Category: Rams

Rams send 14-win Vikings home with wild-card romp

The Rams throttled the Vikings in a wild-card game

With the death and destruction in Los Angeles due to the wildfires, the Rams could have chosen to be tired or inspired Monday in a wild-card game against the Minnesota Vikings.

The Rams chose the latter. The Rams sacked Sam Darnold nine times for 82 yards in losses en route to a 27-9 victory over the 14-win Vikings on the neutral field at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona,.

The Rams  took a 10-0 lead in the first quarter, allowed a field goal and then scored 17 straight to essentially seal the victory.

Jared Verse, a Pro Bowler as a rookie, had a scoop-and-score from 57 yards as the LA defense smothered Darnold and the Vikings offense.

Up next for the Rams are the Philadelphia Eagles in the Divisional round on Sunday. The teams met in the regular season and the Eagles won 37-20 as Saquon Barkley rushed for 255 yards in a stunning performance.

The end of the season for the Vikings came with a two-game losing streak. What is harsh about thtat is entering Week 18 of the NFL season, they had lost two games all campaign.

They had a chance to win the NFC North but lost to the Detroit Lions in the final week of the regular season. Then, they lost to the Rams in the first round of the playoffs.

Coincidentally, the Vikings were 14-0 against the rest of the NFL but 0-4 against the Rams and Lions. They played those teams back-to-back twice.

Darnold, playing on a one-year contract for $10 million, was largely ineffective in the last two lossses. He had little chance against the Rams at State Farm Stadium as the defense swarmed him. Will these two games determine Darnold’s future in Purple? If they do, it isn’t as bright as it was for the first 17 weeks of the regular season.

 

Jared Verse scoop-and-score doubles Rams’ lead over Vikings

The Rams got a defensive TD on a scoop-and-score by Jared Verse

The Los Angeles Rams saw the great Aaron Donald retire. They have the fourth-youngest defense in the NFL. And it is fearsome.

Against the Minnesota Vikings in a wild-card game played at State Farm Stadium in Arizona due to the LA wildfires on Monday, the Rams defense delivered a touchdown.

Jared Verse picked up a fumble by Minnesota QB Sam Darnold and returned it 57 yards for a touchdown. After the PAT, the insipred Rams led 17-3 in the second quarter.

Andrew Whitworth delivers impassioned pregame speech rallying around Los Angeles

Former Ram Andrew Whitworth with stirring speech before wild-card playoff game between LA and Minnesota

Former LA Rams offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth was given the microphone and platform to address the crowd at State Farm Stadium and viewing audience before his former team played the Minnesota Vikings on Monday.

Whitworth exhorted the Los Angeles area that has been ravaged by wildfires to underthand the people will not be defined by the event and will remain strong. “We are strong. We will not be defined by this devastation. We will rebuild L.A. hand in hand together.”

It was a big and important message and the big man delivered it with passon, concern and strength.

Well done, Andrew Whitworth.

Ahkello Witherspoon diving pick saves Rams’ win over Cardinals

The Rams caught a lucky deflection and turned it into a game-saving interception

The Los Angeles Rams could not contain Trey McBride all Saturday. It took a lucky carom to save their victory.

Kyler Murray tried to connect with the Arizona Cardinals tight end for his 13th catch and it proved unlucky. The ball deflected off McBride and a diving Ahkello Witherspoon came up with the interception to save a 13-9 victory at SoFi Stadium.

The win was the Rams’ 10th and puts them in a position to clinch the NFC West depending on results of other games in Week 17.

Rams topple 49ers in battle of field goals, 12-6

Rams down 49ers in NFC West defensive struggle

The Los Angeles Rams won in Week 14 scoring 44 points. Four days later, they picked up another victory without a touchdown.

Sean McVay will find many ways to beat you. Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers learned that Thursday when the Rams came into Levi’s Stadium and left with a 12-6 victory.

There were 12 touchdowns last week when the Rams beat the Buffalo Bills. In Week 15, they made 12 points stand up for the win.

The Rams got three field goals from Joshua Karty in the fourth quarter and a huge interception by Darious Williams to send the 49ers to their eighth defeat.

The NFC favorite team to reach the Super Bowl has to win out to finish over .500.

Los Angeles started the season 1-4 and is now 8-6 and in the thick of the NFC West race.

The loss came close to extinguishing San Francisco’s playoff hopes. The 49ers have been riddled with injuries. They got linebacker Dre Greenlaw back but he had to go out in the second half.

They ran 53 plays and only gained 191 total yards.

