Matt Stafford, L.A. Rams execute when it matters most

By Eric D. Williams
FOX Sports NFL Writer

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Sean McVay finally got Kyle Shanahan out of his head. 

Down 10 points in the fourth quarter, the Los Angeles Rams seemed headed to a seventh straight defeat to their NFC West rivals, the San Francisco 49ers, on Sunday in the NFC Championship Game, as a sea of mostly red-clad opposing fans rooted on the opposing team.  

But as he has done all season, McVay called on receiver Cooper Kupp. And in the biggest moments of the game, the Eastern Washington product delivered, leading Los Angeles to a 20-17, comeback victory at SoFi Stadium.

McVay’s reward? A trip back to SoFi in two weeks to face the Cincinnati Bengals in the Super Bowl. 

"To be able to play at home in this house that Mr. [Stan] Kroenke built, this iconic venue, is really unique," McVay said. "It’s a little easier travel schedule for us." 

McVay also finally earned his first win over his coaching mentor in Shanahan after losing six straight to San Francisco.

"You might think it’s coach speak," said McVay, talking over a steady vibration of base coming from a locker room full of players celebrating the victory. "But our guys genuinely knew that we are familiar with this opponent and that the previous six games where we didn’t find a way to win had nothing to do with what’s going to occur at 3:30 when we kick this thing off."

Kupp finished Sunday with a game-high 11 catches for 142 receiving yards and two touchdowns. The triple crown champion in the regular season, leading the NFL in receptions (145), receiving yards (1,947) and receiving touchdowns (16), Kupp repeatedly shook loose from San Francisco’s secondary for big plays.

"Cooper Kupp is amazing," McVay said. "He’s just a special player. … He just made big catch after big catch. He competed in the run game. He did so many things. We had no chance to beat them without Cooper Kupp." 

The Rams also cashed in on the team’s blockbuster offseason trade for Matthew Stafford, with the 33-year-old signal-caller reaching the Super Bowl for the first time in his 13-year career. Stafford finished the game 31-of-45 for 337 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

"It was a long time coming," said Stafford, who shared a celebratory embrace with wife, Kelly, after the win. "I’ve spent a lot of time in this league, and I’ve loved every minute. I feel blessed to be able to play in this league for as long as I have, but I sure am happy for this opportunity, not only for myself but for a lot of other guys in that locker room that deserve this, too."  

With 13:55 left in the game, Stafford found Kupp for an 11-yard touchdown pass, cutting San Francisco’s advantage to 17-14.

After the Rams forced the Niners to punt, Stafford led another scoring drive, this one nine plays for 63 yards. Stafford received a break early in the drive, when Jaquiski Tartt dropped what could have been an easy interception.

"I see it. I'm like, ‘Oh, yeah, he f---ed. We about to win this game," Tartt said. "It hit my hands. I thought I had it, and I dropped it." 

One play later, Stafford delivered a key pass on a 29-yard deep ball to Odell Beckham Jr. Seven plays later, Matt Gay tied the score at 17 with a 40-yard field goal.

And after the Rams forced San Francisco to punt for a second straight time, Kupp took over on the game-winning drive.

He almost scored on a 25-yard reception across the middle of the field on third-and-3 from San Francisco’s 37-yard line. He helped the Rams get into better field-goal position with an 8-yard catch-and-run down the right sideline, which led to a 30-yard field goal with 1:49 left in the game. 

"He’s been unbelievable for us all year," Stafford said. "He was huge on third down, huge on big plays. The guy blocks, does everything. We are lucky to be able to play with him and just happy for his success."

Game-wrecker Aaron Donald provided the game-clinching play for the Rams, forcing Jimmy Garoppolo into an interception as he tried to flick the ball to JaMycal Hasty. The ball deflected off Hasty’s hands into linebacker Travin Howard for the interception. 

The Rams lined up in victory formation on offense, and confetti came down from the rafters as time expired.

As they have done all season, McVay had a cast of supporting characters step up and make plays that led to victory.

Beckham Jr. continued to produce, finishing with nine catches for 113 receiving yards. He said his midseason trade from Cleveland to Los Angeles involved several conversations with Von Miller and Jalen Ramsey, with the three superstars landing together in Los Angeles and now headed to the Super Bowl. 

"Everything about this place has been right," Beckham said. "It’s just been an incredible opportunity. I feel like I’m just trying to make the most of it. We’re one game away from our dreams, and we’ll just keep going."

Added Miller: "It’s an honor and a privilege to be a part of it. To come join them midseason and be accepted with open arms, it’s been a smooth transition. For them to motivate us and we motivate them, and to be in a city like Los Angeles, it’s crazy."  

Out of the league for two years, safety Eric Weddle led the Rams with nine combined tackles. Filling in for an injured Tyler Higbee (knee), Kendall Blanton finished with five catches for 57 yards. And Gay rebounded from a missed 54-yard attempt to convert on two field goals at the end of the game.

Outmuscled by San Francisco in earlier matchups, the Rams managed Sunday to slow down Deebo Samuel and the Niners’ run game just enough to earn the victory. Los Angeles held the 49ers to just 50 rushing yards.

"We feel like our defense is big-time — everybody, no matter who’s out there," Rams cornerback Ramsey said. "We feel like everybody can make plays, whether they get made sometimes or not.

"We kind of have the mentality on our defense like, 'Eff it, next play.’ You know you can make that play — you just didn’t this time. It was fluky. We try to have that mindset to motivate each other and keep our confidence up. We know when we play with confidence and swag, we’re tough to beat."

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter @eric_d_williams.