Vikings 9 vs 27 Rams summary stats, scores and highlights | NFL Playoffs Wildcard Round

Matthew Stafford had great protection for basically the whole night, and took care of the ball against a defense that lives to make big plays. He wasn't terrific, but he did what he needed to do, and took advantage of the opportunities that were in front of him. Right before the half he hit Davis Allen for a this 13 yard TD to stretch it to a three TD game heading into the halftime break. That would be all the lead the Rams needed. Stafford went 19.27 for 209 yards and 2 TDs and the defense carried the load the rest of the way.
The Rams will head back to LA tonight, not knowing if they will even be able to use their practice facility in preparations for their Division Round game in Philly next week. They will get home and figure that out, but for now they are going to enjoy this win over a team that went 14-3 and was battling for a one seed in the NFC until the last week of the season.
With nothing going on the offensive end, the Vikings took a risk late in the 2nd quarter and went for it on 4th down. Darnold was pressured and sacked again, and Minnesota opened the door for the Rams to take an even bigger lead into the break by giving them great field position.
Seeing the other team go for a scoop and score hurts, but it hurts even more when you had one wiped off the board earlier in the game. Ahkello Witherspoon came up with the sack that jarred the ball out of Darnold's hands and Jared Verse scooped it and scored it to put the Rams up two TDs before the half. Darnold had a rough night, but his O line didn't do him a whole lot of favors. The Rams tied a playoff record, sacking Darnold 9 times. Some of those were the line's fault, but on some of them he just held on to the ball for too long.
It wasn't the Vikings changing the game on defense, it was the Rams defense who made the biggest plays of the night. Starting with Cobie Durant who sacked Sam Darnold just a few plays before and then came up with a pick that took the wind out of the Vikings sails. Darnold went 25/40 yards with 1 TD and 1 pick, but he looked rattled not just in this game but in the Vikings regular season finale against the Lions. These were the biggest games he had ever played in, and he only led them into the end zone once over the last eight quarters of the Vikings season.
After kicking a field goal on their second drive of the game to take a 10-0 lead, the Rams got a break when Matthew Stafford was sacked and the Vikings scooped it and scored off this fumble but after review the refs determined he was making a throwing motion to Puka Nacua, so the Rams kept the ball and the Vikings had a TD wiped off the board. The Vikings live off big defensive plays like that, but after this play the Rams took care of the ball and didn't commit a single turnover.
The Los Angeles Rams are heading to the Division Round of the playoffs after dominating the Minnesota Vikings in a Monday Night matchup that was moved to Arizona because of the wildfires in LA. The defense stepped up and made some huge plays to protect the lead built by Matthew Stafford's two TD passes.
Stafford and the Rams came out and drew first blood on the opening drive of the game. They marched right down the field, got MIN to jump offside on a 4th and 1 from the 10 and on the next play Matthew Stafford hit Kyren Williams in the end zone to take a lead they would never give up.
IT'S ALL OVER!!!
The LA Rams are heading to Philly for a Divisional Round showdown after beating the Vikings to close out a difficult week in LA.
TURNOVER ON DOWNS!!!
Darnold's pass to Sherfield skips off the turf and that's going to do it .
Pass to the flat for ones and he gets 8 yards.
4th and 12 from the MIN 20.
Darnold is sacked again, for the ninth time, and tis time it's Johnson who drops him for a 9 yard loss.
3rd and 19 from the MIN 12.
Darnold goes deep for Addison on the right hashmark but that pass falls incomplete.
2nd and 10 from the MIN 21.
WE ARE AT THE TWO MINUTE WARNING FROM ARIZONA!!
Darnold finds Mundt for a gain of 6 and a first down.
1st and 10 from the MIN 21.
MIN get the ball from the 8 and Darnold finds Sherfield for a gain of 7 yards.
2nd and 3 from the MIN 15.
Pitch to the left side for Rivers and he is taken down after a 2 yard gain.
4th and 2 from the MIN 46.
Rivers to the right side and he is cut down after a yard.
3rd and 4 from the MIN 48.
Rivers up the middle and he picks up 5 yards.
2nd and 5 from the MIN 49.
TURNOVER ON DOWNS!!!
Darnold takes a deep shot to Jefferson to the right side but that pass was thrown into double coverage and falls incomplete.
1st and 10 from the LA 46 with 3:35 to go.
