GLENDALE, Ariz. — At follow on Friday, Cooper Kupp instantly observed the plumes of smoke emanating from the course of his home close to the Rams‘ Woodland Hills, California, facility.
Afterward, he shortly dressed and headed dwelling to ensure it was secure. Kupp had already evacuated his household to Santa Barbara with the fires raging in Los Angeles creeping nearer to his dwelling.
“I can see my neighborhood from the sphere,” Kupp advised FOX Sports activities. “We may see the smoke like proper on high of our neighborhood in the course of follow. As quickly as follow was over, guys had been operating to the parking zone to go get their stuff and be capable of ensure that their households had been good.”
When a hearth broke out close to the group’s coaching facility in Woodland Hills, a number of gamers and coaches acquired an alert on Friday that they needed to evacuate or go away their houses out of warning. That included head coach Sean McVay, who made certain spouse Veronika and younger son Jordan had been secure.
The Rams had been scheduled to host Monday’s wild-card recreation at SoFi Stadium. Nonetheless, the NFL moved the competition as a result of it did not wish to pull first responders working to comprise the wildfires to employees the sport in Los Angeles. So on Monday night time at State Farm Stadium exterior Phoenix, with the raging wildfires again dwelling as a backdrop, the Rams had been razor-focused as they jogged out of the tunnel at their momentary dwelling area to face the Minnesota Vikings.
Sure, they had been enjoying the primary 14-win wild card group in NFL historical past, however L.A. had already crushed the Vikings in Week 8 this season.
The Rams anticipated to win.
They usually did so in convincing vogue, a 27-9 victory for McVay over his protégé, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell. So it is the Rams who will face the Philadelphia Eagles within the NFC divisional spherical on Sunday. The Vikings will make offseason trip plans and begin excited about who their quarterback will probably be subsequent season.
Whereas the disjointed week made it powerful to arrange, Kupp stated profitable was essential.
“It was large,” Kupp advised FOX Sports activities. “It was a chance to shine, a second to supply some pleasure, one thing that has been so opposite to what has been the week for folks.
“With the ability to run on the market and see all these those that sacrificed to come back to Arizona, within the midst of the whole lot that is occurring, and nonetheless make the journey to come back watch a soccer recreation. We felt the accountability to ensure we had been able to go.”
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford began the sport on a heater, finishing his first 10 passes. He completed 19-of-27 for 209 yards, with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Along with his effort, Stafford handed Warren Moon (2,578) for the fourth-most yards in a QB’s first 9 profession playoff appearances with 2,672.
Much more spectacular, since 2021, Stafford has a 19-3 document from December to February. His 86.4% profitable share is one of the best amongst all quarterbacks who’ve performed a minimum of 10 video games. He’s 5-1 within the playoffs as a member of the Rams.
Stafford was significantly efficient towards Minnesota’s blitzing protection, ending 14-of-18 for 178 yards and two scores when the Vikings introduced greater than 4 rushers, which occurred 69% of the time, per Subsequent Gen Stats.
“I simply tried to go on the market and be aggressive,” Stafford stated. “At the moment of yr, it would not actually reward you to be timid. You must go on the market and make performs; it’s a must to exit and win video games within the playoffs. You possibly can’t simply hope that issues fall your manner.”
Matthew Stafford, Rams shut down Sam Darnold, Vikings
For Minnesota, Sam Darnold struggled in his first postseason begin. He was sacked 9 instances, turned the ball over twice and was pressured on 52% of his snaps.
With former Rams teammate Aaron Donald watching from the stands, defensive co-captain Kobie Turner led the sack occasion for Los Angeles with two. The Rams completed with eight gamers who recorded a minimum of half a sack, and L.A.’s 9 sacks tied an NFL single-game document.
Jared Verse returned a Darnold fumble 57 yards for a rating. However the Defensive Rookie of the 12 months candidate was disillusioned he did not get a sack.
“I am like, what the hell, it is a sack occasion and I am not invited,” joked Verse.
The Rams had a touring occasion of 335 folks, together with gamers, coaches and households. The group flew to Arizona on two planes supplied by the Arizona Cardinals on Friday. In addition they supplied free bus transportation from SoFi Stadium to State Farm Stadium for 1,500 season-ticket holders.
The final time the NFL held a recreation in Arizona on account of wildfires in Southern California was 22 years in the past. On Oct. 27, 2003, fires in San Diego pressured the Chargers to maneuver their Monday Night time Soccer recreation towards the Miami Dolphins to Arizona State‘s Solar Satan Stadium.
On Monday, Rams followers confirmed up in drive and tailgated exterior State Farm Stadium.
That did not go unnoticed by gamers like Rams exterior linebacker Michael Hoecht.
“Working out of the tunnel and simply listening to the noise and simply seeing the quantity of blue that was within the stands, I am simply so grateful that each one these folks traveled,” Hoecht stated. “It means the world to us that they got here to help. Hopefully, it means the world to them that we will proceed to battle and proceed to struggle for them.”
Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for greater than a decade, masking the Los Angeles Rams for Sports activities Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma Information Tribune. Observe him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.
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