Los Angeles Rams dominated their Sunday NFC wild-card game with an overwhelming 38-14 win over the Minnesota Vikings. They performed splendidly on offense and defense, truly an exhibition of readiness for the ensuing playoffs, and that was an excellent statement as they go further into the postseason.
No sense of waiting in to take the reins of the game as the Rams scored on all three of their first possessions. The quarterback this season has really been under an awful lot of scrutiny, and the outing this game was great: 325 yards and three touchdowns. Stafford actually really connected to the star wide receiver Cooper Kupp, with 145 yards and two touchdowns.
With a balanced Rams offense, spearheaded by Cam Akers at the forefront of a powerful running game that compiled 115 yards and one touchdown, the Vikings defense was not an impediment to the team compiling over 450 total yards by game’s end.
The offense stole the show, but the Rams defense was playing a game not to be outdone. Aaron Donald was an itch that Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins simply could not scratch, bringing two sacks and countless pressures. Cornerback Jalen Ramsey made his highlight reel by stealing a ball, killing a drive for the Vikings early in the second quarter.
The Vikings’ offense, so potent throughout the regular season, was an anemic thing Saturday night, struggling to make it through most of the game. Cousins mustered only 210 passing yards and one touchdown. Star receiver Justin Jefferson wasn’t much more impressive, netting just 45 yards due to Ramsey’s suffocating cover.
The underdog Vikings made too many mistakes and let too many chances slip away all game long. They had two turnovers, one of which, a costly third-quarter fumble, took all the momentum from them. Failure to establish a run game only added to that by making the offense one-dimensional and predictable.
Despite a brief spark in the second quarter with a touchdown pass from Cousins to tight end T.J. Hockenson, the Vikings couldn’t sustain drives or capitalize on their few scoring opportunities.
However, with this triumph, the divisional round sets the Rams toward a tougher encounter. Head Coach Sean McVay praised them but emphasized more on staying the course. “This was an excellent win; this road gets significantly tougher from now. We’ll need to find a way to keep this feeling intact and clean some of the bad stuff up from within,” McVay said.
The convincing win by the Rams has reignited hopes of a deep playoff run and perhaps another Super Bowl appearance. Their ability to dominate on both sides of the ball makes them a strong contender in the NFC.
It is still to be seen what the coming months hold for the Vikings, as they were coming from a season where they showed flashes of brilliance. Their postseason performance revealed crucial weaknesses in that offense and defense, which head coach Kevin O’Connell will have to consider while leading the team through its offseason.
The Rams come out victorious on the Vikings to make this never-before-seen NFC wild-card game a shutout, establishing their potential going into the divisional round. With their current momentum going into the match, the Rams are now up for the fray as one to watch in postseason action. Conversely, the defeat will be of value to the Vikings as what they need in order to grow and reach the next step.
