Sean McVay: Defeating the Vikings in person, representing Los Angeles the right way

It’s been a rough week in and around Los Angeles, as the wildfires that caused Monday night’s wild-card game between the Rams and Cardinals to move to Glendale, Arizona, are still burning across the city.

But the Rams channeled their emotions to pull off a dominant 27-9 victory over the Vikings to advance to the divisional round.

“Man, I’m really proud of our team tonight,” head coach Sean McVay said in his postgame press conference. “I thought about everything that’s going on with our community, what these guys have been through, I thought they epitomized and represented the city in the right way.

“You talk about a sport that offers a platform for people to come together for a little bit of temporary relief, and I thought the way our team competed tonight was what it looked like — staying connected, staying together. Just the fight, the resilience, all the things that are great traits that this team has really built through the challenges that they’ve been through this season. And I’m really proud of them.”

The Rams led from start to finish, building a 24-3 lead at halftime. McVay admitted the club took off the gas offensively in the second half, which wasn’t a problem given how well the defense played — tying the NFL single-game postseason record with nine sacks.

But after coming to Arizona early and practicing at the Cardinals’ facility before playing at their division rival’s stadium, how could the Rams play with emotion so effectively?

“I think you could feel it more than anything I could say,” McVay said. “There was just a look in their eyes. They had the focus, the right kind of urgency and enjoyment that we always try to achieve the perfect balance. And I was proud of them. I think you could feel it. You could feel it during the warm-up. There was just an aura.”

But a lot of it goes back to McVay’s leadership. Receiver Cooper Kupp — who is one of the longest-tenured Rams as one of the first draft picks under the head coach in 2017 — said McVay’s ability to stay consistent and bring energy on a daily basis was a big part of what led LA to victory.

“I think that’s one of his biggest strengths, being able to connect with people,” Kupp said in the locker room after the game. “He’s done a great job in the midst of all this stuff to be able to keep guys coming in here, keep your feet where you are – I know there’s all that other stuff going on, but we can be here right now. We are working on a current task where, if we do our work, it will be a really special thing.

“He’s just done a great job in terms of keeping that consistent message and keeping it on the guys.”

Now the Rams have a chance to continue their road trip next weekend when they play the Eagles in Philadelphia.