CLEVELAND - The St. Louis Rams are going back to the NFC playoffs, and their high-potent offense didn't have very much to do with it.
Aeneas Williams had two interceptions, the first for a 46-yard touchdown, in the final 1:04 of the first half as the Rams clinched a postseason berth, holding on for a 26-20 win Monday night over the Browns.
Williams' picks enabled the Rams to score 14 within 42 seconds at the end of the first half for a 23-7 lead.
Jeff Wilkins kicked field goals of 26, 28, 29 and 37 yards for the Rams, who won their fifth straight and advanced to the playoffs for the fourth time in five years.
But they had to withstand a valiant comeback by the Browns, making their first regular-season appearance on Monday Night Football since 1995.
Quarterback Tim Couch rallied Cleveland but was stripped by Rams defensive end Brian Young on fourth down with 1:51 left, and St. Louis ran out the clock.
Marshall Faulk rushed for more than 100 yards for the fourth straight game, picking up 102 on 24 carries.
Couch went 6-for-9 for 98 yards and threw a 28-yard touchdown to Quincy Morgan after replacing Kelly Holcomb.
Holcomb, who threw a 2-yard touchdown in the first quarter, was benched with 17 seconds left in the first half after throwing the interceptions to Williams.
The Browns, who have been ravaged by injuries, also lost defensive end Courtney Brown (arm), running back James Jackson (knee) and guard Chad Beasley (ankle).
But Cleveland didn't quit and twice had the ball down 26-20 in the final minutes. Couch, though, couldn't bring the Browns all the way back, and they dropped their fourth straight.
Young's strip sealed it for St. Louis' underappreciated defense, which recorded five sacks and forced four turnovers.
The Rams offense failed to get into the end zone in the first half, relying on three field goals by Wilkins to take a 9-7 lead before Williams bailed St. Louis out.
The cornerback, 35, stepped in front of a Holcomb pass intended for Quincy Morgan and took it back for his ninth career interception return for a TD and his 12th defensive score, one shy of the career record for defensive TDs held by Oakland's Rod Woodson.
Two plays later, Williams again picked off Holcomb, bringing it to the Browns 20.
Marc Bulger then hit Isaac Bruce with a 16-yard scoring pass as the Rams scored 14 within 42 seconds, forcing Browns coach Butch Davis to replace Holcomb with Couch.
Bulger finished 22-of-36 for 223 yards.
Wilkins' kicks of 28, 26 and 29 yards came after the Rams offense failed to get into the end zone despite running 11 plays inside Cleveland's 20.
