Sean McVay Makes a Pitch to Rams Fans Not to Sell Their Tickets for NFC Championship vs. 49ers

Sean McVay is hoping for Rams fans to show out on Sunday against the 49ers to give them a home field advantage.

Nicholas Cothrel | Jan 25, 2022

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When the Los Angeles Rams played host to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 18, SoFi Stadium was filled with fans wearing red and white.

49ers fans had taken over the Rams' home venue, making the conditions for quarterback Matthew Stafford and the offense have the feeling of a road game due to the noise level that they were tasked with. The crowd noise was so impactful, Stafford had to shift communication procedures to a silent count – a method generally used when playing on the road in a raucous environment.

Rams coach Sean McVay pointed to the Wild Card Round game against the Cardinals in which the noise level largely played into the favor of the Rams when the Cardinals were on offense.

He's hoping the same can be said for the second go-around at SoFi Stadium when the 49ers come to town for the NFC Championship game. Home field advantage is a real upper hand – let alone in the playoffs – and McVay is pulling for a similar turnout that the Rams fanbase orchestrated against Arizona.

"To be able to play at home, SoFi, Mr. Kroenke’s house that he built, an NFC Championship – couldn’t be more appreciative of the support we felt from our fans throughout the whole year," McVay said. "I thought the Monday night atmosphere was electric and looking to create something (similar) – and even that much more – for the NFC Championship. Really grateful for those Rams fans. Hold onto those tickets and it’ll be much appreciated. But our guys are looking forward to putting on a good show against a great opponent. Can’t wait to be able to do it and don’t sell those tickets!”

McVay and Stafford said after the regular-season finale that they were surprised by the 49ers-heavy crowd when they hosted San Francisco three weeks ago. Particularly because the vast majority of home games this season have been dominated by Rams fans.

“What catches you off guard is, they do a great job traveling,” McVay said. “They got a really loyal fan base. They’ve got a great tradition, and history, and it’s a short trip. So, credit to them. They made it difficult where in a lot of instances, you’re kind of absent of your verbal communication. If they get as loud as they were when our offense was on the field — in certain parts of the field it was really noisy. It was really difficult to operate. And so, you almost have to handle that situation like you would an away game.”

McVay is holding out hope that things will be different as the NFC Championship game nears closer. But with that comes a premium cost to get into the game.

According to TickPick, the Rams and 49ers showdown this weekend is the most expensive average ticket price for an NFC Championship game on record. As of Tuesday, the cheapest ticket on their website is listed at $633.

“Hopefully it’s one of those games where we come out and it’s heavy blue and yellow and we have a nice loud crowd that makes it tough on them," Stafford said after the Rams' 30-27 Divisional Round game. "I’m excited about the opportunity.”

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Nick Cothrel is the publisher of Ram Digest. Follow Nick and Ram Digest on Twitter @NickCothrel & @RamDigestSI for more Rams coverage.

Published Jan 25, 2022

NICHOLAS COTHREL

Nick Cothrel covers the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated.