Los Angeles Rams

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay downplayed the notion that San Francisco 49ers counterpart Kyle Shanahan is "in his head" ahead of the teams' meeting Sunday in the NFC Championship Game.

McVay was asked about that in regards to his six-game losing streak against Shanahan and instead shifted the focus to his respect for the Niners' coaching staff.

He told reporters:

"No. What I do have is respect for these guys. They've done a great job. You look at it, you've got to play well in that three-and-a-half hour window that we're allotted. You look at the last time we played them—didn't finish the game. But this is a really good football team. We have a lot of respect for them, but we're competing and preparing to the best of our ability to see if we can advance. But this is a really good team. Kyle's an excellent coach. He's got great players, great coaches, good schemes, so that's why they're in the NFC Championship."

The Rams have only lost five games all season and two have come against the 49ers. The first was a 31-10 blowout on Monday Night Football in Week 10, and the second saw L.A. blow a 17-0 lead en route to an overtime loss in Week 18.

L.A. held the early edge by winning three of the first four meetings between the coaches in 2017 and 2018 before the tide shifted in San Francisco's favor starting in 2019.

The Rams can leave those recent struggles in the rivalry in the rearview mirror on Sunday. They opened the playoffs with a 34-11 win over the Arizona Cardinals and then overcame a late rally by the reigning Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a 30-27 triumph.'

Meanwhile, the Niners are coming off a pair of one-score road wins, 23-17 over the Dallas Cowboys and 13-10 over the Green Bay Packers, as they prepare to visit SoFi Stadium.

Shanahan told reporters Monday he doesn't "think there are many secrets" left between the teams.

"There are not many things we can surprise them with, and the same with them with us," he said. "Which I think is kind of the most fun way. Two really good teams, a really good football game where you can't really trick each other. Got to go out and beat somebody."

The winner will advance to Super Bowl LVI to take on either the Kansas City Chiefs or Cincinnati Bengals out of the AFC.

Kelly Stafford, who is the wife of Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, is doing what she can to ensure there are plenty of Rams fans in SoFi Stadium for Sunday's NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers.

She posted the following message on her Instagram page: "Just went on Ticketmaster and saw how expensive tickets are getting. I'm going to buy a good amount and give them away. If you are a hard core rams fan, or just a regular rams fan, a veteran, active in the military, a public servant, etc.. email me at staffgiveback@gmail.com and tell me your story with some photos attached! I'll get back to y'all by tomorrow night!!"

The crowd breakdown for the game has been a major storyline considering there were droves of 49ers fans who attended the Week 18 matchup between the two teams at SoFi Stadium. They made plenty of noise as the 49ers completed a comeback and clinched a spot in the playoffs.

Alex Simon of the Mercury News noted the Rams and Ticketmaster initially had a geographic restriction in place during a presale for the NFC Championship Game that limited the ability to purchase tickets to "residents of the Greater Los Angeles region."

San Francisco wide receiver Deebo Samuel reacted to the restriction:

I get that we turned sofi stadium to Levi’s but restricting fan from buying tickets is kraxy to me….. IJS

— Deebo (@19problemz) January 24, 2022

There are no longer such restrictions, but the crowd will likely be a significant storyline leading up to the game.      

Despite spending five seasons together as teammates, Matthew Stafford and Ndamukong Suh apparently don't have a friendly relationship. 

On The Morning After with Kelly Stafford (starts at 13:15 mark), Kelly Stafford, Matthew's wife, said Suh "really doesn't like" her husband. 

"And it has become this weird dynamic in the past couple years, like, Suh will come out in the media and stay stuff, whatever, it doesn't even matter, it doesn't faze Matthew ... it is what it is," she added.

Suh and Stafford had a brief exchange on the field in the first quarter of Sunday's NFC Divisional Round game between the Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. 

Officials flagged Suh for taunting when he started jawing at Stafford after a quick pressure forced an incomplete pass, but the Bucs defensive tackle was heard telling the referee Stafford kicked him prior to the incident. 

There was a brief moment when Stafford extended his leg as Suh was rolling off him, though it didn't appear to be a kick. 

Suh and Stafford were teammates from 2010 to '14 with the Detroit Lions. They had some success together with a playoff appearance in 2011 and '14. 

Since coming into the NFL in 2010, Suh's career has been defined as much by his reputation as his football performance. He's been fined several times for dirty plays, including stepping on Aaron Rodgers' calf during a 2014 game between the Lions and Green Bay Packers. 

Stafford and the Rams got the last laugh Sunday with a 30-27 win over Suh and the Bucs to reach the NFC Championship Game for the second time in the past four seasons. 

