Rams stomp Cardinals

INGLEWOOD, CALI --– The L.A. Rams (12-5) defeated the Arizona Cardinals (11-6) 34-11 in the last Wild-card playoff matchup Monday night.

Playing at a rowdy SoFi stadium, Former Detroit Lions now L.A. Rams quarterback, Matthew Stafford finally got his first playoff win as the Rams dominated the Cardinals on both sides of the ball.

Stafford finished the game completing 76% of his passes (13-17) for 202 yards and two touchdowns while Kyler Murray completed 55% of his passes going (19-34) for just 137 yards and two interceptions.

The Rams finished the regular season sloppy, losing to the 49ers, but looked like a dominant team that could reach the NFC Championship after Monday night’s playoff win.

The Cardinals looked like boys among men against the Rams even with star defensive end J.J. Watt returning from a shoulder injury that sidelined him for nearly two months and boasting an   8-1 road win record.

"We didn't do anything right the first two quarters," Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury said. "The Rams handled the game and the atmosphere well. As an offense, we were just out of sync on a couple of things early that could have changed the game. We never got in a rhythm, and they made some big plays."

The Rams defense dominated and dominated often, sacking Murray twice, intercepting his passes twice, and pressuring him where he threw a pick-six to Rams cornerback David Long Jr. for a 3-yard touchdown return to put the Rams up 21-0.

“What a team effort,” Stafford said speaking to reporters. "Our defense played outstanding tonight. Special teams basically set up a score and we were good enough on offense to score some points and come away with the win. Just happy to be moving on.”

The Rams travel to Florida to take on Tom Brady and the defending Super Bowl champions Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who routed the Philadelphia Eagles 31-15 as they seek to defend their title.