LOS ANGELES (AP) — Matthew Stafford was nearly flawless in his first career playoff win. Odell Beckham Jr. made big plays as a receiver and even as a passer, in what was also his first postseason win.
Still, the Los Angeles Rams (13-5) head to Tampa Bay for a spot in the NFC championship game on Sunday thanks to a playoff-level defense from their defense. And this suggests that this unit characterized by ups and downs can neutralize anyone.
Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey and their teammates held Kyler Murray and the Cardinals for 183 total yards and didn’t allow them to convert a third down in the Rams’ 34-11 win over Arizona in the wild-card round.
Head coach Sean McVay called this his defense’s best performance of the season — and he knows the Rams may need something like that to hold out against the defending Super Bowl champion Buccaneers.
“Being able to contain a really explosive offense like that, getting a touchdown on defense and a couple of steals, makes me just pleased with those guys,” McVay said. “We have a big challenge facing Tom Brady next week.”
After an inconsistent start to the season that was inevitable given the turmoil around All Pros Donald and Ramsey, the Rams have grown defensively and have been consistent recently — aside from an embarrassing performance by the entire team against the 49ers in the last game of the regular season.
After losing four starters from what was the best defense in the NFL before this season and trying to replace them from the inside, Los Angeles gradually found a way to be effective with new coordinator Raheem Morris’s scheme, a version akin to Brandon Staley’s.
The Rams got midseason boosts with the acquisition of Von Miller, who looks more dangerous by the week, and even safety Eric Weddle, who ended his two-year retirement and played 19 snaps against Arizona.
“I think we’re cementing ourselves at the right time,” said Miller, who had six tackles and a key quarterback sack in his first playoff appearance in six years. “We’ve done the same thing since I got here and now it feels like it’s working.”
IT WORKS
With Cam Akers and Sony Michel healthy, the Rams rushed the ball 38 times for 140 yards. They are not numbers that surprise, but they are the ones for the team to look much better on offense with a stable running game. With two running backs who change pace, these Rams are reminiscent of the 2018-19 Super Bowlers with Todd Gurley and CJ Anderson. Akers made a near-miraculous recovery from a ruptured Achilles tendon five months ago and posted 95 total yards on aggressive, punishing rushes.
MISSING
Had the Rams not dropped three of his passes, Stafford would have gone 16-for-17 against the Cardinals. Akers, Cooper Kupp and Tyler Higbee all made mistakes that could have turned a statistically modest night into a much bigger one. They also affected three holding penalties that wiped out a 55-yard gain by the offense.
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