LA Rams Secure Playoff Victory: Dominating Defense Overpowers Vikings
In the game transferred from SoFi Stadium due to wildfires in Southern California, the Los Angeles Rams (La Rams) moved into the divisional round on Monday night by beating the Minnesota Vikings 27-9.
The young LA Rams defense has showcased tremendous promise in the lifted performance since the beginning of the season, which included a 41-10 loss to the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium in week two.
On Monday night, LA Rams defense gave continuous pressure on Vikings quarterback, Sam Darnold, with Defensive Rookie of the Year nomination Jared Verse recovering a fumble and returning it for a touchdown, giving the Rams a 17-3 cushion in the second quarter.
Darnold went down nine times in all, tying an NFL playoff record for most sacks, and the Viking offense could barely produce any rhythm throughout the round.
In the first playoff victory since Super Bowl LVI in the season of 2021, players and coaches wore Los Angeles Fire Department hats and shirts on the sideline to honor the firefighters battling the wildfires in Los Angeles.
The Rams will face the Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional round on Sunday.
Key Stats of Each Team:
Los Angeles Rams (11-7)
Quarterback Performance: Matthew Stafford completed 19 of 27 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns, with two sacks. He had the best game in terms of total yards when throwing to running backs and tight ends, found ESPN Research, with 113 yards and two TDs.
Outstanding Performance: The LA Rams came out hot on offense. Only for the third time in the season so far, they scored a touchdown on their first drive. It was a 70-yard, seven-play drive capped by Stafford’s sixth consecutive completion for 64 yards-a 5-yard touchdown to RB Kyren Williams.
Game-turning play: A hit on Stafford by Vikings outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard in the early second quarter resulted in a combination of a fumble and a Vikings touchdown, but the call was reversed to an incomplete pass, allowing the Rams the ball back.
Two-word summary of the game: Sack attack. The LA Rams’ defense sacked Darnold nine times, a record for a playoff game in the NFL. Darnold had six sacks during the first half, the most in any half of his career. ESPN Research tells that the last team to pile up six sacks during the first half of a postseason contest was Washington in the January 1988 NFC Championship Game against Minnesota.
Minnesota Vikings: 14-4
The Vikings’ eventful and promising season got kicked off the rails with disappointing defeats in their last two games. The offseason will be a time of self-reflection and strategy tweaking.
Quarterbacks: Darnold, who appeared to have reinvigorated his career during the regular season, struggled in the playoffs. On Monday night, he faced serious decision-making problems that led to being sacked six times in the first half and a fumble returned for a touchdown by Rams linebacker Jared Verse. He tossed an interception in the first half too.
This performance came on the heels of a shaky outing in Week 18, where Darnold completed only 18 of his 41 attempts in a 31-9 loss against the Detroit Lions, although he had several opportunities to find some receivers for a single-to-no-touchdown.
Despite throwing for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns during the regular season, what Darnold did in the last couple of games is now raised as a question that Kaarex must be answered about whether to return him next year, thereby delaying the debut of rookie J.J. McCarthy.
Eye-catching stat: The Vikings watched a bizarre 21 drive stretch without a touchdown until tight end T.J. Hockenson’s 26-yard reception in the third quarter, which started in their Week 17 win against the Green Bay Packers, the longest since Kevin O’Connell took the reins in 2022.
Surprising Performance: O’Connell’s adjustment, or rather lack of it, stood out. Although he had faith in Darnold, there was no plan B for Darnold if he faltered. Darnold could not be substituted by No. 3 quarterback Daniel Jones due to performance-related reasons, and O’Connell’s play-calling left Darnold exposed to pressure from the Rams pass rush.
Glaring Game Plan Flaw: After being unable to pressure Stafford during the regular season, on Monday night the Vikings blitzed him four times in his first six dropbacks. It didn’t turn out to be the greatest decision, as Stafford beat the blitz, and with an opening-drive touchdown, set the tone for the game.
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