The Rams' defense set multiple NFL playoff records en route to a dominant Wild Card win over the Vikings. Despite the uncertainty surrounding the game, amid wildfires and the move to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., Los Angeles showed up for their city. The resounding 27-9 victory earned L.A. a date with the No. 2 seed Eagles on Sunday in Philadelphia.
The defense set a new season-high with nine sacks, as eight different players recorded at least 0.5 sacks. Meanwhile, quarterback Matthew Stafford beat the blitz at every turn, despite facing it on nearly 70% of his dropbacks.
Here are five interesting stats from the Rams' Wild Card victory:
The Rams tied an NFL record with nine sacks in a playoff game, on which Minnesota lost 82 yards, the most in the Super Bowl era
The Rams' eight players with at least 0.5 sacks in a game is the most since 1982, when those stats started being tracked. Their six sacks on Darnold in the first half were the most taken by any QB in the first half of a playoff game in the last 25 years. It was a defensive performance unlike any in recent postseason history. The Rams' 18% sack rate was their highest of the season.
Defensive end Kobie Turner led the way with two sacks, while nose tackle Neville Gallimore and outside linebacker Byron Young each had 1.5 sacks. Two cornerbacks, Ahkello Witherspoon and Cobie Durant, even got to Darnold with the second and fourth-fastest sacks of the Wild Card round, respectively, according to Next Gen Stats (NGS).
The Rams became the first team ever to have two cornerbacks record at least one sack in a playoff game since 1982 when sacks became an official stat.
The Rams pressured Darnold on 52% of his dropbacks, the most of the Wild Card round and the second-most pressure he'd seen all season, via NGS
It was also the second-highest pressure rate the Rams generated all season. Defensive coordinator Chris Shula dialed up exotic blitzes and defensive looks to keep Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold guessing, and it worked to perfection. Los Angeles' 26 total pressures were tied for their most of the season and tied for second-most for any team, per NGS. It was complete dominance from start to finish.
He brought corners, linebackers and safeties after the quarterback and then used simulated pressures so that Darnold never knew what to expect. After the game, head coach Sean McVay said that Shula "did an excellent job of creating an understanding of the intent" within the defense, and the players executed.
Matthew Stafford faced blitzes on 69% of his dropbacks, the most any quarterback faced all season, completing 14 of 18 attempts for 178 yards and two touchdowns, via NGS
Stafford set a season-high in completions and tied his season-high in attempts against the blitz. His 144.7 passer rating and 178 yards both ranked second for him this year, as he was blitzed at the highest rate he's seen all season.
After the game, Stafford said they wanted to come out with an aggressive approach, and that's exactly what they did. Stafford completed his first 10 pass attempts and put Minnesota on their heels early. No matter how many rushers they threw at him, the veteran was calm and collected in the pocket.
The Rams' -0.62 expected points added (EPA) per pass play is tied for the best of the Sean McVay era in a postseason game and the second-best in any playoff game since 2018, via NGS
EPA measures how many points a play is expected to add or lose based on historical context like field position, time and other factors. That means Los Angeles took 0.62 expected points for the Vikings off the board on each defensive snap.
The nine sacks, fumble-six and interception culminated in one of the best defensive performances against the pass in NFL postseason history. The only performance that was better from an EPA perspective since 2018 was the Texans' against the Chargers on Saturday, when Houston intercepted quarterback Justin Herbert four times.
Jared Verse' 57-yard fumble-six was the longest postseason defensive touchdown by a Rams defender since 1975
Verse became one of three players in franchise history with a 50-yard defensive touchdown. It was the longest scoop and score touchdown in the playoffs since Sam Hubbard's 98-yard score in the 2022 Wild Card game. Verse reached a top speed of 19.88 miles per hour on his fumble return for a touchdown last night – the fastest speed reached by a 260+ pound bal carrier over the last seven seasons, when NGS started tracking that data.
On top of that, Verse was tied for the highest pressure total of the Wild Card round with seven. He was one of just a few consistent players on the defensive line who didn't record at least 0.5 sacks, but he made his presence felt regardless.
"It's a sack party and I am not invited," Verse jokingly said postgame.
