GLENDALE, Ariz. — First, the Rams performed for his or her metropolis.
Now, they’re enjoying for his or her satisfaction.
The Rams staged an extremely uplifting win Monday night time, among the many best in franchise historical past, once they beat the 14-win Minnesota Vikings within the NFL’s first relocated playoff recreation.
The NFC wild-card recreation was moved to Arizona due to the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, and the host Arizona Cardinals took nice pains to make their residence appear like SoFi Stadium.
“Perfect,” was the best way NFL commissioner Roger Goodell summed up the exceptional effort to maneuver and stage the occasion on such quick discover. He attended the sport along with his spouse and daughters.
Now, the satisfaction half. The Rams will play at Philadelphia on Sunday in a divisional recreation, and the Eagles embarrassed them at residence, 37-20, in Week 12.
The Rams protection, which was smothering Monday night time and picked up an NFL postseason report with 9 sacks, was trampled by Saquon Barkley in that recreation. The Eagles again ran for 255 yards and had an astounding yardage complete of 302.
“There’s no excuse for 250 rush yards or whatever the amount ended up being,” Rams rookie defensive deal with Braden Fiske mentioned after Monday’s recreation. “But we know what we’re getting into this week and we’re going to be ready.”
The Rams have the NFL’s fourth-youngest protection, and one which endured its share of rising pains this season. Within the final 4 video games through which the starters performed, nevertheless, the staff surrendered six, 9, 9 and 9 factors.
Rams linebacker Byron Younger tackles Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold within the second quarter of their NFC wild card playoff recreation. Younger had 1½ of the Rams’ 9 sacks.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Instances)
“We’ve grown so much from that game,” Rams defensive finish Kobie Turner mentioned, referring to the Philadelphia debacle. “I’m excited to put out the ways that we’ve grown, and to be able to put on a show.”
The staff actually did that Monday night time, leaving little question from the beginning that they have been able to roll. They met the second, and any butterflies they may have had fluttered away when seasoned quarterback Matthew Stafford accomplished his first 10 passes. Rookie exterior linebacker Jared Verse scooped up a fumble and scored a 57-yard landing.
Earlier than they knew it, the vaunted Vikings have been down, 27-3.
Almost 2,000 Rams followers rode six hours to the sport from Los Angeles on buses supplied by the staff and the Stafford household.
The Rams’ Kobie Turner celebrates one in all his two sacks towards the Vikings with Byron Younger. The Rams tied an NFL playoff report with 9 sacks.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Instances)
“It was unbelievable, the crowd that showed out for us tonight,” Fiske mentioned.
“It’s a tragedy what’s going on in Los Angeles,” he mentioned. “It’s affected guys on our own team’s homes. There are so many people out there who have lost everything. So it’s a big driving force for this team, and we take a lot of pride in putting the city on our back and representing Los Angeles.”
It wasn’t simply the gamers who got here to Arizona final Friday to arrange for the sport, however their households too. And, in some instances, their pets — six canine and two cats, to be actual. The Cardinals supplied two Boeing 777 jets to move practically 400 individuals.
The expertise felt one thing like coaching camp to the gamers, and a few consider that closeness has had a galvanizing impact on the staff.
“When you play football in college, a lot of times it feels like the families know each other,” Rams receiver Cooper Kupp mentioned. “People are connected and they grow up together. In college you spend four years together and you get to know the families, the brothers and sisters.
“In the NFL that doesn’t happen. There’s so much movement. You go to work, and you go home. You see the guys in the locker room, but you don’t meet the families. But when something like this happens it gives us the opportunity to get our families together.
“I’m sitting there at breakfast in the morning, and I’ve got kids and parents, brothers and sisters of all my teammates around. There’s a unity that’s created, and that’s a really powerful thing.”
With out query, these Rams are bonded in a manner that loads of different NFL groups aren’t. Time will inform if that makes a distinction in how far they advance.
What we do know is groups evolve and develop over the course of a season, typically for the nice, typically for the unhealthy. As an illustration, the Rams have been crushed in a Week 2 recreation at Arizona, 41-10, but got here again to beat the Cardinals in Week 17, 13-9. The latter was a much more mature and seasoned Rams staff.
The Rams are hoping they will make the identical form of strides towards Philadelphia.
“This being a short week, we’re looking forward to getting right back in the building and hitting the reset button and running it right back,” Turner mentioned. “We’re excited for this one.”
