wildcard game–the big articles/commentaries

How the Rams’ young DL set the tone for emotional wild-card win over Vikings

Jourdan Rodrigue

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6060376/2025/01/14/rams-win-advance-vikings-defense-sacks/?source=emp_shared_article

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Michael Hoecht stood in the far corner of a visiting locker room, in a stadium that isn’t his but through the effort of the Los Angeles Rams support staff he knows and dozens of strangers was painted in his team’s colors and filled with his team’s fans. He wore a “Los Angeles Fire Department” sweatshirt, the sleeves cut off to show the “L.A.” tattoo the Canadian transplant got on his arm last offseason out of love for the place he has made his home.

“Running out of the tunnel, hearing the noise and seeing the amount of blue that was in the stands, I’m just so thankful that all of those people traveled,” Hoecht said. The Rams beat the Minnesota Vikings 27-9 on Monday night at State Farm Stadium, the typical home of the Arizona Cardinals. The latter team lent it, and their practice facilities, to the Rams ahead of the relocated wild-card game as multiple fires have raged through Los Angeles over the last week. Many of the thousands of Rams fans in attendance were bused in by the team Monday morning.

“It means the world to us that they came to support, and hopefully it means the world to them that we continue to battle and fight for them …” said Hoecht. “I hope they are all safe. I hope they are making it through a tough time.”

The Rams will travel to Philadelphia for a divisional-round matchup vs. the Eagles on Sunday at 12 p.m. PT.

By kickoff, the stadium (painted by sleepless field crews in their specific shades of blue and yellow and featuring the Rams’ typical in-game entertainment) had the feel of a big college bowl game, with each fan base packing the stands directly behind their teams’ benches and standing and waving towels throughout.

They only got louder as the first half unfolded. The Rams defensive line sacked Minnesota quarterback Sam Darnold six times in the first two quarters, and recorded nine total sacks. One sack, a blitz and strip-sack by cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon in the first half, was punctuated by a 57-yard scoop-and-score from rookie outside linebacker Jared Verse. He stretched out vertically as he got into the end zone, tucking his chin and somersaulting as he landed.

“I told them 1,000 times, ‘if I ever get a touchdown I’m (gonna) tweak out,” said Verse, laughing. “But I was too tired (he hit 19.88 miles per hour on the return, according to Next Gen Stats). I was too far away. I was expecting to be like, on the goal line (if it ever happened). I was gonna dunk on the field goal posts. But I was too tired, so I just had to jump in.”

All spring and summer, a defensive line that featured mostly second-year players and rookies was the subject of scrutiny and in question after the retirement of superstar defensive tackle Aaron Donald. The Rams also had a first-year defensive coordinator in Chris Shula, who had served for years as an assistant and position coach.

Monday night, Donald was in the stands as a guest and got to watch the new era of pass rushers tee off on Darnold and the Vikings front.

“It’s simple, we just tried to show him he left it in good hands,” Verse said.

“That was cool,” head coach Sean McVay said. “I think these guys are all about the right stuff. Kobie Turner’s leadership up front (Turner, a team captain, had two sacks), Chris Shula, the defensive coaches … I think we had a great rush plan and I think ultimately it’s about the players bringing it to life.

“They have really played excellent football as of late. They are peaking at the right time (and) they are not showing any of that youth that you would think as you play your 18th game in the season. I’m proud of them.”

Hoecht reiterated that he knew as far back as OTAs in the spring that “we had a special group.” They just had to grow up a little bit together first. Big blows backward came via Arizona in Week 2 (41-10; they couldn’t contain quarterback Kyler Murray) and at home against Philadelphia in Week 12. They lost to the Eagles 37-20 as star running back Saquon Barkley sliced through the defensive line, which was also outsized by the Eagles’ prolific offensive line.

After every bad loss, position coaches Giff Smith and A.C. Carter stripped the group back to its fundamentals with gap accountability drills between overturned trash cans, and placed an extra emphasis on communication. They had to be smarter than their opponents, and play more cohesively. Coaches and players emphasized to each other: The collective would be stronger than the individual.

