After the Cardinals lost to the Colts on Saturday, the Rams knew they would have an opportunity to take control in the NFC West with a win over the Vikings. And they did not let the chance slip through their fingers.
They beat Minnesota on the road, 30-23, earning their 11th win of the season and clinching a playoff berth. Aaron Donald and Sony Michel were two of the top performers in this one, having a huge impact on the game.
Here are our studs and duds from the victory at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Stud: Sony Michel
At this rate, the Rams might not even need Cam Akers down the stretch. Michel has shown no signs of slowing down, putting together another great performance against the Vikings. He rushed for 67 yards and a touchdown in the first half and finished the day with 27 carries for 131 yards. He’s provided a spark for the offense with his tough running style and yards after contact.
Stud: Aaron Donald
The Vikings didn’t have much of an answer for Donald in this one, which is usually the case for opposing offensive lines. He penetrated the line quickly on several occasions, whether he was making tackles for a loss or pressuring Kirk Cousins into hurried throws. He hasn’t lost a step at all this season and is still shedding blocks quicker than just about anyone in the NFL. Donald stuffed the stat sheet with five tackles, a sack, two hits on the quarterback, three tackles for a loss and a forced fumble.
Stud: Leonard Floyd
Floyd didn’t get home for a sack in this one, but he was still effective as a pass rusher and a run defender. He made a great tackle for a loss in the red zone and also landed one hit on Cousins to go along with four tackles. He pressured Cousins out of the pocket and forced him to throw the ball away on a separate third down, too.
Stud: Jalen Ramsey
Some fans will look at Justin Jefferson’s stat line of eight catches and 116 yards thinking he dominated Ramsey, but most of that production came against the Rams’ other defenders. He had a 34-yard reception against Darious Williams and a 21-yarder against Dont’e Deayon, getting very little when Ramsey covered him. Thirty-two of his yards came on two plays in garbage time, too. Ramsey provided tight coverage against the elusive receiver, shutting Jefferson down when lined up across from him.
Studs: Troy Reeder and Travin Howard
The Rams were put in a tough spot when Ernest Jones went down with an ankle injury in the first quarter. However, both Reeder and Howard stepped up at linebacker and played well against the Vikings. Reeder made six tackles, including one for a loss and also broke up a pass. Howard pulled down his first career interception and also broke up a pass in the red zone on third down, forcing the Vikings to settle for a field goal. It was a good performance from both players when the Rams needed them to rise to the occasion.
Stud: Special teams unit
It was a day-after-Christmas miracle in Minneapolis. The Rams got major contributions out of their special teams unit, led by Brandon Powell’s 61-yard punt return for a touchdown, of course. Matt Gay and the kickoff coverage unit also helped pin the Vikings inside their 15-yard line twice, and Gay made all six of his kicks: three field goals and three PATs. There was one blunder, a collision between Powell and Ben Skowronek on a punt return, but otherwise, this was the best special teams performance of the year for Los Angeles.
Dud: Matthew Stafford
Stafford was off all afternoon. He threw three interceptions, but it legitimately could’ve been five if the Vikings didn’t drop two of them. He made poor decisions with the ball, threw behind Tyler Higbee on third down early in the game and missed a wide-open Odell Beckham Jr. on a deep crosser in the third quarter after opening the half with two picks. He just didn’t look comfortable or confident at all in the pocket, trying to force the issue too often. He settled down a little bit and protected the ball after his two second-half interceptions, but this game wouldn’t have been as close as it was if not for Stafford’s mistakes.
Dud: Van Jefferson
It was another quiet afternoon for Jefferson, who was targeted six times but caught only one pass for 6 yards. He didn’t get open enough for his quarterback and when he was targeted, he was tightly covered or Stafford was inaccurate. He was the target on Stafford’s second interception, an ill-advised deep shot down the middle of the field.
Dud: Sean McVay
The Rams got the win and McVay clinched his team’s fourth playoff berth in five years, but the coach made some questionable play calls – especially early in the game. He abandoned the run in the red zone when Michel was moving the ball easily, leading to three straight incompletions and a field goal attempt. He didn’t run the ball much coming out of halftime, either, which is when Stafford threw two of his picks.
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