Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford went six-for-six with two explosive plays on the opening touchdown drive in the Wild Card round, according to Next Gen Stats (NGS). The Vikings blitzed on all six passes.
It was just one of those games where Stafford was in "total command," said head coach Sean McVay. On the game's first play, he hung in the pocket against a six-man rush to deliver a 27-yard strike to wide receiver Puka Nacua between the defensive zones.
Then, on his second pass, Stafford checked into the shotgun before hitting tight end Tyler Higbee down the seam in a microscopic window to put the Rams in the red zone. He saw the man blitz with a single-high safety and let it fly to his trustee veteran for a 23-yard gain. That was when the football world knew he was locked in, but McVay had known for days.
"We put the ball in his hands right from the jump," McVay said. "We knew that was the kind of game it was going to be… He had that look in his eye… There's an aura that he had about himself. I could really feel that when we were practicing on Saturday at Arizona's facility."
Stafford was blitzed on 69% of his dropbacks, according to NGS, the highest rate any quarterback faced in a game this season. He completed 14 of 18 pass attempts for 178 yards and two touchdowns, earning a 144.9 passer rating against the blitz. No matter what Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores threw at him, Stafford was unfazed, identifying coverages and executing plays decisively behind a rock-solid protection plan.
His final stat line – 209 yards and two scores – was not "reflective of how much command he had," McVay said postgame.
Stafford completed his first 10 passes, nine of which came against the blitz, and that was something he didn't see as much in the previous matchup with Minnesota in Week 8. The Vikings' blitz rate was almost double what they did in that regular season game, but Stafford was ready for the pressure on Monday.
"Felt like we had a good plan and then guys were making plays for me, so it was awesome," Stafford said. "Just try to go out there and be aggressive. This time of year, it doesn't really reward you to be timid."
That's especially true against the blitz, and Stafford was anything but timid. Still, he couldn't have done it without the Rams' elite pass protection plan. The Vikings only generated 34.5% of the time, their seventh-lowest rate in a game this season, despite blitzing at their highest rate.
L.A.'s increased usage of 12 personnel and the offensive front's connected approach gave Stafford enough time and space to make each snap count in the face of pressure.
"It's just going to be like a chess match," said offensive lineman Kevin Dotson during the week prior. "Everybody is trying to make their move to be the next one to make good things happen."
That match was between McVay and Flores, and McVay came out on top. Minnesota's pressures didn't get home enough to impact Stafford's processing, and if the goal was to get him "flustered," as Dotson said it would be, then that wasn't achieved.
After the game, McVay said the Vikings' defense "never lets you really take a deep breath," but Stafford and the offense didn't need one.
Late in the first half, Stafford completed two-straight passes against the blitz as part of a two-minute drill that gave Los Angeles a 24-3 lead entering halftime. Once again, Stafford took advantage of Minnesota's lack of effective blitzes to put his team up three scores.
First, he read the six-man rush and got a quick screen to Nacua on the outside for 12 yards. Then, Minnesota brought seven rushers in the red zone, so Stafford hung in the pocket and got walloped by safety Harrison Smith, but not before hitting a wide open Davis Allen on a quick hitch that resulted in a 13-yard touchdown. On both plays, the Vikings showed blitz and brought everyone in the vicinity of the line of scrimmage. Stafford diagnosed both plays with apparent ease.
After that, the game plan changed to a more conservative approach on both sides.
"I thought the two-minute drive after we took advantage of the fourth-down stop that our defense had to go up 24-3 really put an exclamation point on his work for the night," McVay said postgame.
Stafford has carved up blitzes all season, posting the second-most passing yards (1,439) and 10-highest passer rating in the NFL against it, via Next Gen Stats. The veteran quarterback has seen nearly every coverage and pressure there is, making his processing quicker than the average quarterback. That command was on full display against Minnesota.
Now, L.A. has earned a Divisional Round matchup with the Eagles in what will be a hostile Philadelphia environment. Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, like Flores, is a former head coach who is well-respected around the league, but his scheme isn't nearly as blitz-happy or pressure-reliant as Flores'.
"What I have a lot of respect for with coach Fangio is that he has an adaptability of flexibility and an identity that is whatever suits that game, that game plan or that team that he's on," McVay said before their Week 12 matchup.
With that in mind, and after the beating Los Angeles put on the Vikings' blitzes on Monday night, it's unlikely Fangio takes that same pressure-heavy approach on Sunday. But when does bring some heat, Stafford will be ready for it.
