their 2017 playoff flameout and moved to within one victory of playing in the Super Bowl.
C.J. Anderson and Todd Gurley combined to rush for 238 yards and three touchdowns, Greg Zuerlein kicked three field goals and the Rams controlled Ezekiel Elliott en route to a 30-22 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in an NFC divisional playoff game before more than 77,187 at the Coliseum.
It marked the first playoff victory for Rams coach Sean McVay, quarterback Jared Goff, Gurley and others who were on the losing end of last season's wild-card defeat by the Atlanta Falcons.
"A step in the right direction," McVay said.
The Rams advance to the NFC championship game to play the winner of Sunday's divisional-round game between the top-seeded New Orleans Saints and the Philadelphia Eagles.
If the Saints beat the Eagles, the game will be played at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. If the Eagles win, the game will be played at the Coliseum next Sunday.
The Rams lost to both during the regular season.
Riding an eight-game winning streak, the Rams went to New Orleans aiming to make a statement about NFC supremacy. But future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees picked them apart. The Rams, however, came back from a 21-point deficit before losing, 45-35, and they left New Orleans feeling confident they could beat the Saints in a rematch.
"This game here right here might be a blessing in a disguise," defensive lineman Michael Brockers said.
The Rams were coming off a road loss to the Chicago Bears when they faced the Eagles at the Coliseum on Dec. 16. Gurley played through a knee injury, but Goff remained in a slump and the Rams lost 30-23.
"We got to be able to figure this out," McVay said after the defeat, "and figure it out fast."
With Anderson filling in for Gurley, the Rams and Goff bounced back with consecutive victories over the Arizona Cardinals and the San Francisco 49ers, earning a bye through the wild-card round of the playoffs and setting the stage for Saturday's game.
The Cowboys boasted the NFL's fifth-best rushing defense during the season, and limited the Seattle Seahawks, the league's top rushing team, to only 73 yards in a wild-card victory last week.
That did not stop the Rams from running through the front seven.
Anderson rushed for 123 yards and two touchdowns in 23 carries while Gurley ran for 115 yards and a touchdown in 16 carries. The Rams outgained the Cowboys in total yards, 459-308.
Goff completed 15 of 28 passes for 186 yards, and scrambled for a late first down that helped secure the victory.
Elliott, the NFL's leading rusher for the second time in three seasons, was limited to 47 yards and a touchdown in 21 carries.
Quarterback Dak Prescott completed 20 of 32 passes for 266 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for a touchdown.
The Rams built a 20-7 halftime lead on two Zuerlein field goals and touchdown runs by Anderson and Gurley.
They extended the lead with another field goal before Prescott connected with receiver Michael Gallup on a long pass play that set up Elliott's short touchdown run. Prescott's pass to Cooper for a two-point conversion pulled the Cowboys to within, 23-15.
The Cowboys threatened again, but on the first play of the fourth quarter, the Rams stopped Elliott on a fourth-and-one play.
The Rams took over and used more than seven minutes on a scoring drive that Anderson finished with his second touchdown.
Prescott answered with a scoring drive that he capped with a one-yard run, again cutting the deficit to eight points.
The Rams got the ball with 2 minutes and 11 seconds left and were able to run out the clock.
Gurley and Anderson carried the load on the opening possession as the Rams drove the Cowboys' seven-yard line. But Goff's third-down pass for tight end Gerald Everett in the end zone fell short, and the Rams settled for a field goal.
Prescott answered immediately, moving the Cowboys to midfield, where on fourth down, Elliott ran for a first down. Rams cornerback Marcus Peters also penalized for a personal foul after tangling with Cooper.
On the next play, Prescott passed to Cooper on a crossing route, and Cooper scored on a 29-yard touchdown for a 7-3 lead.
Goff started to find a bit of a rhythm on the next drive, finding Robert Woods and Cooks a few times before Anderson broke off an 11-yard run to the nine-yard line.
A Goff pass to Cooks initially was ruled a touchdown, but it was overturned when replays showed Cooks did not have possession. Two plays later, Goff could not complete a pass to Cooks in the far corner of the end zone, and Zuerlein came on for another field goal.
The Rams forced a punt and Goff began putting together strings of passes. He found Cooks for 20 yards and also connected with Woods and tight end Tyler Higbee. On second and 10 from the 15-yard line, Anderson ran for 14 yards. On the next play, he scored on a one-yard run for a 13-7 lead.
The Cowboys went three and out, and Gurley put his mark on the game. He took a handoff from Goff, ran up the middle and then cut to his left on the way to a 35-yard touchdown.
