The Los Angeles Rams honored the city’s firefighters and first responders by defeating the Minnesota Vikings to clinch the final spot in Week 2 of the NFL playoffs.
The Rams earned home-field advantage for the final game of Wildcard Weekend, but Monday’s game was expected to be transferred to State Farm Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals, due to wildfires around Los Angeles that killed at least 24 people.
Yet it still felt like a home game as the Rams won 27-9 against a Vikings team that failed to recover after being denied the number one seed in the NFC conference last week.
The Rams sold more than 52,000 tickets for the 63,000-capacity venue in Phoenix, located a six-hour, 375-mile drive from SoFi Stadium.
A Rams contingent of more than 400 people — including players, families, coaches, staff and even pets — traveled Friday and the team was given access to the Cardinals’ practice facilities.
After winning the NFC West title, the Rams were able to rest their key starters on the final day of the regular season while the Vikings suffered a loss. demoralizing loss to the Detroit Lions.
And it showed when the Rams took a 24-3 lead into halftime, with Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold being sacked six times and giving up two turnovers.
“We knew what we were playing for,” Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford said. “It was for the people of Los Angeles who are struggling right now.
“We live it every day. It’s been a tough week for us, with a lot of moving parts. It’s been a whirlwind, but to come here and play the way we did, in all phases, I’m really proud to that. group.”
Vikings fail to recover from Lions loss
Minnesota’s trip to division rival Detroit last week was the first game in NFL history between two 14-win teams, and it wasn’t just the NFC North title on the line.
The winner clinched the number one seed in the NFC, plus a bye into the first round of the play-offs and home-field advantage in the divisional round.
The loser had to settle for the fifth seed, no bye week and a road trip during Wildcard Weekend.
This proved too much for the Vikings and, although they finished the regular season with a 14-3 record, they fell at the first hurdle of the play-offs for the second time in three years.
The Rams got off to a strong start, with Stafford finding Kyren Williams for a touchdown on the first drive before Los Angeles added a field goal.
The Vikings responded with a field goal and got a touchdown after returning what they thought was a Stafford fumble.
But just as they appeared to be gaining a foothold in the game, Darnold turned the ball over on successive drives.
He was intercepted by Cobie Durant before Ahkello Witherspoon sacked the Vikings quarterback to force a fumble, with Jared Verse recovering the loose ball to run for a 57-yard touchdown.
Stafford hit a wide-open Davis Allen for his second touchdown pass just before halftime and, although Darnold found TJ Hockenson for a 26-yard score in the third quarter, the Vikings then accepted their fate after a season that promised so much.
NFL Playoff Schedule – Divisional Round
Saturday January 18
Sunday January 19
