By DAVID BRANDT
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Sam Darnold tried to step up in the pocket to find a receiver but there was nowhere to go. The blue and yellow wall that was the Los Angeles Rams’ defense closed too fast.
Akhello Witherspoon got there first, knocking the Minnesota quarterback to the ground as the ball popped loose. Jared Verse scooped it up and the Rams faithful roared their approval in their adopted home of State Farm Stadium as the rookie ran untouched for a 57-yard touchdown.
Los Angeles quarterback Matthew Stafford was right there with them.
“Our defense,” he said, “just went crazy.”
Los Angeles — the football team, but especially the city — has had a tough week as wildfires have decimated large portions of the metropolitan area. The Rams channeled all that sorrow and uncertainty into a dominant defensive performance, sacking Darnold an NFL playoff record-tying nine times to win 27-9 Monday night in an NFC wild-card game that was moved from Southern California to Arizona.
Stafford threw two touchdown passes and the Rams (11-7) looked comfortable from the first snap. LA drove for a touchdown on the opening drive and built a 10-0 lead by the end of the first quarter.
“I thought they epitomized and represented the city the right way,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “You talk about sports offering a platform for people to come together and offer a little temporary relief — I thought the way our team competed tonight was what that looked like.”
The game was moved to the Phoenix suburbs, nearly 400 miles east of the Rams’ home in Inglewood, California, in part because public safety resources were needed to address the wildfires. LA’s next game will be on the East Coast against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.
Verse’s touchdown with 4:35 left in the second quarter gave the Rams a 17-3 lead. The 6-foot-4, 260-pound linebacker somersaulted into the end zone at the end of the game-changing play.
“I was going to dunk on the field goal post, but I was too tired,” Verse said, laughing.
The fumble return sent Rams fans into a frenzy — NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said some 45,000 of them made the trek from California for the game, and the 63,400-seat stadium appeared full.
It was the lowlight of a brutal first half for Darnold, who was making his first NFL playoff appearance. He was sacked five times before the break and threw an interception when Cobie Durant picked off a pass intended for Jordan Addison.
Minnesota (14-4) had a chance to earn the NFC’s top seed in the final game of the regular season, but Darnold struggled in a loss at Detroit. His poor finish raises questions about his long-term future with the Vikings after he played this season on a one-year deal.
“You’ve got to play to a certain standard,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said. “And we didn’t do that.”
The Rams took a 24-3 lead when Stafford hit tight end Davis Allen for a 13-yard touchdown with 15 seconds remaining in the first half. Stafford finished with 209 yards passing and completed his first 10 passes, including all six on the opening touchdown drive.
“This time of year, it doesn’t really reward you to be timid,” Stafford said. “You’ve got to go out there and make plays. Gotta go win games in the playoffs, not just hope that things fall your way.”
Joshua Karty’s 44-yard field goal made it 27-3 on the opening drive of the second half. Kobie Turner finished with two sacks for the Rams.
LA caught a break early in the second quarter when a potentially game-changing fumble was overturned by replay. Stafford was being pulled to the turf by Minnesota linebacker Jonathan Greenard when the quarterback shoveled the ball forward just before he hit the ground.
Minnesota’s Blake Cashman grabbed the ball on the bounce and ran 26 yards to the end zone. Officials called it a fumble on the field, but it was ruled an incomplete pass after a replay review.
“It hurt to get that called back,” Cashman said. “But it was early in the game. We’ve got to continue to grind, play the tough downs and find a way to put us in a position to win.”
The Vikings never threatened again.
Darnold completed 25 of 40 passes for 245 yards, but lost 82 yards on the nine sacks. The Vikings managed 269 total yards and many of those came when the game was already out of hand.
“They were just better than us today,” Darnold said. “I left a couple throws out there that I could be better on, especially early in the game. … Just too many mistakes.”
Los Angeles learned on Thursday that its playoff game would be in Glendale, which is home to the division rival Arizona Cardinals. The Rams traveled to Phoenix on Friday and practiced on Saturday at the Cardinals’ facility.
Injuries
Vikings: OL Brian O’Neill was evaluated for a concussion.
Rams: TE Tyler Higbee (chest) left in the first half and didn’t return. … Witherspoon (thigh) left in the third quarter.
Up next
The Rams visit the Eagles in a matchup of defenses that dominated in the opening round.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
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