Rams wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. catches a touchdown pass over Arizona Cardinals cornerback Marco Wilson during the first half of their NFC wild-card playoff game on Monday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. catches a touchdown pass over Arizona Cardinals cornerback Marco Wilson during the first half of their NFC wild-card playoff game on Monday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams linebacker Von Miller, sacks Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray during the first quarter of their NFC wild-card playoff game on Monday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams linebacker Von Miller, sacks Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray during the first quarter of their NFC wild-card playoff game on Monday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams tight end Tyler Higbee runs with the ball after a catch as the Arizona Cardinals’ Isaiah Simmons, tries to bring him down during the first quarter of their NFC wild-card playoff game on Monday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams tight end Tyler Higbee leans for extra yardage as the Arizona Cardinals’ Jordan Hicks brings him down during the first quarter of their NFC wild-card playoff game on Monday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray tries to elude the Rams’ Greg Gaines (91) and Aaron Donald, top, during the first quarter of their NFC wild-card playoff game on Monday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams running back Sony Michel thought he scored on this play, but it he was ruled down outside the goal line during the first half of their NFC wild-card playoff game against the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams head coach Sean McVay waits for a disputed call to be reviewed during the second quarter of their NFC wild-card playoff game against the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams inside linebacker Troy Reeder, left, pressures Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray into throwing a pass that was intercepted and returned for a touchdown by David Long Jr. during the first half of their NFC wild-card playoff game on Monday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
The Rams’ David Long Jr. (22) celebrates after returning an interception for a 3-yard touchdown during the first half of their NFC wild-card playoff game against the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. The Rams dominated on their way to a 34-11 victory. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams defensive lineman Greg Gaines, left, and linebacker Troy Reeder celebrate after Reeder’s pressure of Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray resulted in an interception that was returned for a touchdown during the first half of their NFC wild-card game on Monday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams fans celebrate during the team’s dominant 34-11 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in an NFC wild-card playoff game on Monday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Officials break up a dispute between the Rams and the Arizona Cardinals’ D.J. Humphries during the third quarter of their NFC wild-card playoff game on Monday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
The Rams’ Donte’ Deayon, right, breaks up a pass intended for the Arizona Cardinals’ Zaven Collins during the third quarter of their NFC wild-card playoff game on Monday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford scrambles for positive yardage during the fourth quarter of their NFC wild-card playoff game against the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. Stafford threw two touchdown passes and ran for another in a 34-11 victory. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams receiver Cooper Kupp drags the Arizona Cardinals’ Jalen Thompson (34) and Deionte Thompson (22) for extra yards during the fourth quarter of their NFC wild-card playoff game on Monday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker suffers a head injury as his helmet is tucked under Rams running back Cam Akers during the fourth quarter of their NFC wild-card playoff game on Monday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. Baker was diagnosed with a concussion. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker is taken off the field on a stretcher after he suffered an injury during the fourth quarter of their NFC wild-card playoff game against the Rams on Monday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
The Rams’ Travin Howard breaks up a pass intended for Arizona Cardinals receiver Christian Kirk during the fourth quarter of their NFC wild-card playoff game on Monday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams running back Cam Akers, middle, carries the ball during the first half of their NFC wild-card playoff victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. Akers rushed for 55 yards on 17 carrries and caught a 40-yard pass in the 34-11 win. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Rams cornerback Donte’ Deayon, right, breaks up a pass intended for Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Antoine Wesley during the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game in Inglewood, Calif., Monday, Jan. 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Rams safety Eric Weddle, who came out of retirement to help the short-handed team this week, congratulates teammates during the second half of their NFC wild-card playoff game against the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night at SoFi Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Arizona Cardinals tight end Zach Ertz (86) is tackled by Rams inside linebacker Troy Reeder, top, and cornerback Darious Williams during the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game in Inglewood, Calif., Monday, Jan. 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Rams defensive end Aaron Donald celebrates during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Arizona Cardinals in Inglewood, Calif., Monday, Jan. 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Rams wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. catches a pass against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game in Inglewood, Calif., Monday, Jan. 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Rams wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. catches a touchdown pass over Arizona Cardinals cornerback Marco Wilson during the first half of their NFL wild-card playoff game on Monday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Rams wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. catches a touchdown pass over Arizona Cardinals cornerback Marco Wilson during the first half of their NFL wild-card playoff game on Monday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury watches during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff game against the Rams in Inglewood, Calif., Monday, Jan. 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Arizona Cardinals inside linebacker Tanner Vallejo (51) tackles Rams running back Cam Akers during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game in Inglewood, Calif., Monday, Jan. 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Arizona Cardinals outside linebacker Markus Golden, top, sacks Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game in Inglewood, Calif., Monday, Jan. 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Rams defensive tackle Marquise Copeland (93) celebrates after intercepting a pass against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game in Inglewood, Calif., Monday, Jan. 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Rams outside linebacker Leonard Floyd, left, tackles Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game in Inglewood, Calif., Monday, Jan. 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Rams tight end Tyler Higbee, leaps during player introductions ahead of their NFC wild-card playoff game against the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
INGLEWOOD — Going into the Rams’ first-round matchup against the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night, the question was whether Matthew Stafford could finally win a playoff game.
