The first round of the NFL Playoffs is officially in the books, but unfortunately the six games didn't really live up to the hype. Some of the games were phenominal, but a majority were blowouts where the result of the game was never really in question.
That occurred in the one Monday Night Football game when the Los Angeles Rams hosted the Minnesota Vikings in the final opening round playoff game. While this game arguably had the most hype out of the six throughout the weekend, it was the biggest blowout as the Rams jumped out to an early 10-0 lead and never looked back en route to their 27-9 victory.
And potentially the biggest reason for this dominant victory was due to the stellar performance from former Georgia football standout quarterback Matthew Stafford.
Matthew Stafford had his way with the Vikings
Stafford was on fire for the Rams from the opening kickoff. The first possession of the game, Stafford led the Rams on a seven play, 70-yard touchdown drive to immediately take the lead. This drive was capped off with a five yard touchdown pass to from Stafford to Kyren Williams. From there, Stafford led the Rams on another scoring drive their next time on the field, settling for a field goal and a 10 point lead.
Stafford to Kyren Williams! Rams lead early.
— NFL (@NFL) January 14, 2025
📺: #MINvsLAR on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/oTXzxgQKe7
It was smooth sailing for Stafford and the Rams from there as Stafford finished the game completing 19 of 27 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns. Next up for the Rams is a trip east where they will face the Philadelphia Eagles with a spot in the NFC Championship game on the line.
Stafford is in his fourth season with the Rams, and he once again has his team playing at the highest level come playoffs time. Impressively enough, Stafford holds a 5-1 postseason record since joining the Rams in 2021, which includes winning the Super Bowl in his first season. Now that is as impressive as it gets in the biggest moment of the season.
The Rams are currently underdogs against the Eagles next Sunday, but with the way Stafford and the Rams are playing right now, it would not be surprising to see them pull off this upset. And if they do, that could potentially set up a matchup with his former team in Detroit in the NFC Championship game.