Random Ramsdom: Looks like Sean McVay was right to rest starters

Los Angeles Rams News and Links for 1/14/25

Going into Week 18 of the regular season there was some talk that the Los Angeles Rams should start all their stars, so they could try and earn the best seeding in the NFC. Instead, the Rams rested some key players, lost to the Seattle Seahawks, but then dominated the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football as Sean McVay moves to 2-0 on Monday playoff games.

So, it looks like McVay and team’s decision paid off. Whereas the Green Bay Packers and the Vikings played their starters, and admittedly they were in a different situation than L.A., but regardless both the Packers and Vikings lost while the Rams won.

Congratulations to the Rams and hopefully fans can enjoy another week knowing their team is still kicking. Thanks for checking out Turf Show Times and have a great Tuesday!

Vikings-Rams: L.A. pummels Sam Darnold, Minnesota in 27-9 NFC wild-card rout (sports.yahoo.com)

“The ability of professional athletes on the highest level to focus on the task at hand, and block out whatever else is going on in their world, can be remarkable.

The Los Angeles Rams could not have been focused on football over the past week, not with deadly wildfires affecting a huge part of the Los Angeles area. They could see smoke from their practice facility. There was concern about their own homes and loved ones. Preparing to face a 14-3 Minnesota Vikings team wasn’t the priority. It didn’t help the Rams that the game had to be moved from their home of SoFi Stadium in Inglewood to a neutral site in Arizona either.

And yet, when Monday night’s game kicked off, the Rams played their best game of the entire season in a 27-9 victory against the Vikings in the NFC wild-card round.”

L.A. Rams Playoff Game Marks Catastrophic Fires With NFL Vet Andrew Whitworth, Rachel Platten (hollywoodreporter.com)

“Large-scale event insiders across the city have been asking themselves the same question in recent days amid catastrophic wildfires ripping through Los Angeles County: How to proceed given the circumstances?

The NFL answered it last Thursday by moving a scheduled playoff game between the Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings from Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium to Arizona. A couple hours ahead of kickoff at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, the Rams organization confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter how the fires and the current (ongoing) tragedy would play into the game.”

Vikings-Rams on Wild Card Weekend Monday: What We Learned from Los Angeles’ 27-9 win (nfl.com)

“Having had their home game moved from Inglewood, California, to Glendale, Arizona, due to the Southern California wildfires, the Los Angeles Rams came out playing inspired football on Monday night.

Matthew Stafford and a stellar Rams defense keyed fourth-seeded Los Angeles’ win over the No. 5 Minnesota Vikings to conclude Wild Card Weekend.

The Rams are now off to the Divisional Round, where they’ll face the second-seeded Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

Monday saw the Rams earn their first playoff win since Super Bowl LVI, while the Vikings lost their second straight game in which quarterback Sam Darnold struggled mightily.”