A former NFL general manager believes Jalen Ramsey "changed his whole legacy" by leaving the Jacksonville Jaguars for the Los Angeles Rams during the 2019 season. 

The anonymous NFL GM told The Athletic's Mike Sando:

Sometimes you have beliefs you are adamant about, and then things happen and you look back and change your opinion. I thought Ramsey was a complete jerk, what he did to get out of Jacksonville. You know what? He changed his whole legacy. He has a chance for the Hall of Fame, he might win a championship. If he was stuck in Jacksonville, you never would have heard of him. You might not like how he did it, but if that was your nephew and we were advising him, that is what we should have advised him to do, right? What about the quarterback of the Rams? Should Stafford have done that five years earlier? He has all the talent. What was he missing? Wins.

Ramsey requested a trade from the Jaguars in September 2019 after getting into a sideline argument with then-head coach Doug Marrone during a loss to the Houston Texans. He explained on the UNINTERRUPTED podcast 17 Weeks that he requested a move because he was frustrated with "the front office and the organization."

Jalen Ramsey told @nateburleson’s podcast why he asked for a trade. Says "it was more so with the front office and the organization” and that the Jaguars said “disrespectful things” after the game that made him immediately call his agent to ask for a trade. pic.twitter.com/L8inpvFMQo

— Sean Wagner-McGough (@seanjwagner) September 19, 2019

Ramsey has had a great two-and-a-half seasons with the Rams thus far, but he really excelled in 2021. He finished the regular season with four interceptions, 16 passes defended, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, 77 tackles, nine tackles for a loss and one quarterback hit. 

Ramsey agreed to a five-year, $100 million extension with the Rams in September 2020. He has been a key piece of the team's top-tier defense alongside Aaron Donald. 

The Los Angeles Rams signed wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to a one-year, $1.25 million contract with $3 million in team-based performance incentives last November, per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.

So it's $1.25 million base pay for the rest of the year, $3 million max in incentives. To trigger the incentives, he has to play in at least 1 play of each of the aforementioned playoff games.

Also, Beckham gets $4.25 million from the Browns. None of that is offset.

(2/2)

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) November 13, 2021

Naturally, the Rams are showing Beckham the money as they advance through the playoffs, and he earned himself another $750,000 with L.A.'s 30-27 NFC Divisional Round win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

He already earned $500,000 in incentives after the Rams' 34-11 win over the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC Wild Card round.

A total of $1.75 million more could be on the table with a win over the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game ($750,000) and a subsequent victory in the Super Bowl ($1 million).

All Beckham has had to do is participate in one play in each of the Rams' playoff games so far to trigger the incentive, but he's been a key contributor to the offense.

Beckham had four catches for 54 yards and a touchdown (alongside a 40-yard pass) versus the Cardinals and added six receptions for 69 receiving yards against the Bucs.

Now he'll look to help the Rams make the Super Bowl in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford led the Los Angeles Rams on a last-minute game-winning drive to give his team a 30-27 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Divisional Round on Sunday.

Stafford, who completed 28-of-38 passes for 366 yards and two touchdowns, found No. 1 wideout Cooper Kupp for catches of 20 and 44 yards en route to Matt Gay's game-winning field goal with no time remaining.

9️⃣ TO 1️⃣0️⃣ TO SET UP THE WIN! pic.twitter.com/1hrjkOa4lQ

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) January 23, 2022

After the game, Stafford commented on the heart-stopping matchup, which saw the Rams blow a 27-3 lead only to win at the very end.

"I love those situations. I hate the way we got to it tonight...but at the same time finding a way to win a football game is what it's all about."

Matthew Stafford says his heart was racing but they have a group of guys in that locker room that all believe in each other.

— Bridget Condon (@BridgetCondon_) January 24, 2022

Bucs running back Leonard Fournette scored on a nine-yard run with 42 seconds left. After the PAT, the score was all tied up at 27, giving the Rams the ball with one timeout left.

Stafford and Kupp got the job done, though, spoiling the defending Super Bow champion's effort and stunning the Raymond James Stadium crowd.

Regarding the final drive and overcoming the Bucs' comeback attempts, Stafford said this:

"Steal somebody's soul," Matthew Stafford says about leading a game-winning drive. "You get to reach in there and take it from them. That's a whole lot of fun."

— Lindsey Thiry (@LindseyThiry) January 24, 2022

The Rams will now host the San Francisco 49ers next Sunday in the NFC Championship Game.