Their last two plays after Karty’s field goal in the final minute wound up with a Brock Purdy incompletion and a sack.

Puka Nacua’s brilliance leads Rams to thrilling upset of Bills

Wild game sees Rams hold off Bills at SoFi

The Kansas City Chiefs got help from the co-tenants at SoFi Stadium before they faced the Los Angeles Chargers at Arrowhead Stadium.

The Los Angeles Rams erupted for 44 points in a thrilling 44-42 home win over the Buffalo Bills.

The Bills’ loss gave the Chiefs an added cushion in the race for AFC playoff position.

Puke Nacua and Josh Allen had incredible performances.

The Rams receiver had 162 receiving yards, 12 receptions, and a touchdown catch. He also had five rushes for 16 yards and a touchdown.

Allen, meanwhile, threw for 342 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 82 yards and three touchdowns.

It was the second game in NFL history with five rushing touchdowns, five passing touchdowns, and no turnovers.

The difference in the game was Nacua’s 19-yard touchdown reception from Matthew Stafford with 1:54 left.

Allen scored on a second quarterback sneak attempt with a minute left.

Tom Brady made a salient point on the FOX broadcast that Allen should have tried to pass the ball into the end zone rather than sneaking the first time, which was unsuccessful.

That caused the Bills to call a timeout they needed when they stopped the Rams on their final drive. The game ended with a Rams punt that ate up the remaining seven seconds on the clock.

Buffalo is 10-3. KC came into its game at 11-1.

The Rams are now 7-6 and in the thick of the tight NFC West race.

This was the second 44-42 final in NFC history. The previous one was in 1997 when the Eagles beat the Bengals.

Rams score touchdown on blocked punt against Bills

Rams score on a blocked punt against the Bills

The Los Angeles Rams needed all three phases to play well against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday at SoFi.

The special teams delivered a big play in the second quarter.

Jacob Hummel blocked a punt and Hunter Long scooped it and returned the football 22 yards for a score.

Los Angeles led 17-7 after the play but Buffalo countered with a touchdown of its own to make it a three-point game.

Jared Goff, Matthew Stafford dazzle for Lions and Rams

Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff each threw four touchdown passes or their respective teams

This would be the rare occasion when a trade works out for both teams.

On Sunday, Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff put up stunning stats for the Los Angeles Rams and Detroit Lions, respectively.

The Rams and Lions swung a deal years ago for the QBs. Los Angeles already has won a Super Bowl with Stafford and the Lions are on track to make a deep playoff run with Goff.

Back to Sunday.

Goff was 24-of-29 for 412 yards with four TD passes in a 52-6 demolition of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

At the same time, Stafford was 18-of-27 for 295 yards and four touchdowns in a 28-22 win over the New England Patriots.

Combined, the QBs completed 42 passes for 707 yards and eight touchdowns.

One can say both teams are happy with the overall results of that trade.

Rams stuff Seahawks on defense, win on Matthew Stafford TD pass in overtime

The Rams downed the Seahawks in overtime on a Matthew Stafford TD pass

The Los Angeles Rams stopped the Seattle Seahawks on two short-yardage plays in overtime on Sunday. They then took the football and won the game on a Matthew Stafford pass to DeMarcus Robinson.

LA’s 26-20 win raised the Rams’ record to 4-4. Seattle fell to 4-5 and last in the parity-laden NFC West.

It was a bizarre game for the Seahawks. The only times they scored were in the final minute of the second quarter and the final minute of the fourth quarter.

Seattle scored two touchdowns in 46 seconds before halftime. The Rams then countered with17 straight points to take a 20-13 lead.

Geno Smith, who threw three TD passes and three interceptions, found Jaxon Smith-Njigba with a 14-yard pass with 51 seconds left in the fourth quarter to force overtime.

Seattle got the ball and was driving until LA’s defense stopped it cold on third and four down in Rams territory.

The Rams took over and Stafford drove them 83 yards in four plays with the final 39 coming on the pass to Robinson.

Sean McVay was one pumped-up coach.

Kamren Kinchens with 103-yard pick-six for Rams against Seahawks

Kamren Kinchens with a team record interception return for a Rams touchdown

The Los Angeles Rams gave up a couple of touchdowns late in the first half against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

Instead of folding, the Rams revved up after the break. They scored 17 straight points bridging the third and fourth quarters to take a 20-13 lead.

The touchdown in the fourth quarter was of the spectacular variety, as in a team record.

Karem Kinchens, who had 11 interceptions over his last two seasons in college at Miami, picked Geno Smith and returned the interceptions 103 yards.

The return was tied for the fourth-longest in league history.