Sam Darnold tried to step up in the pocket to find a receiver, but the Los Angeles Rams’ defense closed in too quickly. Akhello Witherspoon was the first to reach him, knocking Darnold to the ground and causing the ball to pop loose. Jared Verse picked it up and ran 57 yards untouched for a touchdown, as the Rams fans in State Farm Stadium cheered loudly.
Los Angeles quarterback Matthew Stafford couldn’t have been happier. “Our defense,” he said, “just went crazy.”
This game came during a difficult week for Los Angeles, as wildfires had devastated parts of the city. The Rams turned that frustration into a dominant performance, sacking Darnold nine times, tying an NFL playoff record, and winning 27-9 in an NFC wild-card game moved to Arizona.
Stafford threw two touchdown passes, and the Rams (11-7) took control early. They scored a touchdown on the opening drive and led 10-0 by the end of the first quarter.
“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.”
The game was moved to Arizona, almost 400 miles away from Los Angeles, because of the wildfires and the need for public safety resources in California. The Rams will play their next game against the Philadelphia Eagles on the East Coast.
Verse’s fumble return for a touchdown in the second quarter gave the Rams a 17-3 lead. The 6-foot-4, 260-pound linebacker somersaulted into the end zone after scoring.
“I was going to dunk on the field goal post, but I was too tired,” Verse joked after the play.
The fumble return caused a loud celebration from Rams fans. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell mentioned that around 45,000 fans had traveled from California for the game, and the stadium appeared nearly full.
It was a tough first half for Darnold, who was making his first NFL playoff appearance. He was sacked five times before halftime and threw an interception when Cobie Durant picked off a pass meant for Jordan Addison.
Minnesota (14-4) had a chance to secure the NFC’s top seed in their final regular-season game, but Darnold struggled in a loss to Detroit. His poor performance raised questions about his future with the Vikings after he played this season on a one-year deal.
“You’ve got to play to a certain standard,” said Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell. “And we didn’t do that.”
The Rams extended their lead to 24-3 when Stafford hit tight end Davis Allen for a 13-yard touchdown with just 15 seconds left in the first half. Stafford finished the game with 209 yards passing, completing his first 10 passes, including all six on the opening touchdown drive.
“This time of year, it doesn’t really reward you to be timid,” Stafford said. “You’ve got to go out there and make plays. Gotta go win games in the playoffs, not just hope that things fall your way.”
The Rams took a 27-3 lead after Joshua Karty kicked a 44-yard field goal on the opening drive of the second half. Kobie Turner also contributed with two sacks.
Los Angeles got a break early in the second quarter when a potential game-changing fumble was overturned by replay. Stafford was being pulled to the ground when he managed to shovel the ball forward, just before hitting the turf. Minnesota’s Blake Cashman grabbed the ball and ran 26 yards for a touchdown, but the play was ruled an incomplete pass after a replay review.
“It hurt to get that called back,” Cashman said. “But it was early in the game. We’ve got to continue to grind, play the tough downs and find a way to put us in a position to win.”
The Vikings never got close again.
Darnold completed 25 of 40 passes for 245 yards, but he lost 82 yards on the nine sacks. Minnesota managed just 269 total yards, with much of it coming when the game was already out of reach.
“They were just better than us today,” Darnold said. “I left a couple throws out there that I could be better on, especially early in the game. … Just too many mistakes.”
The Rams learned on Thursday that their playoff game would be held in Glendale, Arizona, which is home to the Arizona Cardinals. They traveled to Phoenix on Friday and practiced at the Cardinals’ facility on Saturday.