Darnold to Addison at the marker and he makes the catch, but after a quick replay assist, that is ruled an incomplete pass.
4th and 11 from the LA 46.
Darnold to the left side for Nailor on a short gain of 7.
3rd and 11 from the LA 46.
Darnold is ripped down by Gallimore for a loss of 8 yards!
2nd and 18 from the MIN 47.
Pass to Jones who gets four yards, and an illegal use to the hands penalty gives MIN a first down.
1st and 10 from the LA 45.
Darnold rolls right and looks back to Mundt who takes it for 22 yards and a first down.
1st and 10 from the 50.
Darnold on the roll out and hits Jones on the left side but he is pushed out of bounds for a loss of 3.
2nd and 12 from the MIN 28.
Darnold picks up the first down with a QB sneak.
1st and 10 from the MIN 30.
After review Akers was short of the marker, and that will bring up 4th and 1.
Akers with a two yard run to move the chains.
1st and 10 from the MN 30.
Akers up the middle and he picks up 8 yards.
3rd and 2 from the MIN 28.
MIN get the ball back from their 20 and Darnold's deep pass to the left side sails out of bounds
2nd and 10 from the MIN 20.
Williams up the middle and he gets 6 yards and the Rams will punt with 7:34 to go.
4th and 19 from the LA 41.
Williams up the middle and he picks up 5 yards.
3rd and 24 from the LA 35.
A false start on Parkinson backs the Rams up even farther and on 1st and 31, and Williams gets 2 yards on the pitch to the right side.
2nd and 29 from the LA 30.
Rivers with a carry to the right side and he picks up 5 yards but another holding call is going to bring that play back.
1st and 26 from the LA 33.
Williams finds a huge hole on the left side and takes it for 26 yards down the sideline but a holding call is going to bring that play back.
1st and 16 from the LA 43.
Williams to the left side on the pitch and he gets 12 yards for a first down.
1st and 10 from the LA 49.
LA get the ball back from their 20 and Williams gets 2 yards up the middle, but a facemask penalty on MIN is going to give the Rams 15 free yards.
1st and 10 from the LA 37.
Darnold held on to it for too long and he is dropped for a loss of 13!!!
4th and 21 and MIN is going to have to punt with 12:10 to go.
Darnold looking over the middle for Nailor and that pass was just over his outstretched hands.
3rd and 8 from the LA 37.
Jones up the middle and he gets 2 yards on first down.
2nd and 8 from the LA 37.
Darnold to the right side for Hockenson and he makes the catch for a gain of 10.
1st and 10 from the LA 39.
Jones with the carry up the middle and he spins forward for a gain of 4.
3rd and 6 from the LA 49.
Darnold goes deep down the left side for Addison but that pass was over thrown by a yard.
2nd and 10 from the MIN 47.
Darnold tucks it and takes it up the middle for a big gain of 17 and a late flag flies for a late hit as Darnold went sliding!
1st and 10 from the MIN 47!!!
WE ARE AT THE END OF THE THIRD QUARTER FROM ARIZONA!!!
Jones up the middle for no gain on first down.
2nd and 10 from the MIN 15.
Darnold on the QB keeper and he moves the chains with a 2 yard sneak.
1st and 10 from the MIN 15.
Darnold to the left side for Addison who makes the toe tap grab for 7 yards.
3rd and 1 from the MIN 13.
Jones to the left side and he gets 2 yards on the first down run.
2nd and 8 from the MIN 6.
Great punt from Evans leaves the Vikings back at their 4 yard line.
WR screen set up for Nacua and he is swallowed up after a short gain of 1.
4th and 9 from the LA 42 and LA will punt with 2:20 to go in the 3rd quarter.
Broken play and Stafford tucks back to the line of scrimmage.
3rd and 10 from the LA 41.
Stafford down the left side for Long on the deep shot and he almost made the catch with a defender all over him.
2nd and 10 from the LA 41.
Williams to the left side and he picks up 4 yards and a first down.
1st and 10 from the LA 41.
LA get the ball back from their 30 and Stafford goes play action and hits Parkinson on the roll out to the right side for a gain of 7 yards.
2nd and 3 from the LA 37.
The Vikings needed this play to happen about a quarter ago. Darnold hit Hockenson for a 26 yard TD, but is it too late? The missed field goal means it's still a three score game, but there is still a chance.
