The Los Angeles Rams bewildered the Minnesota Vikings, sacking quarterback Sam Darnold an NFL playoff record-tying 9 instances to win 27-9 Monday night in an NFC wild-card online game that was relocated out of Southern California on account of ravaging wildfires.
Rookie Jared Verse returned a fumble for a 57-yard score and quarterback Matthew Stafford tossed 2 objectives for the Rams (11-7), that regarded cozy of their embraced house of State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., from the very first breeze. L.A. drove for a objective on the opening drive and constructed a 10-0 lead by the tip of the very first quarter.
The online game was relocated to the Phoenix suburban areas because of the wildfires that stay to soften within the Los Angeles location. The Rams’ following online game will definitely get on the East Coast versus the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.
Verse’s objective with 4:35 left within the 2nd quarter supplied the Rams a 17-3 lead. Darnold was underneath stress from blitzing cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon when he shed the spherical. The 24-year-old Verse scooped it up and ran down the realm unblemished, somersaulting proper into completion space.
The play despatched out the Rams’ devoted proper right into a craze– NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said some 45,000 followers made the journey from California for the online game, and the 63,400-seat area confirmed up full.
It was the lowlight of a ruthless very first fifty % for Darnold, that was making his very first NFL playoff look. He was sacked 5 instances previous to the break and tossed an interception when Cobie Durant selected off a go meant for Jordan Addison.
Minnesota (14-4) had a chance to realize the NFC’s entrance runner within the final online game of the conventional interval, but Darnold had a tough time in a loss atDetroit His insufficient floor questions concerning his long-lasting future with the Vikings after he performed this era on a 1 yr discount.