Stafford has made a habit of leading game-winning drives over the years, and his penchant for clutch play down the stretch helped get the Rams into the NFC title matchup.

Per Pro Football-Reference, his 42 career game-winning drives entering today were third among active quarterbacks, behind only the Pittsburgh Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger and the Bucs' Tom Brady.

The odds were clearly stacked against the Rams in this one, as Los Angeles had just one timeout to burn with 42 seconds left and needed a field goal to win the game.

Tampa sacked Stafford—who nearly fumbled—on the first play, but the quarterback hit Kupp twice for a total of 62 yards to set up the game-winning field goal.

Now Stafford is in the championship round for the first time in his 13-year career. He spent 12 years with the Detroit Lions, making the playoffs three times but never winning a game.

He's nearly matched that total with L.A. after two playoff wins this year.

A victory Sunday over the 49ers means that L.A. will play at home for the Super Bowl, which will go down at SoFi Stadium on Feb. 13.

Everybody just breathe. All of that really happened.

In a playoff game for the absolute ages—one of the wildest, most bizarre games in recent memory—the Los Angeles Rams knocked Tom Brady and the defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers out of the playoffs Sunday, beating them 30-27 at SoFi Stadium on Matt Gay's 30-yard field goal as time expired.

STAFFORD FINDS COOPER KUPP. UNBELIEVABLE.

(via @NFL)
pic.twitter.com/nx128toQUI

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 23, 2022

RAMS WIN. WHAT A FOOTBALL GAME.

(via @NFL)
pic.twitter.com/Qk7BApga8a

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 23, 2022

It sure looked as though the Rams were in complete control of this game, leading 27-3 in the third quarter. 

This angle of Stafford's first TD 😓 #RamsHouse

📺: #LARvsTB on NBC
📱: https://t.co/6Hz1DjFj3t pic.twitter.com/du63aJIiFT

— NFL (@NFL) January 23, 2022

COOPER KUPP 70 YARD TD CATCH 👀

(via @NFL)
pic.twitter.com/04OgKf1zMD

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 23, 2022

Ah, but never count Brady out. Four—yes, four—Rams fumbles gave the Bucs life in a game that looked destined to be an L.A. blowout. And giving a quarterback like Brady that many extra possessions is always a recipe for disaster.

.@Buccaneers recover a HUGE fumble in the red zone. 😮 #GoBucs

📺: #LARvsTB on NBC
📱: https://t.co/6Hz1DjFj3t pic.twitter.com/MjQO9BcKRE

— NFL (@NFL) January 23, 2022

Kupp fumbles and the Bucs recover 😱

(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/rD95eq5YMv

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 23, 2022

BACK-TO-BACK TURNOVERS 🤯

BUCS RECOVER

(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/q4Sn6CHQSE

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 23, 2022

This game is out of control. 😅

📺: #LARvsTB on NBC
📱: https://t.co/6Hz1DjFj3t pic.twitter.com/ev6otSEWTX

— NFL (@NFL) January 23, 2022

Well, almost always. Somehow the Rams—despite blowing that huge lead—managed to pull off this win in the most dramatic fashion possible and are now a win away from the Super Bowl, though they'll have to go through a San Francisco 49ers team that has beaten them six straight times to get there.

But Brady has been the NFL's postseason raid boss for most of his career. If the Rams can topple him, they have to like their chances of ending San Francisco's recent dominance against them. Especially if they clean up all of the self-inflicted wounds from Sunday.

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Key Stats

Matt Stafford, LAR: 28-of-38 for 366 yards, two touchdowns, one rushing score

Cooper Kupp, LAR: Nine catches for 183 yards and a score

Aaron Donald, LAR: Five tackles (two for loss), one sack, three quarterback hits

Tom Brady, TB: 30-of-54 for 329 yards, one touchdown, one interception

Rob Gronkowski, TB: Four catches for 85 yards

Mike Evans, TB: Eight catches for 119 yards and a score

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Brady Struggled With L.A.'s Front Four

Yes, the Bucs were down a few key offensive players, including offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs and wideout Chris Godwin. But Brady didn't exactly offer up a vintage performance, and it was in large part down to the Rams' defensive line routinely collapsing the pocket around him.

It's not easy slowing down players like Donald and Von Miller. Both came up huge on Sunday.

"I think he's the best player in football."@CollinsworthPFF is in awe of @AaronDonald97.