TOUCHDOWN VIKINGS!!
Darnold hits Hockenson over the middle on the crossing route and he breaks it for a 26 yard TD catch and run! MIN goes for two and Darnold hit Jefferson on the shallow out route but he is cut down short of the goal line
LA lead 27-9 with 5:05 to go in the 3rd quarter.
Darnold to the left side and he makes a throw on the run to Nailor a 12 yard gain.
1st and 10 from the LA 26.
Darnold steps up in the pocket and looks right to Jones but he got smacked as the ball came in and that falls incomplete. A holding call on LA is going to give MIN a first down.
1st and 10 from the LA 38.
Darnold look for Jones on the swing pass to the right side and that pass was too far out infront of him.
2nd and 10 from the LA 43.
Darnold finds Nailor up the middle for a gain of 14 yards to extend the drive.
1st and 10 from the LA 43.
Darnol's pass deep down the left side for Jefferson but that pass was overthrown with great coverage downfield.
3rd and 5 from the MIN 43.
Nice return from Chandler who puts MIN at the 38 yard line.
Jones up the middle and he picks up 5 yards on first down
2nd and 5 from the MIN 43.
FIELD GOAL!!!
Karty drills the 44 yard field goal, sneaking it into the right upright!
MIN lead 27-3 with 7:19 to go in the third quarter.
Rush up the middle and Van Ginkle gets to Stafford and drops him for a seven yard loss!
4th and 12 from the MIN 26.
End around for Nacua and he takes it 7 yards up the left side.
3rd and 5 from the MIN 19.
The Vikings challenge that play to see if the ball came out before Williams knee hit the ground, but after a short review the play stands.
2nd and 12 from the MIN 26.
Handoff to Williams and he is dropped for a loss of 2 by Pace.
2nd and 12 from the MIN 26.
Stafford goes deep for Cupp down the right side and he makes a spinning snatch with a defender all over him for a gain of 29 yards!
1st and 10 from the MIN 24.
Stafford felt the pressure coming from the edge and he threw it out of bounds in the direction of Nacua on the left side.
3rd and 9 from the LA 47.
Williams to the left out of the shotgun and he is taken down after a short gain of 1.
2nd and 9 from the LA 47.
Stafford got hit from behind but let it go before the hit came and found Long for a 13 yard pick up over the middle.
1st and 10 from the LA 46.
Stafford finds Nacua on the right side and he turns and fights for the 5 yards and a first down.
1st and 10 from the LA 33.
Williams up the middle and he picks up 8 yards to make it third and manageable.
3rd and 5 from the LA 28.
LA get the ball back from their 23 and Williams gets stuffed by Pace for a loss of 3.
2nd and 13 from the LA 20.
Darnold's pass over the middle for Nailor who was open but that pass was well behind him.
4th and 5 from the 50 and MIN will punt with 13:32 to go in the 3rd quarter!
Darnold to the right side for Nailor and that pass skips off the turf.
3rd and 5 from the 50.
JOnes to the left side on the pitch and he takes it for 5 yards on first down.
2nd and 5 from the 50.
Darnold hung in the pocket, got hit but completed it to Addison dow the right side for a gain of 15.
1st and 10 from the MIN 45.
MIN get the ball back at the 30 to start the half needing a score.
Darnold's pass to Jones in the flat falls incomplete.
2nd and 10 from the MIN 30.
WE ARE BACK IN ARIZONA FOR THE SECOND HALF OF ACTION!!!
With unde 20 seconds to go in the half, Stafford hit Davis Allen who was wide open and he took it into the endzone and gave LA a 21 point lead heading into the final 30 minutes.
In desperation mode, MIN went for it on 4th and 2 from mid field late in the first half and Darnold got sacked again, which opened the door for the Rams to add to the lead before the break.
After the Vikings scoop and score was taken off the board, and Darnold got picked, the Rams defense made another big play as Witherspoon strip sacked Darnold and Verse picked it up and took it 57 yards to the house.
The first mistake of the Vikings night came from Darnold who has a a rough last six quarters. He struggled against the Lions last week and this week he is 13/16 for 113 yards, but he's been picked once and has been sacked 6 times.
The Rams got a bit lucky on this play that was originally ruled a scoop and score but after review it was determined that Stafford made a throwing motion to Nacua and the TD was taken off the board. It would only go further south from their for MIN.