Coming out of it, the question is why he would stop with just one.
Playoff Stafford turns out to be the best Stafford all season.
Passing for two touchdowns, sneaking for another and letting the Rams’ defense pressure Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray into the big mistakes, Stafford led a 34-11 victory in an NFC wild-card game in front of a noisy crowd of 70,625 at SoFi Stadium.
“It felt like the ball was going to the right place, and our guys made great plays,” Stafford said. “That’s how I expect to go out and play every game. It doesn’t always work out that way.”
The fourth-seeded Rams (13-5) advance to face the second-seeded Buccaneers at Tampa Bay (14-4) on Sunday at noon PT.
The fifth-seeded Cardinals (11-7) and Murray take their regrets home to Phoenix after losing for the fifth time in six games.
It wasn’t as if the Rams were thrilled with how they finished the regular season, either, blowing a 17-point first-half lead and losing to the San Francisco 49ers in their finale.
But after lectures from their coaches during the week about starting and finishing strong, and avoiding the turnovers that can let a team back in a game, the Rams showed what happens when they do all that.
The Rams led 21-0 before the Cardinals recorded a first down.
The Rams led 28-0 after Stafford hit Cooper Kupp for a 7-yard touchdown to cap their first drive of the second half.
The Rams’ riskiest pass of the night was thrown not by Stafford but by wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who took Stafford’s lateral pass and threw deep to Cam Akers for a 40-yard gain to set up the Kupp touchdown.
Akers was on his way to a night that capped his quick comeback from an Achilles’ tendon injury in July. Akers had got his feet wet with a few carries and catches against the 49ers. On Monday he stretched his legs, rushing 17 times for 55 yards and catching the one pass for 40, while Sony Michel ran 13 times for 58.
And Stafford was on his way to the cleanest and best playoff performance of his career, completing 13 of 17 passes for 202 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions while being sacked only once.
The 17 passes were Stafford’s fewest this season, but his 154.5 passer rating was his highest since his 156.1 in the Rams’ season-opening victory over the Bears.
It was his first outing without an interception in five games, after he tied for the NFL lead in interceptions during the regular season.
Stafford’s performance was the product of a game plan and the running game keeping the Rams out of third-and-long trouble, and the quarterback’s own effort.
“Matthew made great decisions. I think it’s good so you don’t have to talk about that anymore,” McVay joked to reporters about the frequent questions about Stafford’s lack of playoff wins. “Really proud of him.
“I thought he did a great job, number one. But we were able to stay in those kind of manageable situations. I thought it was a really good, complementary football game that we played.”
Both quarterbacks were seeking their first playoff victories, Stafford having gone 0-3 in 12 years in Detroit and Murray having reached the postseason for the first time in three years in Arizona.
One looked the part, wide-eyed in the Monday night spotlight. Murray threw two interceptions in the first half. The first was a disastrous mistake.
Trailing 14-0, still looking for Arizona’s initial first down after four possessions, Murray faded back into his own end zone on a third-and-7 and was set upon by inside linebacker Troy Reeder. Desperate to avoid being tackled for a safety, Murray flung the ball to the right end of the Cardinals’ line. No Cardinal was close to catching it.
Rams cornerback David Long charged in, grabbed it at ankle level and trotted in for a 3-yard touchdown.
It would take a sixth Cardinals possession for them to get into positive yardage. The Rams’ defense set the tone by sacking Murray twice in the first half. Von Miller recorded his sixth sack in the Rams’ past five games, and Aaron Donald and Greg Gaines shared one. The secondary was solid, despite having to bring Eric Weddle out of retirement with starting safeties Jordan Fuller and Taylor Rapp both sidelined.
On offense, all Stafford had to do was avoid giveaways, and he did.
After the defense gave him the ball near midfield, Stafford’s perfectly lofted pass hit Beckham in the left corner of the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
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After a 31-yard catch and run by Beckham put the ball inside the Cardinals’ 10, Stafford sneaked into the end zone on third down at the 1-yard line and made it 14-0.
It was Stafford’s first rushing touchdown of the season, an added touch in a breakthrough game for the first-time playoff winner.
“I trusted myself, trusted my abilities, trusted my teammates to just go out there and play,” Stafford said, “and let the chips fall where they may.”
Everything, for Stafford and all the Rams, might get harder when they go on the road to face Tom Brady and the Super Bowl champions.
But if Stafford plays with the same self-control, the Rams have a chance.
“I thought he did a great job leading the way,” McVay said.
