Hot Take: The Los Angeles Rams Looked Like the Best Team in the NFL Last Night.
The Rams got off to a fast start and never took their foot off the gas pedal in yesterday’s 34–11 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in the first round of the 2022 NFL playoffs.
The Rams defense was dominant, they pounded the ball, Matthew Stafford and his receivers were in rhythm, and Sean McVay made excellent decisions as LA bounced Arizona in the Monday Night Football finale of the NFL’s Super Wild Card Weekend, 34–11.
Though we’re yet to see either #1 seed (Green Bay in NFC, Tennessee in AFC) play, Los Angeles looked like the team to beat.
SoFi stadium, this year’s Super Bowl LVI host, was loud and lively at kickoff in the gorgeous new arena’s first ever playoff game. The Rams defferred after winning the coin toss and got off the field quickly, forcing Arizona to go three-and-out.
Sony Michel broke loose for a 35-yard run on LA’s first play from scrimmage, but the drive stalled from there. They punted away, but controlled the game from that point on.
After another effortless hold of the Cardinals, the Rams got the ball back and marched down the field. Matthew Stafford hit Tyler Higbee and Odell Beckham Jr., while the offensive line gave Cam Akers room to run, allowing him to do the rest. McVay stuck to the run game, setting a tone early. LA struck first when Stafford lobbed a beautiful 3rd-and-goal pass to Beckham Jr., who leaped and made a remarkable catch in the corner of the end-zone.
Up 7–0, LA kept the pressure on Arizona, busting through their offensive line play after play to force Kyler Murray to hurry, uncomfortably escape the pocket, and express his desperation early. Von Miller sacked Murray, and the Cardinals punted again after failing to move the chains.
Michel grinded yards to get the Rams near the red-zone and Stafford found Beckham Jr. for a 32-yard strike on third down. Stafford, with the confirmation via a McVay challenge, punched it into the end-zone himself a few plays later on a QB sneak — making it 14–0.
Though they only had two sacks total in the game, it felt like LA had serious pressure on Murray every time he snapped the ball. Both teams traded punts, with Johnny Hekker’s masterpiece being downed at the 1-yard line. It seemed that Arizona had escaped trouble when Murray found A.J. Green for 22-yards, but a hard hit by Nick Scott caused the ball to come loose and roll out of bounds. After a lengthy discussion, the refs deemed it a catch with a fumble; however, McVay threw the challenge flag again, and it was successful — an incomplete pass, forcing third-and-long from the 4. Murray, lined up on the goal line, had Rams rushing him immediately from the snap and was wrapped up by Troy Reeder when he inexplicably decided to flip the ball forward to avoid a safety milliseconds before he was brought down. David Long Jr. scooped the ball out of the air a moment before it would have fallen incomplete and ran it back four yards to the house — the shortest pick-6 in NFL playoffs history. It was the backbreaker of a killer first-half performance for LA, making it 21–0.
The Cardinals neared midfield as the half approached when Murray targeted James Connor on a screen pass. The pass was a split-second early, and the ball bounced off of Connor’s hands and into the air where Marquise Copeland came down with the ball for the Rams’ second consecutive interception. They went into the half with the three-score lead intact.
LA got the ball to start the 3rd and marched down the field, utilizing every option. Michel, Akers, Higbee, Beckham Jr. and Cooper Kupp all contribted positive yards before McVay pulled out the trick book. At their own 49, Stafford threw backwards to Beckham Jr. on the near side, who waited for the defense to collapse near him before throwing 40 yards across the field to Akers, who made the catch and was tackled near the end-zone. Stafford found Kupp two plays later for another score, bringing the Rams advantage to 28–0.
Arizona responded with a solid drive, their first of the game, that concluded with a two-yard TD run by Connor. They went for two and got it.
LA drained the clock on back-to-back drives that resulted in two field goals with a Cardinals field goal sandwiched in-between.
Up 34–11, the Rams forced a turnover-on-downs and brought the clock near 0. They punted, but time ran out on Arizona when they got the ball back.
Playoff games are won on defense. Raheem Morris’ game-plan for LA’s defense worked to perfection, as the star-studded group held the Cardinals offense stagnant while forcing multiple turnovers. Aaron Donald was unstoppable, as he often is, and helped Miller, Leonard Floyd, Greg Gaines, A’Shawn Robinson and Terrell Burgess have great days. Murray smartly looked Jalen Ramsey’s way no more than a few times, and Darious Williams, Dont’e Deayon, Long Jr. and Scott all made quality plays.
On offense, the Rams had five receivers over 40-yards and their run game was strong. Michel rushed for 58 yards on 13 carries, and Akers went for 55 on 17 with one catch for 40 yards. Kupp led the team with five receptions for 61 yards, Beckham Jr. had four for 54, Higbee three for 46, and Van Jefferson’s lone grab went 41. Stafford was on-point, and once they got the lead, LA was smart, safe, and conservative — managing the ball and the clock flawlessly. Their kryptonite this season has been turnovers; but when it mattered most last night, they didn't have a single one.
It is no question that LA has been a bit inconsistent this season, looking unbeatable at times and horrific at others. Though they have absolutely dealt with and had to overcome meaningful injuries, true championship teams often look very similar week in and week out.
The Rams, who had won five straight games before blowing a 17–3 halftime lead to San Francisco in Week 18, entered Monday night with as many eyes on them and as much pressure as anyone. It was Stafford’s first career playoff victory, and they couldn’t have asked for much more to go better than it did. With the talent LA has on the defensive side of the ball (the best DT in the NFL and possibly the best corner) and the options they have around a very talented QB in Stafford on offense, LA could easily get hot at the right time and find themselves playing for a championship in their own home.
While Arizona is undoubtedly beat up and not near their best, they were run out of the building from the kickoff yesterday evening.
As a result, the Rams earned themselves a date with seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady and the reigning champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who won 31–15 this past Sunday vs the Philadelphia Eagles. LA defeated Tampa Bay at home in Week 3, 34–24, but both teams have changed drastically since their early season matchup. Raymond James Stadium will play host next Sunday, January 23rd, at 12pm PST.
It is a very intriguing matchup between two teams who have a lot to prove — are they poised to go all the way, or are they frauds?
If LA plays how did they did against the Cardinals, pressuring Brady and limiting his weapons in Mike Evans, Giovani Bernard, Rob Gronkowski, Leonard Fournette, Ronald Jones II and Ke’Shawn Vaughn, they will find themselves with the ball often and allowing their offense to dictate the game. If they are sloppy, out of sync, and unable to contain the Buccaneers, the outcome will be ugly.
The way the Rams dominated Arizona in the spotlight yesterday, though, makes them look like the best team in football.
