Superstar wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who signed midway through the season after leaving the Cleveland Browns, caught his first career playoff touchdown, while also throwing a 40-yard pass on a trick play to set up the Rams’ fourth touchdown.
Rams receiver Cooper Kupp continued his excellent season with a touchdown catch as well as 61 yards receiving.
The Rams raced into a 28-0 lead in the first playoff game at SoFi Stadium, the site of Super Bowl 56 next month.
After the game, Rams head coach Sean McVay praised the play of Stafford upon his first career playoff victory.
The clash was the first NFL playoff game to be held on a Monday since 1988 and the first ever to be held on MLK Day.
While the Rams offense was purring throughout, their defense as a whole might have been the MVP on the night.
Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray was under constant pressure throughout the game, throwing two interceptions.
Linebacker Von Miller racked up six tackles and a sack in his first postseason appearance since winning the MVP award at Super Bowl 50 with the Denver Broncos, while Rams safety Eric Weddle was playing in his first game since coming out of retirement, having last played in the 2019 season.
It was a meek way for the Cardinals’ season to end, having been the final team to lose their unbeaten record earlier in the season and the first to reach 10 wins.
Having completed 19 of his 34 passes for 137 yards, with two interceptions and a 40.9 passer rating, Murray called the performance “disappointing.”
“I put a lot on my shoulders, put a lot on myself and to dream of this moment and then be in the playoffs, the first game of the playoffs and then to play the way I did, to play the way we did, it’s — like I said — disappointing.”
The Rams will now travel to Florida to face the defending Super Bowl champions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, for a spot in the NFC Championship game.