Rams overwhelm Vikings 27-9 in wild card game moved to Arizona

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 — 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.

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.

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.


(AP Photo Ross D. Franklin)