Rams dominate Vikings, will face Eagles in divisional round - ESPN

GLENDALE, Ariz. — In a playoff game that was moved from SoFi Stadium because of the wildfires in Southern California, the Los Angeles Rams beat the Minnesota Vikings 27-9 on Monday night to advance to the divisional round.

It was an impressive performance for a young defense that has taken a giant step forward since the start of the season, which included a 41-10 drubbing at State Farm Stadium against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 2.

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But on Monday night, the Rams got to Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold early and often, and Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate Jared Verse recovered a fumble and ran it in for a touchdown to give Los Angeles a 17-3 lead in the second quarter.

Darnold took a total of nine sacks on the night — tying an NFL playoff record — and Minnesota's offense failed to gain much momentum.

The Rams' playoff victory — their first since winning Super Bowl LVI during the 2021 season — came as players and coaches wore Los Angeles Fire Department hats and shirts on the sideline to honor the first responders fighting the fires in Los Angeles.

Next comes the divisional round of the playoffs, where the Rams will travel to Philadelphia to play the Eagles on Sunday.

Here are the most important things to know for both teams:

QB breakdown: Matthew Stafford completed 19 of 27 passes for 209 yards with two touchdowns and was sacked twice. He completed 12 passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns to running backs and tight ends. According to ESPN Research, that is his most such yards and passing touchdowns in a game this season.

Most surprising performance: The Rams'