The Rams took the sphere needing arguably their most impactful win of the season.
The Rams took the sphere with scrubs.
Say what? A aggressive fireball reminiscent of Sean McVay and a Tremendous Bowl champion reminiscent of the Rams simply laying down in a recreation that meant one thing?
It was bizarre. It was wild. It was the scene at SoFi Stadium early Sunday afternoon because the NFC West champions’ potential postseason opponents had been being sorted out and the theme of their regular-season finale towards the eradicated Seattle Seahawks was turning into clear.
In the event that they beat the Seahawks, they’d clinch the third seed and host the inexperienced Washington Commanders subsequent week within the first spherical.
In the event that they misplaced to the Seahawks, they’d fall to the fourth seed and host the loser of Sunday night time’s battle between the 2 finest groups within the NFC, Detroit or Minnesota.
There was seemingly no comparability.
Would you fairly play a Washington crew with a rookie quarterback and a brand new head coach for a corporation that hasn’t gained a playoff recreation in 20 years?
Or would you fairly host one in all two groups with the 2 finest information within the NFC? A Lions crew that has crushed you twice within the final 13 months or a Vikings crew that you just had crushed earlier this season however had misplaced just one different recreation by two factors?
The reply appeared apparent. The Rams seemingly ought to have performed all of their starters to beat the Seahawks and pave the way in which for a better Commanders-lined highway to the Tremendous Bowl.
That’s not the Rams. That’s not Sean McVay. That’s not the tradition of a corporation that, even in its darkest occasions, cowers to nobody and challenges everybody.
By taking part in the benchwarmers Sunday to be able to give the starters what is basically a bye week, McVay was sending two separate messages, each of which powerfully illustrate what this group has develop into of their 9 years since returning to city.
Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (11) seems to be in disgust after the Rams turned the ball over on downs to the Seahawks when a last-ditch drive failed within the purple zone.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Instances)
To his crew: I imagine you may beat anyone.
To the remainder of the NFC: Deliver it on.
From me: Like it.
The Rams finally misplaced to the Seahawks, 30-25, when a last-gasp drive led by backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo stopped quick as a result of Garoppolo shouldn’t be Matthew Stafford.
They later discovered they’ll play host to the Minnesota Vikings (14-3) subsequent Monday night time in a frightening however doable first-round matchup.
Nonetheless find it irresistible.
“We’re gonna go swing, we’re gonna shoot our shot, we’re not gonna be afraid to do anything other than go for it,” stated McVay Sunday afternoon. “I believe in our team … we respect all, we fear none.”
McVay is extra than simply swaggers and swashbuckling. McVay can be fairly good.
McVay wasn’t going to danger harm to his stars — guys reminiscent of Stafford, Kyren Williams and Puka Nacua — simply to make sure a better future opponent, and good for him.
McVay wasn’t going to be seen as ducking somebody, anybody, anytime, anyplace, and that’s the way in which it ought to be.
McVay believes this crew can beat anyone, and he wasn’t going to fret about every other locker room in addition to his personal, and that’s a philosophy upon which one builds championships.
”You possibly can’t fear about ducking individuals if you wish to strive to have the ability to advance,” stated McVay of his resolution to bench his finest. “You’re gonna have to play people eventually. I felt like it was the smart move for our football team.”
Maybe painful proof of this knowledge, backup working again Blake Corum broke his forearm Sunday and can miss the postseason.
McVay, the primary coach to commonly give his finest gamers a summer time trip throughout preseason video games, protects his crew in any respect prices. And that’s all that issues him. Not your crew. Not the opposite crew. His crew.
Rams cornerback Cobie Durant knocks the ball away from Seahawks receiver Tyler Lockett within the third quarter.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Instances)
I requested him, with a touch of astonishment, you actually don’t care what crew you play, do you?
“No, I don’t, I really don’t,” he stated. “You know what’s at stake and you have tremendous respect [but] we’re gonna dive into it, we’re gonna go for it with no fear.”
This perspective rubs off on his gamers, who began the season 1-4 but are ending in typical McVay trend with 9 wins of their final 11 video games. For all their struggles, they’ve each the bodily and emotional make-up to steal their means again to the Tremendous Bowl.
”Sucks for them who must play us,” stated Williams.
It is a crew that pinned 44 on the Buffalo Payments, tacked 30 on Minnesota, and beat the defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers twice.
It is a crew with a blossoming protection that got here of age in a late-season, three-game span throughout which they held opponents to a mixed 24 factors.
It is a crew that believes of their boss, and acts prefer it.
“It starts with coach McVay,” stated Garoppolo. “When you’ve got a guy like that that brings energy every day, it kind of trickles down to everyone else. Now it gets real fun.”
Enjoyable, as a result of they’ve the stuff to make playoff opponents depressing.
Rams quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo passes over the Seahawks’ Derick Corridor (58).
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Instances)
They’ve the sphere chief. Stafford is one in all solely 5 lively quarterbacks to have guided a Tremendous Bowl champion, and one in all three who’re within the playoffs.
They’ve the working assault that McVay’s groups have usually lacked, Williams scoring the third-most dashing touchdowns (14) within the league.
They’ve a youthful model of receiver Cooper Kupp in Nacua, and, despite the fact that he’s been aged by harm, they nonetheless have Kupp.
Their offensive line is as intact and powerful because it has been all season. Their protection recovered rapidly from the retirement of Aaron Donald with a youthful vitality led by the 2 good draft picks, Jared Verse and Braden Fiske.
And a crew which has endured such kicking struggles lately now has a reputable kicker, rookie Joshua Karty, who booted 4 discipline objectives Sunday together with consecutive profitable blasts of 58 and 57 yards.
“Resilient Rams,” stated Williams. “No matter what it is, we know we can overcome it because that’s who we truly are.”
It takes breaks to win a Tremendous Bowl. Essentially the most dominating crew doesn’t all the time survive. The Rams know this from expertise. They know how one can make these breaks.
Flash again to 2021, once they backed into the division title on the ultimate day of the season regardless of an additional time loss to San Francisco.
Jaquiski Tartt (3) laments dropping a possible interception that may have clinched a 49ers’ win over the Rams within the 2022 NFC championship recreation.
(Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire through Getty Pictures)
After routing the Arizona Cardinals within the first spherical, they gained their second-round recreation in Tampa on a last-second discipline aim by Matt Homosexual after two lengthy Stafford completions to Kupp.
Then, within the NFC championship recreation at SoFi Stadium, the 49ers’ Jaquiski Tartt dropped an interception late within the fourth quarter, resulting in the Rams’ 20-17 victory.
All of this led to a Tremendous Bowl championship win over Cincinnati, and one other one doesn’t appear fully far-fetched given the vulnerabilities of the varied groups within the match.
“There’s a confidence that has been brewing for a long time,” stated Williams. “There’s a belief that we’re gonna go out there and do what we do.”
What they did Sunday was bench the starters and lose the sport and set themselves up for a tough first-round playoff matchup.
What they did was peculiar, problematic, and excellent.
