The Los Angeles Rams are marching on.
No. 4-seeded Los Angeles on Monday easily got past the No. 5 Minnesota Vikings 27-9 in their relocated NFC wild card matchup in Arizona.
The first half ended completely one-sided, as Los Angeles led 24-3 with a clear discrepancy in quarterback play. Matthew Stafford lit up the Vikings early, throwing two touchdowns on 14 of 20 completions while Sam Darnold continued to struggle, throwing a pick and losing a fumble that was returned for a touchdown.
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Very little changed in the second half, with Los Angeles mostly not putting points on the board. Darnold helped Minnesota get a touchdown with a throw to tight end T.J. Hockenson, but the ensuing two-point try failed.
Minnesota's 14-win season came to an abrupt end with looming questions about its future, while Stafford and Co. will head to the second-seeded Philadelphia Eagles for a divisional-round affair.
Let's analyze the game further with winners and losers:
WINNER: Matthew Stafford, Rams
NFL
Stafford didn't need to do much in the second half thanks to his strong start in the first two quarters. The soon-to-be 37-year-old signal caller led the Rams with 19 of 27 completions for 209 yards, two touchdowns and no picks, slicing Minnesota's elite defense early to set the tone.
Tight end Tyler Higbee got off to an equally hot start but couldn't finish the game due to a chest injury. If the Rams are to upset the Eagles next week, Stafford will have to do even more through the air. Kyren Williams put up 76 ground yards on 16 carries to lead the rushing attack.
LOSER: Sam Darnold, Vikings
Darnold went from potentially earning an extremely lucrative contract in free agency to a now unknown amount. In back-to-back pivotal games, Darnold started seeing ghosts again and reverted to his old ways despite a career regular season.
The 27-year-old logged 245 yards, one touchdown and a pick on 25 of 40 completions, along with the fumble that was recovered for a 57-yard scoop and score. More questions will be asked on how Minnesota proceeds at QB1.
WINNER: Rams' defensive line
Darnold's tough night was compounded with an elite effort from the Rams' defensive line on the night. They brought down Darnold nine times for 82 yards, along with the scoop and score.
Eight different players got involved with at least half a sack, with youngster Kobie Turner leading the way with two. Byron Young and Neville Gallimore each recorded one-and-a-half. If they can keep Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts in check next week, an upset could be on the cards.
LOSER: Vikings' QB situation
Now that Darnold has shown who he is when the Vikings needed him the most, should they bring him back? It's probably unlikely at this point, especially after Minnesota used its recent first-round pick on Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy, who didn't play the whole season due to an injury.
But McCarthy may just be the team's starter next season, even though he may face similar criticism as he didn't exhibit true QB1 potential in college. He didn't sling the ball enough and Minnesota is in a win-now position, especially with one of the league's premier wideouts in Justin Jefferson still on the team.
Additionally, the defense could lose their top coordinator if Brian Flores is poached elsewhere. Minnesota has a lot of soul searching to do to get back on track.
LOSER: Cooper Kupp, Rams
Ending on a loser note, the Rams will definitely need to get more out of Kupp next time out. With Higbee and Puka Nacua each logging five receptions, Kupp had just one on one target that went for 29 yards.
Stafford and the Rams didn't need to air it out in the second half, but Kupp's production has oscillated this year and they might not be able to afford a similar game like this in the near future. Williams and Davis Allen brought in the two passing touchdowns.