Rams win at Buffalo to stay in playoff hunt
BY JOHN WAWROW Associated Press
Monday, December 10, 2012
12/10/12 at 3:27 AM
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. - Unbeaten in their division, Sam Bradford and the St. Louis Rams are starting to show they can win anywhere - including cold and wet Buffalo - to stay in the playoff race.
Bradford capped a 14-play, 84-yard drive with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Gibson with 48 seconds left in a 15-12 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
"I think it says a lot about the maturity of the team," Bradford said. "I think this team grew up a little bit more today."
For Bradford, the 2010 No. 1 draft pick out of Oklahoma, enjoyed his second consecutive fourth-quarter comeback victory after rallying the Rams to a 16-13 overtime win over San Francisco last weekend.
And this time it happened outside the comforts of their climate-controlled dome, and on an afternoon that featured temperatures in the high 30s, and a drizzle that fell through much of the second half.
The Rams (6-6-1) stayed in the playoff hunt by winning three in a row for the first time since 2006. They improved to 2-6 outside the NFC West by winning for the second time on the road this season, and 9-26-1 since 2007.
"I think a lot of the guys this year have more confidence and they're more determined," tight end Lance Kendricks said. "They want it. They want it more than the other team."
Bradford finished 19-of-39 for 209 yards and an interception. Steven Jackson had 64 yards rushing and scored on a 1-yard plunge, while Gibson made six catches for 100 yards.
Bradford delivered in the clutch by converting a pair of third-down attempts, including a third-and-10 by threading a 15-yard pass to Gibson, and a fourth-and-1.
On the touchdown, Bradford rifled a pass over the middle that a leaping Gibson caught just a step ahead of rookie cornerback Ron Brooks.
"Sam's not a guy who gets flustered," coach Jeff Fisher said.
The Bills (5-8) did.
Their defense squandered a lead in the final two minutes at home for the second time this season after unraveling in familiar fashion in a 35-34 loss to Tennessee on Oct. 21.
Safety George Wilson twice had chances to intercept Bradford on the final drive, only to drop the ball each time.
"You have to be a finisher in this league," Wilson said. "Those are the plays you replay over and over in your head, wishing that the ball would've bounced your way."
Original Print Headline: Rams stay in hunt with win at Bills