The Rams came out swinging to start the game. They received first and drove right down the field, getting MIN to jump offside on a 4th and 2 play at the 10. The next play after the penalty, Stafford found Williams in the end zone.
WE ARE HEADING TO HALFTIME HERE FROM ARIZONA!!!
How does this team turn things around after a terrible first half? LA closed out the half with a huge TD and they lead bye 21 after two quarters!!!
Darnold got sacked on 4th and 2 after the Vikings take a chance late in the half and what a turn of events that has played out here in Arizona.
TOUCHDOWN RAMS!!!
Stafford over the middle for a wide open Allen who takes it 13 yards into the end zone!!!
LA lead 24-3 with 15 seconds to go.
Stafford finds Nacua with a short pass to the right side and he drags the pile for a gain of 12 yards and a first down!
1st and 10 from the MIN 13.
Stafford's pass to Allen is incomplete on the right side.
2nd and 10 from the MIN 25.
Williams up the right side and he moves the chains with a five yard run.
1st and 10 from the MIN 25
Williams to the left side and he picks up 9 yards on the first down run.
2nd and 1 from the MIN 30.
TURNOVER ON DOWNS!!!
Darnold is sacked again, this time by Turner for a loss of 12 and the Rams will take over with great field position!
1st and 10 from the MIN 39 with 1:27 to go.
Darnold finds Hockenson with a short pass to the right side and he makes the catch for 5 yards
4th and 2 from the 50.
Darnold to the right side for Jones and that pass falls incomplete.
3rd and 7 from the MIN 45.
WE ARE AT THE TWO MINUTE WARNING HERE FROM MINNESOTA!!!
Jones up the middle and he gets three yards on the first down run.
2nd and 7 from the MIN 45.
Darnold steps up in the pocket and he hits Jefferson for a 16 yard catch and a big first down.
1st and 10 from the MIN 42.
Darnold held on to it for too long again, and this time Young takes him down for a loss of 7!
3rd and 14 from the MIN 26.
MIN take over from their 30 and Jones takes it up the middle for a gain of 3 yards on first down.
2nd and 7 from the MIN 33.
This is the second turnover in the last eight plays for LA and this one Verse takes to the house to make it 17-3 deep into the first half.
TOUCHDOWN RAMS!!!
Darnold was sacked from behind by Witherspot and the ball came out! Verse was there to make the recovery and he takes it 57 yards to the house!!!
LA lead 17-3 wit 4:35 to go in the 2nd quarter!!!
Akers with the carry to the left side and he is bundled up by Lake for a loss of 2 yards.
3rd and 7 from the LA 38.
The call was indeed reversed and that will bring up 2nd and 5 from the LA 36.
Short pass to the right side for Oliver and he lost the ball fighting for more yardage. It was ruled a fumble but after review they should reverse the call.
Akers gets the pitch to the left side and he races down the sideline for a gain of 26 yards!
1st and 10 from the LA 41.
Darnold to the right side for Hockenson and he drags it in for a 16 yard pick up and a first down.
1st and 10 from the MIN 33.
Ackers with a run to the left side and he picks up 6 yards to bring up 3rd and short.
3rd and 3 from the MIN 17.
Higbee who had 5 catches early in the 1st quarter suffered a chest injury and he is questionable to return.
MIN get the ball back from their 10 yard line, and Darnold finds Sherfield for just a yard.
2nd and 9 from the MIN 11.
Stafford checks down to Williams on the right side and he picks up 5 yards but is well shot of the marker.
4th and 10 from the LA 42 and they will punt with 8:31 to go in the half.
Williams up the middle and he takes it for 5 yards to bring up 3rd and long.
3rd and 15 from the LA 37.
Stafford over the middle to Nacua but that pass was behind te WR.
2nd and 20 from the LA 32.
LA start the drive from their 42 and Stafford found Williams for a 14 yard gain, but it's coming back after a holding penalty on LA.
1st and 20 from the LA 32.
Durant had a sack on that was going to end the possession if not for the roughing the kicker penalty, but he ended it himself by picking off Darnold.
INTERCEPTION!!!
Darnold looked to the right side for Addison but Durant came cutting in and made the pick!!!
Rams take over from their 43 with 10:21 left in the first half!!!
Pass to the flat for Jefferson and he is tripped up at the line of scrimmage.
3rd and 7 from the LA 47.
