Rams Tie Playoff Sack Record in 27-9 Victory Over Vikings; Advance to Face Eagles

Jan 14, 2025, 04:17 AM

The Los Angeles Rams advanced to the NFC Divisional Round with a dominant 27-9 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Wild Card game held on Monday night. The game, relocated to Arizona due to wildfires in Los Angeles, saw the Rams' defense overwhelm Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold, who was sacked nine times—tying an NFL playoff record—including six sacks in the first half. Darnold lost a total of 82 yards on sacks, the most in a playoff game in the Super Bowl era, and his fumble was returned for a touchdown by the Rams' defense. Matthew Stafford led the Rams' offense, completing 19 of 27 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns. With this victory, the Rams will face the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Divisional Round. The Vikings, despite a strong regular season with 14 wins, saw their playoff run end abruptly, raising questions about the future of Sam Darnold as their starting quarterback.