INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Matthew Stafford had completed his job. He’d completed what he was introduced right here to do.
With 1:46 remaining within the NFC Championship sport, Stafford had simply led the Rams to the go-ahead subject aim that may find yourself being the distinction in a 20-17 Rams win over the 49ers Sunday at SoFi Stadium to advance to Tremendous Bowl 2022 in the identical stadium.
Now he was on the sidelines, helplessly hoping his workforce’s protection would stave off a comeback by a resilient 49ers workforce that had already crushed the Rams twice this season so he may lastly get to the sport he’s at all times dreamt about taking part in.
It was then, whereas the Rams protection was suffocating Jimmy Garoppolo and the 49ers offense on their last, determined offensive possession, when Stafford had a quiet second to himself — as quiet a second as you can have within the chaos of 73,202 followers piercing the night time air with cleared throats.
Stafford, as he stood alone on the sideline, checked out peace. He appeared like he was taking all of it in. He appeared emotional.
“I wasn’t pondering I used to be going to try this,’’ the Rams quarterback would say later. “It simply occurred.’’
After a pause, he added, “Very long time coming.’’
Sure, it was.
Stafford was the important thing element to the Rams’ aggressive, all-in method to constructing this workforce for 2021, buying stars from different groups with a sole concentrate on now, not the longer term.
It felt fantastically becoming that Sunday was the one-year anniversary when the Rams and Lions agreed to commerce phrases that may ship Stafford from Detroit to Los Angeles and alter his life.
“I’ve spent plenty of years on this league and beloved each minute of it,’’ stated Stafford, who accomplished 31 of 45 passes for 337 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. “I certain am completely satisfied for this chance. That’s what it's — it’s a possibility to go on the market and win one other one.’’
As he toiled in Detroit for the primary 12 years of his profession, Stafford didn’t have alternatives like this. He performed on plenty of unhealthy groups and entered this postseason having performed in three playoff video games, shedding all of them.
Now he enters the Tremendous Bowl with a 3-0 file in these playoffs.
Stafford just isn't the not solely face of the Rams’ all-in plan, however he was the important thing element.
The Rams constructed a dream workforce this 12 months, throwing warning to standard wind and knowledge that say groups are finest constructed one draft choose at a time. And damned in the event that they didn’t validate that daring plan Sunday night time, setting themselves up with a home-game Tremendous Bowl towards the upstart Bengals in two weeks.
“The celebrities shined the brightest once they wanted to,’’ Rams coach Sean McVay stated.
Validation was evident all around the subject by the point the blue and yellow confetti coated the turf like a snowstorm because the Rams celebrated wildly.
The commerce for Stafford value the Rams two first-round picks, a third-rounder and Jared Goff, the franchise quarterback L.A. traded as much as draft in 2016.
“We went out and bought him as a result of we thought it was an ideal alternative to get a participant of his magnitude,’’ McVay stated of Stafford. “He’s elevated everybody round him. He’s made me a greater coach, he’s made his teammates higher. No second’s too huge for him, I can inform you that.’’
Receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who’d been a disappointment and a distraction first with the Giants after which the Browns, was signed as a free agent in November after Cleveland launched him. He caught 9 passes on 11 targets for 113 yards within the greatest sport of his life Sunday and distanced himself from the ill-advised Giants boat journey and his reported squabbles with Cleveland quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Beckham is now a poster youngster for what a change of surroundings can do for a gifted participant.
“He’s a particular participant,’’ McVay stated. “He’s so good, so gifted, so gifted. He’s introduced such a charisma and a presence and actually a swag to our workforce.’’
One other key acquisition included including Von Miller, among the best move rushers of the previous decade, to an already fearsome entrance headlined by Aaron Donald, the perennial NFL Defensive participant of the 12 months.
Miller’s presence has made Donald even higher than he already was. It was Donald who flushed 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo out of the pocket to throw the interception to Travin Howard that sealed the sport for the Rams and despatched them to the Tremendous Bowl.
After the sport, it was becoming that Beckham and Miller, two stars whom the Rams acquired in November and two shut pals who’d spoken about becoming a member of one another with the Rams and taking the journey collectively, arrived to postgame press convention collectively.
“Me and Von, we talked about this, and we didn’t suppose that it was ever actually be doable,’’ Beckham stated. “And right here we're taking part in within the Tremendous Bowl, one sport away from our goals.’’
On their dream workforce.
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