Handoff to Jones and he is taken down after two yards on his run up the middle.
2nd and 8 from the LA 48.
A person foul for roughing the kicker on LA is going to give the Vikings a free first down!
1st and 10 from the 50.
Darnold trying to connect with Jefferson on the left side but that pass around the marker was well off the mark and almost picked.
4th and 15 from the MIN 35 and they will punt with 11:40 to go in the 2nd quarter.
Darnold is sacked after the play action and it was Durant coming on a blitz off the edge for a loss of 12!
3rd and 15 from the MIN 35.
Jones up the middle again and he is dragged down but not after a 7 yard gain.
2nd and 3 from the MIN 47.
MIN get the ball back from their 27 and Jones finds a hole and bursts up field for a 13 yard gain.
1st and 10 from the MIN 40.
Comeback route from Nacua and Stafford's pass to the left side was broken up by Gilmore!
4th and 10 and the Rams are lucky to be getting the chance to punt after the scoop and score scare.
Stafford going deep down the field for Robinson up the right seam but that pass was over thrown.
3rd and 10 from the LA 30.
LA take over from their 30 and Stafford was ripped down to the ground after getting sacked by Greenard but the ball came out and was recovered by MIN and taken to the house!!! The play went to review and they rule that Stafford was passing that pass on his way to ground!
2nd and 10 from the LA 30.
Vikings vs. Rams highlights
Rams march down field and score with Williams TD catch (7-0)
Vikings scoop and score overturned after Stafford ruled to be in throwing motion
Durant picks off Darnold to keep Vikings in the lead. (10-3)
Darnold strip sacked, Verse scoops and scores on 57 yard TD (17-3)
Darnold sacked on 4th and 2 late in 1st half
Allen stretches lead out with TD catch right before halftime (24-7)
Darnold hits Hockenson to give MIN hope in third quarter (27-9)
FIELD GOAL!!!
Reichard drills the 34 yard field goal to put Minnesota on the board!
LA lead 10-3 with 14:17 to go in the first half.
Darnold looks short for Jefferson on the crossing route and he makes the catch but is dragged down short of the marker!
4th and 2 from the LA 16.
WE ARE AT THE END OF THE FIRST QUARTER FROM ARIZONA!!!
Hockenson makes the catch up the middle of the field and he makes the catch for a 7 yard completion.
3rd and 10 from the LA 24 coming up.
Darnold is dropped by Turner who rushed up the middle and dropped him for a loss of 7.
2nd and 17 form the LA 31.
Darnold going down the right side for Jefferson on the out route and he reels it in for a 22 yard gain.
1st and 10 from the LA 24.
Darnold looks up the middle and finds Ham over the middle for a gain of 2 yards.
2nd and 2 from the LA 46.
Darnold looks to the left side for Addison who jumped up and made a great catch on the sideline for a gain of 7 yards.
1st and 10 from the MIN 46.
Darnold going to the air off the play fake and he hits Jones with a short pass for 6 yards.
3rd and 1 from the 39.
LA take the ball back from their 30 and Jones gets three yards on the run up the middle.
2nd and 7 from the MIN 33.
FIELD GOAL!!!
Karty drills the 34 yard field goal and LA are up two scores after scoring on their second straight drive to start the game.
LA lead 10-0 with 4:01 to go in the 4th quarter.
Stafford finds Higbee over the middle for Higbee and he makes the catch for 11 yards but is well short of the first down.
4th and 5 from the MIN 24.
Quick pass to the flat for Nacua and that pass from Stafford skips off the turf.
3rd and 16 from the MIN 27.
Higbee gets the screen pass and takes it for 9 yards but a late hit on LA is going to bring that play back 15 yards.
2nd and 16 from the MIN 27.
Williams bounces a run to the right side and he breaks it for a 15 yard run. The ball came out at the end of the play but Nacua was there to fall on it.
1st and 10 from the MIN 22.
Quick pass from Stafford to Parkinson and he reels it in for 7 yards on first down.
2nd and 3 from the MIN 37.
Stafford on the roll out to the right side and he finds HIgbee on the right side for a gain of 11 and another first down.
1st and 10 from the MIN 44.
LA get the ball back from the 22 and Stafford goes deep down the right side for Robinson who makes the catch for 23 yards!
1st and 10 from the LA 45.