📺: #LARvsTB on NBC
📱: https://t.co/6Hz1DjFj3t pic.twitter.com/qMFlCiSYtK

— NFL (@NFL) January 23, 2022

.@VonMiller strip sack! What a PLAY. #RamsHouse

📺: #LARvsTB on NBC
📱: https://t.co/6Hz1DjFj3t pic.twitter.com/Yvyf7XbZGw

— NFL (@NFL) January 23, 2022

The Rams pressured Tom Brady on 8 of his 23 first half dropbacks.

Aaron Donald was responsible for 4 of those 8 pressures. Brady went 0-for-3 passing and was sacked once on those plays. pic.twitter.com/PnP2C5A7iU

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 23, 2022

https://twitter.com/mikefreemanNFL/status/1485375537115717633

And when the Rams offense seemed to tighten up in the second half, it was the defense—namely the front four—that helped slow Tampa's comeback attempt. Brady rarely looked comfortable in this game. 

Frankly, he was downright poor for big stretches. But of course, he's Brady—you knew he'd have a little bit of magic at some point.

BRADY TO EVANS FOR A 55 YARD TD. WOW.

📺: #LARvsTB on NBC
📱: https://t.co/6Hz1DjFj3t pic.twitter.com/MUMJ2EQYBH

— NFL (@NFL) January 23, 2022

But not many defenses can say they made Brady look bad for any stretch of time. And the Rams are one game away from the Super Bowl, at least in part, because they're now one of them.

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Stafford Was Mostly Excellent

The Rams turned pretty conservative in the second half as they tried to shorten the game and preserve their lead, but they had that lead in the first place because Stafford was fantastic against the Bucs. 

Not too shabby for a player who only had three total playoff appearances coming into this season and was 0-3 in those games. Nobody in Los Angeles will ever forget Stafford's two incredibly clutch throws to Kupp on the game's final drive. 

Holy hell. Cooper Kupp. And what a dime from Stafford. What a freakin game. I’m spent haha

— Chris Vernon (@ChrisVernonShow) January 23, 2022

Who would have thought Tom Brady left Matthew Stafford too much time?

— Kevin Patra (@kpatra) January 23, 2022

Matt Stafford just changed some minds

— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) January 23, 2022

Stafford has continued to rewrite his own postseason narrative, earning his second career playoff win behind a strong performance of his own. It wasn't always pretty, but Stafford came up huge when it mattered.

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What's Next?

The Rams will host the 49ers next Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET on Fox with a Super Bowl berth on the line. The Buccaneers head into the offseason.

The Los Angeles Rams will be without key players on both sides of the ball for Sunday's NFC Divisional Round playoff game against the reigning Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Rams head coach Sean McVay told reporters Friday that starting left tackle Andrew Whitworth will miss the game with knee and ankle injuries, while starting safety Taylor Rapp will also be out with a concussion.

Rapp was injured in Week 18 and missed last week's NFC Wild Card Round win over the Arizona Cardinals, while Whitworth got injured in that game.

The 40-year-old Whitworth is the anchor of L.A.'s offensive line, starting 71 of a possible 81 games over the past five seasons.

Whitworth got hurt on the Rams' first offensive play of the game in the NFC Wild Card Round. He did manage to play 30 snaps during the contest, but McVay kept him off the field throughout the second half of a one-sided affair.

The four-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro has effectively protected quarterback Matthew Stafford's blindside throughout the season, but Stafford won't have the luxury of Whitworth's presence Sunday.

With Whitworth on the shelf, Joe Noteboom is likely to get the start at left tackle against Tampa Bay's ferocious pass-rush.

Noteboom, 26, was a third-round pick of the Rams in 2018, and he has some starting experience.

The TCU product has started 17 of the 47 games he has appeared in over four seasons, including two in Whitworth's absences this season. Noteboom has yet to start a playoff game.

Rapp enjoyed a career year in 2021, tying for the team lead with four interceptions and finishing second on the team in tackles with 94.

Not having the 24-year-old last week loomed large since the Rams were also without their other starting safety in Jordan Fuller, who is out for the remainder of the season with an ankle injury.

With both Rapp and Fuller out last week, Los Angeles started Nick Scott and Terrell Burgess at safety.

The 26-year-old Scott had only one regular-season start in 48 career games to his credit, while the 23-year-old Burgess has only started two regular-season games over two campaigns.

Additionally, the Rams brought six-time Pro Bowler Eric Weddle out of retirement, and he played 19 defensive snaps against the Cards.

The 37-year-old Weddle hadn't played since 2019 when he suited up for the Rams, but with a week of action under his belt, he could potentially be used even more against Tampa.

The state of L.A.'s safety situation could be a big issue Sunday, as the Rams are going up against arguably the greatest quarterback of all time in Tom Brady.