Matthew Stafford and Odell Beckham Lead Rams Over Cardinals

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Thirty minutes before the biggest game of Matthew Stafford’s N.F.L. career, he tossed passes in warm-ups with his coach, Sean McVay, standing close by.

Soon afterward, the two dapped each other up and embraced; McVay then tapped Stafford on the helmet as the team jogged to the sideline before the formal player introductions.

It has been nearly a year since the partnership was formed between McVay and Stafford, then the frustrated face of the moribund Detroit Lions, when both of them were eliminated from the postseason and coincidentally on vacation in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, at the same time. They joined forces hoping to play in meaningful games this January and later.

Monday was a crucial step toward that vision, when the Rams defeated the Arizona Cardinals, 34-11, in the N.F.C.’s wild-card round, the first playoff win of Stafford’s 13-year career.

Stafford completed 13 of 17 passes for 202 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions and advanced the Rams to this weekend’s divisional round, where the team will play at the No. 2-seeded Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

The Rams defense intercepted Kyler Murray twice on back-to-back drives in the second quarter, returning one for a touchdown that put Los Angeles ahead, 21-0. Running backs Sony Michel and Cam Akers rushed for a combined 113 yards, and McVay smartly challenged two officiating calls that were reversed, soon leading to points.

Stafford’s play may not have won the Rams the game, but neither did the late-game interceptions that have been his calling card doom them. It’s a performance he said he was happy with, and he later downplayed the significance of his first January win, saying, “that’s more important for you guys.”

“I just want to be a part of this team and help us win,” Stafford continued. “I’m trusting myself, trusting my abilities, trusting my teammates. We’ll go out there and play and let the chips fall where they may.”

Shortly before checking into the resort last year, an agitated McVay sat in a videoconference with reporters after his team’s loss to the Packers in the divisional round and complimented the poise and performance of Aaron Rodgers. He did not offer kind words for his quarterback at the time, Jared Goff, and did not say definitively that Goff would return for the 2021 season.

He wanted an upgrade. Though Goff led Los Angeles to a Super Bowl in 2018, he regressed, throwing 29 interceptions in the next two seasons.

Enter Stafford, who had lost the only three postseason games he played in with the Detroit Lions despite throwing for 45,109 career yards, fifth among active passers entering this season.

McVay convinced General Manager Les Snead to trade for Stafford in a blockbuster exchange that included Goff and two future first-round draft picks, the team going all in on building a championship-caliber roster before this season’s Super Bowl, which the Rams will host.

The early returns on Stafford’s trade and the star acquisitions that followed — linebacker Von Miller and receiver Odell Beckham Jr. joined in midseason — have been positive. The Rams won 12 games and claimed the…