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.
“We knew what we were playing for today… For the people of Los Angeles.” – Matthew Stafford
(via @ESPN) pic.twitter.com/Us4ljrxvFn
— NFL (@NFL) January 14, 2025
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.