By Nick Wagoner
Staff Writer

SEATTLE- For the second time this season, the St. Louis Rams made history on the Seattle Seahawks’ home turf.
The first time the Rams did it, they had the benefit of an excellent catch by one of their little-used tight ends. When St. Louis found a formula that worked, it stuck with it, only this time, the cast was slightly altered.

On Oct. 10, Brandon Manumaleuna made a spectacular catch to spur the Rams’ comeback win. On Saturday, it was Cameron Cleeland making the big catch from 17 yards out for the game-winning touchdown. That grab gave the Rams a 27-20 win and made them the first team in NFL history to win a playoff game with an 8-8 record.

St. Louis will move on the face either Philadelphia or Atlanta in the second round after its third win of the season against the Seahawks. If Green Bay beats Minnesota, the Rams travel to Philadelphia. If the Vikings win, St. Louis goes to Atlanta.

It was a classic, back and forth matchup between the NFC West Division rivals that ended with a familiar finish. Once again, quarterback Marc Bulger, calm, cool and poised as ever, led the Rams’ charge. Coach Mike Martz continued to be amazed by Bulger’s poise.

“If you guys could see him on the sideline, if you want somebody in the foxhole with you, if you want somebody to take the last shot at the buzzer, you want it to be Marc,” Martz said. “That’s just his personality, that’s one of the things that really makes him genuinely different and unique from most of the other quarterbacks. He’s very special in that respect.”

Showing no fear of failure or worry of mistakes, Bulger calmly drove the Rams to the tying and winning points after falling behind for the first time all day. After Seattle receiver Darrell Jackson grabbed a 23-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Matt Hasselbeck with 13:43 left, St. Louis faced its first deficit of the game at 20-17.

The unflappable Bulger did what he usually does, staying calm. He promptly marched the Rams to kicker Jeff Wilkins’ 27-yard field goal to tie it at 20. That was just the beginning of Bulger’s crunchtime efforts. After the defense came through with a stop, Bulger and Co. took over at their 24.

Bulger completed a perfectly executed dump off to receiver Shaun McDonald in the flat for 31 yards. He found receiver Kevin Curtis for 13 yards on the next play. After a pair of runs by running back Marshall Faulk gained 7 yards, Bulger did what he has done for most of the season, checking to a huge play instead of settling for a big one.

On third-and-3, Bulger looked to his right for fullback Joey Goodspeed, who was covered. Instead, Bulger caught a Seattle safety slightly out of position and tossed it high to Cleeland. At 6-feet-5, Cleeland outleaped and outreached the defenders, hauling in the winning touchdown. It was Cleeland’s only catch of the game. Afterwards, Martz sounded a lot like he did when asked about Manumaleuna’s circus grab in the first game.

“What a terrific catch that was,” a nearly speechless Martz said.” That’s gotta be an all-timer, huh? How about that catch?”

All told, Bulger completed his final three passes for 61 yards and a touchdown on the winning drive. His final line included 313 passing yards, a pair of touchdowns and a 97.5 quarterback rating. 

Bulger’s continued cool under fire is impressive to everyone. Everyone, that is, but him.

“We have done it so many times, I think six or seven times,” Bulger said.” As long as you stay focused, as long as you don’t think about all of the people and the millions of people at home…You can’t think about that. Fortunately, I have been blessed that I can stay focused. Sometimes after the game, you look back and wonder how you were able to do it”.

Seattle, plagued by dropped balls all season, perhaps fell victim to the same pressure that Bulger alluded to. The Seahawks drove into Rams’ territory. On first-and-10 from the St. Louis 11, defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy picked a perfect time for his first career sack. Kennedy exploded past guard Jerry Wunsch, dropping quarterback Matt Hasselbeck for a 6-yard loss. With one timeout left, Hasselbeck hit receiver Bobby Engram for a 12-yard gain to the Rams’ 5. Seattle was left facing a fourth-and-4.

Hasselbeck found an open Bobby Engram, but Engram couldn’t hang on to the ball. As the ball, the game and the season slipped through Engram’s hands, St. Louis emerged victorious.

The drop proved to be a fitting ending for a team that has struggled in that department all season. Rams’ receiver Isaac Bruce said he doesn’t worry much about Seattle’s drops.

“I hope they drop them,” Bruce said with a sly grin.

For two teams that have built a rivalry over the past few years on par with just about any in football, Saturday’s game will go down as a classic much like the teams’ first meeting at Qwest Field.

It was a back-and-forth battle similar to the way both teams’ seasons have gone. St. Louis jumped ahead and Seattle responded. Later, the Seahawks stole the lead and the Rams responded. With a large crowd of over 65,000, St. Louis faced a difficult task.

Not only had no 8-8 team ever won a playoff game, but the Rams were attempting to win their third game in one season against the same team and do it on the road.

Perhaps not wanting to fall behind like the first meeting or maybe even more because of their desire to take Seattle’s crowd out of the game early, the Rams won the toss and elected to receive. 

Not much later, St. Louis had done what it set out to do, moving 75 yards on six plays in 3:27. On third-and-14 from Seattle’s 15, Bulger found receiver Torry Holt in the middle of the endzone for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead. 

The Seahawks challenged the catch, saying Holt did not have control as he fell to the ground. After a review, the referees ruled that Holt did indeed control the ball and the play stood.

That catch was Holt’s second big grab of the drive, as he hauled in a 52-yard bomb from Bulger just three plays earlier to put the Rams in scoring position.

The receiver known as “Big Game” had another one, finishing with 108 yards on six catches. Curtis joined him with 107 yards on four catches.

It didn’t take long for the Rams to get the ball back, as Hasselbeck fired to receiver Darrell Jackson on the Seahawks’ first play. The ball deflected off Jackson’s hands and cornerback Travis Fisher intercepted it.

With a prime opportunity to take a 14-0 lead, the Rams failed to convert. Bulger’s pass intended for Holt down the left sidelines was intercepted by safety Ken Hamlin. 

After trading punts, the Seahawks marched 45 yards on nine plays for a Josh Brown field goal to make it 7-3 Rams. 

St. Louis countered with a six-play drive that featured a 50-yard completion from Bulger to receiver Kevin Curtis. That play set up running back Marshall Faulk’s 1-yard touchdown run to make it 14-3 St. Louis.

The next drive was an excellent example of the up-and-down ride that this season has been for both teams. On third-and-6 from St. Louis’ 34, Hasselbeck threw to the right for running back Maurice Morris, linebacker Tommy Polley came across and knocked the ball into the air where it was intercepted by cornerback DeJuan Groce.

Unfortunately for the Rams, though, Polley got his hand on the ball and Morris’ facemask. Because of the facemask, the interception was nullified and Seattle got new life. The Seahawks wasted no time capitalizing as Hasselbeck hit receiver Bobby Engram for a 19-yard touchdown. That play was the same play that they used on Jackson’s 23-yard score and made it 14-10 St. Louis.

The second half started with the teams trading field goals. Brown hit from 30 yards and Rams’ kicker Jeff Wilkins followed with a 38-yarder to make it 17-13 Rams before Jackson’s touchdown.

After Cleeland’s big catch, Bulger’s big day and an important drop by Seattle, the Rams will get a chance to become the first 8-8 team to win two playoff games. 

For a team that only three weeks ago faced plenty of questions and doubts, what has made the biggest difference?

Facing that question, a large smile came across Bulger’s face, revealing the answer.

“Every week the last three weeks has been pretty much do or die,” Bulger said. “The way everyone is playing, it’s fun again. It wasn’t there for awhile.”