With everything they have gone through this past week, the Rams took all of their pinned-up emotions and frustrations out on the Vikings. Uplifted by a dominant and near-record setting performance from their ‘take no prisoners’ pass rush and an outstanding game from Super Bowl winning quarterback Matthew Stafford, the Los Angeles Rams obliterated the Minnesota Vikings 27-9 in Monday night’s Wild Card playoff game at State Farm Stadium in Arizona.
“I thought they epitomized and represented the city the right way,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “You talk about sports offering a platform for people to come together and offer a little temporary relief — I thought the way our team competed tonight was what that looked like.”
With the decisive victory, the Rams advanced to the Divisional Round to take on the Eagles, who beat the Green Bay Packers 22-10, in Philadelphia next Sunday at noon pacific time (NBC/Peacock).
Defensive end Kobie Turner’s two sacks led a ferocious pass rush that sacked Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold an incredible nine times and had him seeing ghosts, tying the NFL single game playoff record. Six came in the first 30 minutes of action, which marked the most in the first half of a playoff game since 1988. It was more than double Los Angeles’ total from its Week 8 win over Minnesota. The Vikings lost a combined 82 yards on those sacks. When things like that happen, you just cannot win.
Rookie outside linebacker Jared Verse had a game-changing 56-yard fumble return for a score for the first touchdown of his career.
Stafford was like a great movie director, opening the game completing his first 10 pass attempts, accumulating 113 yards and one passing touchdown in the process. He finished 19 of 27 for 209 yards and 2 touchdowns in the win.
Tight end Tyler Higbee left the game in the first half with a chest injury; he was initially ruled doubtful to return before being downgraded to out in the third quarter. Before suffering the injury, Stafford and Higbee had a great connection and was the Rams’ leading receiver in the game with 5 receptions for 58 yards. Also, cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon left the game with a thigh injury after quarterback Darnold’s 26-yard touchdown pass to tight end T.J. Hockenson and was ruled doubtful to return.
Embed from Getty ImagesHere are some of the specific highlights and moments of the game.
The Rams scored on their initial drive of the game, with Stafford finding Williams for a 5-yard touchdown pass to take an early 7-0 lead. Stafford was a perfect 6 for 6 for 64 yards in addition to the touchdown pass on that series, with a 27-yard completion to second-year receiver Puka Nacua on the first play of the game and later a 23-yard completion to tight end Higbee.
After the Rams defense forced a 3-and-out on the ensuing possession, including the dreaded negative yardage on the first two plays, the offense returned the favor with a 34-yard field goal by Joshua Karty to extend the Rams’ lead to double-digits, 10-0, with 4:01 left in the first quarter.
“Our defense,” Stafford said, “just went crazy.”
The Vikings finally got on the board with a 34-yard chip shot by kicker Will Reichard early in the second quarter.
The Vikings came oh so close to tying the game at 10 two plays later on a 26-yard fumble return for a touchdown by linebacker Blake Cashman, however, officials overturned the call upon further review and ruled it an incomplete pass by Stafford instead. Still, the Rams were ultimately forced to punt the ball away at the end of the possession after going 3-and-out.
A roughing the kicker 15-yard penalty kept the Vikings’ offensive series alive for the moment, but a killer penalty that wiped out a huge third-down sack on a cornerback blitz by Cobie Durant, but Durant got the last laugh, getting the ball back anyway on an interception. However, an offensive holding penalty on first down derailed the drive, and Los Angeles had to punt.
On the next series, the Rams defense had a fumble recovery overturned upon further review by the officials. Two plays later, cornerback Witherspoon’s forced fumble was scooped up by outside linebacker Verse and returned for a touchdown to make it 17-3 Rams with 4:35 left in the first half.
A 13-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to tight end Davis Allen made it 24-3 Rams by halftime and put the game out of reach for all intents and purposes.
Los Angeles swelled that lead even more to 27-3 with a 44-yard field goal by Karty midway through the third quarter.
The Vikings showed some life when Darnold tossed a 26-yard touchdown to tight end Hockenson, but the 2-point conversion was unsuccessful, still giving the Rams a 27-9 lead with 5:05 to play in the third quarter.
The Vikings reached the Rams 37 with 12:54 left in the fourth quarter, but a crushing sack for a 13-yard loss on third down, split by defensive end Braden Fiske and outside linebacker Michael Hoecht, but otherwise never threatened the rest of the way.
“You’ve got to play to a certain standard,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said. “And we didn’t do that.”
