Matthew Stafford dedicates Rams’ Wild Card win to the people of LA

The Los Angeles Rams are one step closer to a trip to New Orleans in February. LA got a huge win on Monday, defeating Minnesota 27-9 in a game that was over at halftime. The Rams played like a focused team that was motivated to get the win no matter the cost. They played so well that the game was basically over before the fourth quarter even started.

Rams KB Matthew Stafford was nothing but smiles after Monday’s big playoff win.

“It’s a resilient group man, I’m so proud of these guys,” Stafford told Lisa Salters after the game, according to ESPN. “A great mix of young guys, old guys. Our head coach is an absolute guy who is leading us in the right direction.”

Stafford dedicated this victory to the Wild Card to the people of Los Angeles. The the city is dealing with devastating fires for last week, which led to the game moving to Phoenix, Arizona.

“I think we knew what we were playing for.” It was going to this win, but, man, this is for the people of Los Angeles, who are struggling right now, it was amazing to see the whole community, the state and the country kind of get behind them. It’s a tough time to go back there.”

The fires in Los Angeles have been one of the biggest news stories in America over the past week. Several NFL figures, incl former Rams tackle Andrew Whitworth made statements and donations to support relief efforts in Los Angeles.

Ultimately, the best thing the Rams could have done for their city on Monday was give them something to cheer about. They did everything they could to make it happen.

“We’re just happy to come out and play like this tonight to give them something to be happy about,” Stafford concluded.

Rams steamroll Vikings in decisive Wild Card win

Rams coach Sean McVay he had nothing but good things to say about his team after a big win.

“I thought they epitomized and represented the city in the right way,” McVay said after the game, via The Associated Press. “You talk about a sport that offers a platform for people to come together and offer some temporary relief – I thought that was the way our team competed tonight.

The Rams won this game thanks in large part to a heroic effort from their defense. LA limited Minnesota to just one touchdown and just 269 yards of offense. They also forced two turnovers, one of them resulted in a defensive touchdown by Jared Vers.

“Our defense just went crazy,” Stafford said.

Next up for LA is a trip to Philly with a berth in the NFC Championship.