Rams Roll Past Mistake-Prone Cardinals, Advance to Divisional Round

Los Angeles took control of the game from the opening quarter en route to a 34–11 home victory.

It took 13 years, but Matthew Stafford finally notched his first postseason win.

The Rams dominated a mistake-prone Cardinals team from the jump, opening up a 21–0 halftime lead en route to a 34–11 victory. Los Angeles scored the first 28 points of the game as the Arizona offense sputtered for virtually the entire game.

It wasn’t until their sixth offensive possession that the Cardinals offense got its first first down of the game. With the game already hanging in the balance, Kyler Murray made a critical error in trying to avoid getting sacked for a safety, flinging the ball in desperation in what eventually turned into a pick-six for the Rams.

Kyler Murray… wut
pic.twitter.com/kSjDLqM9aB

— PFF (@PFF) January 18, 2022

The Rams out-gained the Cardinals, 375–182, holding Arizona to 0-for-9 on third-down attempts. Stafford finished the game going 13-for-17 for 202 yards and two touchdowns, getting Los Angeles on the board early with a touchdown pass to Odell Beckham Jr.

OBJ TUDDY

(via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/FyxRr15FJW

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) January 18, 2022

Stafford also added a rushing touchdown early in the second quarter. The Rams’ ground game was aided by the return of Cam Akers, who made a brief appearance in Week 18, but had 55 yards on a team-high 17 carries while also adding a 40-yard reception. Akers tore his Achilles in July.

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Murray finished the game completing 19 of 34 pass attempts for 137 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions in his postseason debut. The Rams will move on to face the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay in the divisional round.

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