Hernández: Rams have a Super Bowl vibe, and L.A. might crown another champion soon
Wake up from your post-World Series slumber, Los Angeles.
There’s another title contender in town.
For anyone else who was too busy following the Dodgers last month to notice what was going on at SoFi Stadium, the Rams are for real.
They are first-place real. They could be Super Bowl real.
You could feel it in the stands, which literally shook on Sunday when Seattle Seahawks kicker Jason Myers missed a 61-yard field-goal attempt to seal the Rams’ 21-19 victory.
You could feel it in the interview room afterward, the walls penetrated by the bass of the funk music playing in the adjacent dressing quarters.
The Rams are only 10 games into a 17-game season so they still have plenty of time to mess this up, but this is what the start of a championship run feels like. This is what the start of a championship run sounds like.
“It’s awesome,” coach Sean McVay said.
What was especially awesome about their latest triumph was how un-awesome their quarterback played.
Matthew Stafford passed for only 130 yards, completing 15 of 28 passes. A Rams offense that scored 34 or more points in each of their last three games was limited to just three scores.
“I don’t think anybody’s discouraged by what we did on offense today, but it was definitely not to our standard,” said receiver Davante Adams, whose only catch was a one-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter.
For Stafford, the game wasn’t about what he did as much as it was about what he didn’t do. He didn’t throw any passes that were intercepted. He didn’t make any critical mistakes.
If only for a game, the former gunslinger was more of a game manager.
“That’s probably age and growth,” Stafford said.
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Stafford knew he could rely on running back Kyren Williams, who rushed for 91 yards and a touchdown. Stafford knew he could count on a defense that has allowed just 17 points per game.
“You gotta feel the way the game’s going sometimes and be that version of yourself, whatever you need for your team to win,” Stafford said. “I felt there were times I was able to do that today.”
The late-career shift in mentality by the 37-year-old Stafford could be a key for the Rams, who don’t need him to win every game for them.
They have an alternate offensive option in the explosive Williams, who had two runs of 30 or more yards against the Seahawks. They have a fearsome defensive front that enhances the secondary’s playmaking abilities.
The Rams' pass rushers didn’t sack Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold but no matter.
“That’s why I say stats are for losers,” McVay said. “They affected and influenced the game in a huge way. Obviously, Sam is a great quarterback, but he was getting off his spot. I thought a lot of the pressure that we did get is what led to some of the decisions where our guys ended up making some great plays.”
The Rams intercepted four passes. The Seahawks’ only touchdown came on a one-yard run by Kenneth Walker III with 2 minutes 23 seconds left.
Adams said of the team’s defensive backs: “The way they prepped all week, you could feel it. I mean, it was picks left and right in practice, the attention to detail, the communication, all of it.”
Adams pointed to how safety Quentin Lake was knocked out of the game because of an elbow injury.
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“To still uphold that standard in the secondary,” Adams said. “That’s why I love this team, to be honest with you. That’s what it’s about. It’s the next-man mentality. We had that on offense all year too."
This is what winning teams do. This is what the Dodgers do. This is what Super Bowl champions do.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.