Jamal Adams hit KO’s Rams’ John Wolford from game with neck injury, Jared Goff enters
Last playoffs it was Jadeveon Clowney knocking out Carson Wentz with a hit at the end of a scramble.
Saturday, Jamal Adams sent John Wolford out of the Seahawks’ playoff opener — and Jared Goff into it, early.
Adams’ lunging hit with his shoulder near Wolford’s neck injured the Rams’ new starter at the end of his quarterback draw during his second drive of the NFC wild-card playoff game at Lumen Field. Wolford stayed down for multiple minutes, medical staffers attending to him.
Adams knelt in apparent prayer on the field for Wolford. He was making his second career start. Then the Rams’ quarterback walked, wobbly, straight into Los Angeles’ locker room.
Officials on the play initially flagged Adams for his hit. Then they picked up the marker. Referee John Hussey announced: “He’s a runner, therefore he is not afforded protection.”
The Rams announced Wolford was questionable to return with a neck injury.
Last January, Clowney’s hit on Wentz forced 40-year-old backup Josh McCown into the game for the Eagles at Philadelphia. That’a a huge reason the Seahawks held Philadelphia to nine points in their playoff victory that sent them to the divisional round at Green Bay.
Goff entered. He returned to play less than two weeks after he broke his thumb during Seattle’s NFC West-clinching victory over Los Angeles. He had surgery a day after that game Dec. 27. Goff warmed up before Saturday’s game with a small ring of tape over his repaired thumb on his throwing hand.
Seattle defensive tackle Jarran Reed sacked Goff on the $134 million quarterback’s first snap. That forced the Rams’ drive to end in a field goal and 3-0 lead instead of a 7-0 hole early for Seattle.
All week, Rams coach Sean McVay had been coy in not revealing who his starting quarterback was going to be. Goff practiced all week on a limited basis.
This story was originally published January 9, 2021 at 2:25 PM.