Short pass to the right side for Jefferson but he is wrapped up well short of the marker after a gain of 11.
4th and 9 and the Vikings go three and out.
Darnold got swarmed off of both edges and he is dropped for a loss of 10 yards!
3rd and 21 from the MIN 19.
Here come Darnold and the Vikings starting their night from the 30 and Jones is dropped for a loss of one on the run to the right side.
2nd and 11 from the MINI 29.
The Rams received and marched down the field and into the end zone after getting the Vikings to jump on 4th and 1 at the 10. Williams made the catch in the end zone after the roll out from Stafford.
TOUCHDOWN RAMS!!!
Stafford with the roll out to the left side and he stops, and throws a strike back to the middle for Williams in the end zone!
LA lead 7-0 with 10:22 to go in the 1st quarter!!!
The offense stays stays on the field and they draw a Vikings player offside with the hard count!
1st and Goal from the 5!!!
Short pass to Williams on the out route and he dives for the marker but he's a yard short.
4th and 1 from the LA 10.
Early timeout for LA, who are battling a MIN heavy crowd in Arizona.
Short pass to Higbee and he makes the catch for four yards.
3rd and 7 from the MIN 16.
Screen pass to Nacua and he loses a yard on the left side.
2nd and 11 from the MIN 20.
Stafford eep down the field for Higbee and he makes a sprawling catch down the left side for a gain of 24!
1st and 10 from the MIN 19.
Williams up the middle and he is stopped after a gain of a yard.
2nd and 9 from the MIN 42.
The Rams start the ball with the ball and Matt Stafford and the offense will take the field from the 30.
Stafford starts the game off with a deep shot to Nacua who sat in the soft spot of the zone and he reels it for a gain of 27 yards.
1st and 10 from the MIN 43.
WE ARE UNDERWAY FROM ARIZONA!!!
The Rams will be rocking some special jerseys tonight from State Farm Stadium. The LA team is paying homage to the LAFD with their shirts on the sidelines tonight. If you want your own, you can go buy them with all proceeds going to the LAFD Foundation and American Red Cross. Our Williams Gittens has more.
The game may have been moved almost last minute, but that hasn't kept the fans from showing up. This place is packed. What a stage for this Monday Night Football Wild Card showdown.
What’s next?
This is the final game of the first round of the playoffs. The stage is almost set, but this game will determine how the NFC playoffs pan out. In the AFC we have the Texans heading to KC to play the Chiefs and the Ravens will play the Bills in Buffalo. In the NFC the Lions will play the lowest seeded team left, which was determined after last night with the Commanders win over the Bucs in Tampa. So that means the winner of this game will have to go to Philly and play the two seed Eagles after their win over the Packers yesterday afternoon.
Previous match up
These two teams met last in Week 8 and to the surprise of many the Rams got their two top targets back for the primetime Thursday night game. The Vikings had just come off their first loss of the season and had a quick turnaround on the road in LA. Minnesota started strong as Darnold threw two TDs in the first quarter, but Stafford answered back with two first half TD passes of his own. The Rams defense stepped up only allowing two field goals in the second 30 minutes and Demarcus Robinson caught two second half TD passes to open up the lead and a Byron Young safety with under 2 minutes to go closed the Vikings out and handed them their second straight loss as the Rams began to catch fire.
Star watch: Vikings
If Sam Darnold is going to bounce back after a rough game against the Lions it’s going to be up to Justin Jefferson to pull him out of this bit of a rut that he is in. JJ is one of the best receives in the league, if not the best in the league, and he had another outstanding season as Darnold used him as his clutch all season and he is going to need to do so again tonight. The Rams know JJ is going to be the top target and he will get plenty of attention, but that doesn’t matter. Jefferson can get open no matter if he’s double and triple teamed. On the rare occasion that he doesn’t get open because of the attention he draws, the other WR’s will be open on the other side of the field. The Vikings know their secret to success, but so too do the Rams.
Star watch: Rams
While Puka and Cooper get a lot of the glory, as well they should, but their quarterback is among the best in the league when he has time to throw. Since the WR duo came back that seems to have eased the burden on the O line which has given time to Stafford to make things happen from the pocket. It was far from the best year of his career, but he threw for 3,762 yards 20 TDs and 8 INTs but he makes all the throws when he needs to. The offense took a load off in the final month of the season as Stafford was held under 200 yards in each of the last three games, but the Rams defense stepped up holding their opponents to under 10 points in all three of Stafford’s final three games of the regular season. The Vikings are specialists in forcing turnover so Stafford is going to have to be meticulous when he drops back to pass.

