Rams dominate Vikings, set to face Eagles in divisional round

GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Los Angeles Rams advanced to the divisional round with a 27-9 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night in a playoff game played from SoFi Stadium due to the Southern California wildfires.

It was an impressive performance for a young defense that has taken big steps forward since the start of the season, including a 41-10 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 2 at State Farm Stadium Team.

But on Monday night, the Rams went toe-to-toe with Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold early and defensive Rookie of the Year candidate Jared Verse ) recovered the fumble for a touchdown, giving Los Angeles a 17-3 lead in the second quarter.

Darnold had nine sacks on the night, tying an NFL playoff record, while Minnesota's offense failed to gain much momentum.

As the Rams secured a playoff victory, their first since winning Super Bowl LVI during the 2021 season, players and coaches wore Los Angeles Fire Department hats and shirts on the sidelines to pay tribute to the first responders fighting the Los Angeles fires. .

Next up is the divisional round of the playoffs, with the Rams traveling to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles on Sunday.

Here are the most important things to know about both teams:

QB breakdown: Matthew Stafford completed 19 of 27 passes for 209 yards, two touchdowns, and two sacks. He caught 12 passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns to the running back and tight end. It was his most yards and touchdown passes in a game this season, according to ESPN Research.

Most surprising performance: The Rams offense is off to a hot start. Los Angeles has struggled to score points all early in the season, but that wasn't the case Monday night, as the Rams scored a touchdown on their opening drive for just the third time this season, according to ESPN Research. It was a seven-play, 70-yard drive. Stafford went 6-for-6 for 64 yards, including a 5-yard touchdown pass to running back Kyren Williams.

Key gameplay: Stafford was hit by Vikings outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard early in the second quarter. The play was initially ruled a fumble after Blake Cashman scored on a tackle, giving the Vikings a touchdown. The game could have been tied at 10 if the extra point had been allowed, but the referee ruled the pass incomplete and the Rams retained the ball.

Describe this game in two words: Sack attack. The Rams sacked Darnold nine times, tying an NFL playoff record. Darnold was sacked six times in the first half, the most in a half of any game in his career. According to ESPN Research, the last team to record six sacks in the first half of a playoff game was Washington in the NFC Championship Game in January 1988 against Minnesota. ——Sarah Barshop

Next game: Eagles (Sunday, 3 p.m. ET)

The Vikings' dream season came crashing down in the final and most important two games of the year. Now they'll spend the offseason figuring out why and what to do about it.

At the center of the discussion will be Darnold, who seemed to resurrect his career during a magical regular season but has had his second straight inconsistent performance. He made tough decisions in the pocket on Monday night, taking six sacks in the first half alone after averaging 4.52 seconds of time on the ball, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. He fumbled one of his sacks, which was returned for a touchdown by Rams linebacker Jared Firth, who also had an interception in the first half.

A week before that game, he completed just 18 of 41 passes in a 31-9 loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 18, a game in which he missed at least three potential touchdowns Chance.

Darnold threw for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns in the regular season, prompting the Vikings to consider whether they should bring him back next season and delay the crowning of rookie J.J. McCarthy. But the final two games of the season may render that discussion moot.

Jaw-dropping statistics: The Vikings went 21 straight drives without a touchdown until tight end TJ Hockenson scored on a 26-yard catch in the third quarter, a testament to the struggles of Darnold and the rest of the offense. The streak, which dates back to their Week 17 victory over the Green Bay Packers, is their longest streak since coach Kevin O'Connell took charge of the 2022 season.

Most surprising performance: O'Connell's lack of adjustment. He has expressed a lot of faith in Darnold all season and said again last week that he believed Darnold would bounce back from his performance in Detroit. But O'Connell has no substantive adjustments on hand if Darnold falls short. He made Daniel Jones his No. 3 quarterback, meaning he was ineligible to replace Darnold due to performance reasons, and he continued to direct the passing game, which allowed Darnold to struggle against the Rams' pass rush. He was tired and had six sacks on nine pressures that first half.

Biggest hole in the game plan: After failing to put much pressure on Stafford in the teams' regular-season matchups, the Vikings blitzed four of his first six dropbacks during the opening possession of Monday night's game. It doesn't work. Stafford was outstanding on those blitzes, leading the Rams to a touchdown that set the tone for the entire game. ——Kevin Seifert