Shula and his defense pulled out all the stops in a game that simply meant more for LA. Using a variety of offenses and defenses, the Rams set an NFL record with nine sacks in a playoff game, added two turnovers and held the Vikings to 6 of 17 (35%) on third down to go 27-9 -Wild card win at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona due to the LA wildfires.

The Rams were after Sam Darnold all night long. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), they generated a season-high 22 pressure attempts, resulting in six completions and one interception on 12 attempts. It was pure dominance on the Los Angeles front that left Darnold disoriented in and out of the pocket. LA took inspiration from their Week 8 win and the Lions’ two wins over Minnesota to get the desired effect against Darnold.

The intricate looks and pressure they applied required everyone on defense to be on the same page, as one missed assignment in a blitz attack could bring everything crashing down.

“Just having that dog mentality and just sticking to the formula, everyone agrees,” cornerback Cobie Durant said. “…As long as we communicate, we will be fine.”

The Rams’ defensive heroics were evident from the first drive, as Young sacked Darnold on a straight bull rush for a 10-yard loss on 3rd-and-19. The Rams scored five on that play, determined to upset Darnold in his first career playoff start. That ended with a three-pointer and set an aggressive tone for the defense that would only grow from there.

Shula was in his pocket tonight, especially on third down. The Rams’ front line kept the Vikings’ rushing attack in check, as running back Aaron Jones averaged just 3.7 yards per carry, resulting in obvious passes. Once in that position, they confused Darnold and/or pressured him into making poor decisions or firing him.

“I think Chris (Shula) and the defensive coaches have done a great job of creating an understanding of the intent, why we’re doing it and then being able to execute it, get to it at the right time and then …” “There’s nothing like bringing execution to life,” said head coach Sean McVay.

On the drive before the touchdown, LA blitzed on third-and-8, but linebacker Christian Rozeboom started forward before breaking away to cover the running back in man coverage. Darnold waited in the pocket against the four-man rush, perhaps a little too long, and threw an interception to Durant on a comeback route that he played perfectly with inside leverage. The Rams had already shown a flurry of blitzes and had sacked Darnold three times up to that point, so just the threat of an extra rusher made Darnold hesitate due to LA’s different look.