The Tale of the tape
You look at the Vikings record and it looks incredible, but their offensive numbers aren't out of this world. Neither are the Rams numbers, and with the way LA's defense has been playing lately this could come down to which team defense makes the biggest plays tonight.
Season recap: Vikings
The Vikings had a lot of question marks surrounding them coming into the season after letting Kirk Cousins walk in the offseason, drafting a rookie QB only to see him go down with a season ending injury and naming a career journeyman as their starter for the season. Remarkably Minnesota went on a five game win streak to start the season and all of the sudden they were at the top of the NFC. A two game losing streak to the Lions and Rams would raise doubts about the staying power of this team that was led by a great defense but an unproven quarterback. The Vikes bounced back by winning nine straight games, but seven of those wins came by one possession. That set up a massive matchup with the Lions in Week 18, but the Vikings lost and went from the one seed in the NFC to a Wild Card team that will have to go on the road and win if they are going to make a Super Bowl run.
Season recap: Rams
The Rams came out in Week 1 and showed how good they could be by taking the Lions to overtime to kick off the season. They would lose that game and lose their top two WRs in the first two weeks of the season as the Rams would lose four of their first five games. Offensive line problems stunted the offense but then the Rams beat the Raiders and they met the Vikings on a Thursday night match up that both Nacua and Kupp returned and all of the sudden this team looked like a different squad. They won seven of their next nine including a big win over the Bills and a division clinching win over the Cardinals in Week 17. They lost their last game of the season which knocked them down to the fourth seed and set up this rematch with the Vikings.
Last game: Vikings
It was a battle of the top teams in the NFC to determine who would get the one seed, home field advantage and a first round BYE in the playoffs. There was only one team that looked worthy of winning the conference in Detroit and it wasn’t the Vikings. Sam Darnold and the Vikings struggled to move the ball on the Lions banged up defense and Jahmyr Gibbs put Detroit on his back and carried them to a final week win with three TD runs. Darnold and the Vikings had countless opportunities to close the gap or even take the lead but they went 0-4 in the red zone and against a team like the Lions, it’s only a matter of time before they punish you. Gibbs had two of his three rushing TDs in the second half and threw in a receiving TD just for good measure as the Lions wrapped up the one seed and a right to kick back and enjoy the first round from their sofas.
Last game: Rams
The Rams had a chance to finish with the 3 seed in the NFC had they won their final game of the regular season, but Sean McVay thought it was a better idea to rest his starters and put in Jimmy Garoppolo and the second stringers. The Seahawks got out to a lead that they held on to for basically the entire game. Geno Smith had a big game, and got an even bigger pay check reaching three contract milestones that were worth $6 million. A Garoppolo TD pass and a Josh Karty Field goal in the fourth quarter would put the Rams up 25-24 but Smith hit Noah Fans with a spectacular TD pass to take the lead and the Seahawks defense was able to stop the Rams on 4th and 3 from inside the 10 yard line.
We are live from Arizona
Hello everyone and welcome to State Farm Stadium where the Rams have had to relocate as fires continue to blaze in Los Angeles and the surrounding areas. The Rams hit the road trying to ease some of the pain and heartbreak of friends, family and the community. Matthew Stafford and the Rams have been on a tear since getting Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp back from injury in Week 8. They have gone 8-3 since that game, which just so happened to be against these same Minnesota Vikings who were in the running for the top seed in the NFC all season despite essentially everyone around the league doubting how good this team actually was and is. After losing to the Lions in Week 18, those same doubts are surrounding the Vikings tonight but they have a chance to silence their critics and nay sayers again.
Vikings vs. Rams
The final game of Wild Card weekend kicks off from Arizona as both teams will play a “road game” due to the raging wildfires that continue to terrorize Los Angeles. The original road team lost just three games, and missed out on their chance at the one seed in the conference on the final week of the season, while the home team won their division but lost in Week 18 to set up this match up with the top seeded Wild Card. It’s the LA Rams “hosting” the Minnesota Vikings from Glendale, Arizona and AS English will be with you all night providing live coverage, stats, highlights and analysis for this final match up of the first round of the playoffs.