Glendale, Ariz. — Sam Darnold stepped back in the pocket, hoping to find an open receiver, but the Los Angeles Rams’ defense closed in too quickly. Akhello Witherspoon reached him first, knocking the Minnesota quarterback to the ground as the ball popped loose. Jared Verse scooped it up and sprinted untouched for a 57-yard touchdown, sending Rams fans into a frenzy at State Farm Stadium in Glendale.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford summed up the performance perfectly: “Our defense just went crazy.”
The Rams (11-7) turned in a dominant defensive performance, sacking Darnold a record-tying nine times in a 27-9 victory in the NFC wild-card game, which was relocated from Los Angeles to Arizona due to wildfires ravaging parts of California. Despite the adversity, Los Angeles used the challenging week to fuel their performance on the field.
Stafford threw two touchdown passes and guided the Rams to a strong start, leading them to a touchdown on the opening drive and a 10-0 lead by the end of the first quarter.
Rams head coach Sean McVay praised his team’s resilience, saying, “I thought they epitomized and represented the city the right way. Sports offer a platform for people to come together, and I thought the way our team competed tonight was exactly what that looked like.”
The game was moved nearly 400 miles east due to the wildfires that had put a strain on public safety resources in California. The Rams’ next matchup will be against the Philadelphia Eagles on the East Coast on Sunday.
Verse’s fumble return touchdown with 4:35 left in the second quarter gave Los Angeles a 17-3 lead. The 6-foot-4, 260-pound linebacker somersaulted into the end zone to punctuate the score.
“I was going to dunk on the field goal post, but I was too tired,” Verse joked after the game.
The fumble return thrilled Rams fans, many of whom traveled from California to attend the game. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell estimated around 45,000 fans made the trip, and the 63,400-seat stadium appeared full.

Darnold, making his first playoff appearance, struggled mightily in the first half. He was sacked five times and threw an interception to Cobie Durant, who picked off a pass intended for Jordan Addison.
Minnesota (14-4) had been in contention for the NFC’s top seed heading into the final regular-season game but suffered a loss to Detroit, which exposed some of Darnold’s weaknesses. With his poor performance in this game, questions about his future with the Vikings began to surface after he played on a one-year deal.
“We’ve got to play to a certain standard, and we didn’t do that,” said Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell.
The Rams expanded their lead to 24-3 just before halftime when Stafford connected with tight end Davis Allen for a 13-yard touchdown. Stafford finished the game with 209 passing yards, completing his first 10 passes, including a perfect 6-for-6 on the opening drive.
Stafford commented, “In the playoffs, you can’t afford to be timid. You’ve got to make plays and win games, not just hope for things to fall your way.”
Los Angeles opened the second half with a 44-yard field goal from Joshua Karty, making it 27-3. The Rams’ defense continued to shine, with Kobie Turner registering two sacks in the win.
The Vikings thought they had a game-changing fumble recovery early in the second quarter, but a replay review overturned the call. After being hit by linebacker Jonathan Greenard, Stafford had shoveled the ball forward just before hitting the ground. Blake Cashman picked up the ball and ran 26 yards to the end zone, but the officials ruled it an incomplete pass after review.
“It hurt to get that called back,” Cashman said. “But we needed to keep playing tough and find a way to get back in it.”
Minnesota failed to recover from the overturned call and never threatened again.
Darnold finished the game completing 25 of 40 passes for 245 yards, but the Vikings’ offense was constantly disrupted, losing 82 yards due to the nine sacks. Minnesota managed just 269 total yards, much of which came when the game was already out of reach.
“They were just better than us today,” Darnold said. “I left a couple throws out there that I could have been better on, especially early in the game. Too many mistakes.”
The Rams, who learned on Thursday that their playoff game would be held in Glendale, arrived in Arizona on Friday and practiced at the Arizona Cardinals’ facility on Saturday.
Injuries:
- Vikings: OL Brian O’Neill was evaluated for a concussion.
- Rams: TE Tyler Higbee (chest) left in the first half and didn’t return. Witherspoon (thigh) left in the third quarter.
Up Next:
The Rams will travel to Philadelphia to face the Eagles in the next round of the playoffs, while the Vikings’ season comes to an end.