St. Louis — During a 3-1 stretch the past month, the Lions rediscovered their most basic winning formula — stop the run, protect the quarterback and limit turnovers on offense.
They failed to do complete those objectives Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome in a 21-14 loss to the Rams that eliminated the Lions from playoff contention.
Rookie running back Todd Gurley ran all over the Lions, gaining 140 yards on just 16 carries and scoring two second-half touchdowns.
The Lions held teams to fewer than 70 rushing yards each of the past four games, but the Rams gained more than 200 yards on the ground Sunday.