“Just the relentless effort that this group plays with, and we just have so many different skill sets,” Hoecht said, “guys that are good at everything. Guys that are technical and that really understand the game of football.”

Monday night, they were smarter than the Vikings and their plan was better. Flat-out. Over the past two weeks (starters either rested or were held to rotational snaps in Week 18 against Seattle), coaches designed a simple plan that relied on the Vikings sticking with their tendencies toward longer-developing passing plays, and trusting that their defensive linemen and outside linebackers would get to the quarterback. On some must-pass or longer passing downs, they sent selective blitzes that appeared delayed to the quarterback (similar to what the Detroit Lions did against Darnold in Week 18). Witherspoon’s strip-sack was off a blitz, and cornerback Cobie Durant also had a sack off a blitz in the first half.

Darnold took a loss of six or more yards on each sack for negatives of: 10, 7, 12, 8, 7, 11, 13 and 8 yards, respectively. The Rams truncated Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell’s play sheet as a result, but the loss numbers also illustrated how deep Darnold kept getting into his drops which in turn illustrated the longer-developing route concepts the Rams predicted the Vikings would stay latched onto.

“You watch their tape all year, where they have a lot of success is deep-developing routes. We had a plan for it. We knew that we were gonna have time to rush,” Hoecht said. “For us, if you look at when we play the Seahawks with Geno (Smith) and even Josh Allen (quarterback for the Buffalo Bills), we get a lot of quick game.”

O’Connell did not largely shift to those types of quicker concepts to help Darnold beat pressure until the second half, and when he did Darnold was off-target and out of rhythm as throws to running backs or receivers in the flat fell incomplete.

“We knew this week (that) this was our opportunity to not get so much quick game,” Hoecht said. “We had a really, really tight (and) really really good rush plan. We just went out and executed.”

The Rams offense was technically responsible for 21 points. Kicker Josh Karty hit two field goals and all of his extra points, plus the defense scored. Still, quarterback Matthew Stafford opened with his most efficient passing in several weeks — he started 10-for-10 including a touchdown drive during which he was 6-for-6 for 64 yards and the TD, a 5-yard pass to running back Kyren Williams.

“Obviously I didn’t play some of my best football late in the season,” Stafford said. “Got a week off. Got to get a little healthier, which was huge for me, and was able to come out here and cut it loose. I love playing this game. I love competing in big moments. I feel like days like today are the reason that I’m here. The reason they came and got me, and brought me here. I’m just happy I could come through for the guys when my number was called. Tried to be the best version of myself today (and) I’d love to try and do that next Sunday as well.”

The Rams had three passing plays of 20-plus yards in Stafford’s first nine dropbacks — but the largest momentum swing was a savvier moment by the veteran.

And a lucky one.

As Stafford was getting sacked in the second quarter, he saw receiver Puka Nacua’s cleats cross by his field of vision and shoveled the ball at them. Nacua wasn’t supposed to be where he was at that time, but because he and left tackle Alaric Jackson messed up their at-snap timing to chip the defender who ultimately got to Stafford, and then because Nacua ran into Williams because of that error in timing, he happened to be there instead of on the other side of the formation where he was supposed to be. The call on the field was a fumble and then a corresponding recovery and touchdown by linebacker Blake Cashman. After review, officials ruled it as an incomplete pass and didn’t call intentional grounding because Nacua was “in the area” of Stafford’s heave of the ball.

“I felt (the rusher) on my back, I knew Puka was right there. I could see his cleats,” said Stafford. “Just dumped it at his cleats. I was gonna be hurt in a bad way if they tried to say that wasn’t a shovel pass, I mean, that’s exactly what I was trying to do. Trying to plead my case (to the referees) and I’m glad they looked at it and understood that’s what I was doing.”

The Rams entered the game knowing they could use a little of that luck, just like their city can now.

But with so much happening that feels so out of control — and for so many — they focused all of their energy and emotion on Monday night on whatever action they could take.

“Give the people something that they can be hopeful for,” Hoecht said. “They are going through a hard time at home. This is obviously a bad situation. For us, if we can be a bright spot in these next couple of weeks then that is our job to do.”