37years of stars like Cooper Kupp and Jalen Ramsey
(28 and 27 years old, respectively), and the big-ticket
acquisition of the 34-year-old Stafford, and, well, those
last 17 minutes were important for a lot of people in
Los Angeles.
That included Weddle, who somehow was playing
every snap of a playoff game, at 37, just weeks after the
Rams coaxed him out of retirement and off his couch
at the end of the regular season.
“I would have said I would bet my life savings that
that would never happen,” said Weddle, explaining
where he was mentally just a few weeks earlier.
“Because it wouldn’t. I mean, it’s still hard to fathom.
Two and a half weeks ago I was at home, the Weddle taxi
service for all our kids’ sports, and a call from [defensive
coordinator] Raheem Morris changed the fortune of my
life. And now I’m starting the NFC championship, and
winning, and heading to the Super Bowl, I mean, you
literally...it’s just hard to...I just feel like it’s just
meant to be, man.”
And in so many ways, all of this urgency—punctuated
by Donald’s words—showed up when the Rams needed
it most against the Niners.
Stafford responded to the Kittle touchdown by pilot-
ing a seven-play, 75-yard drive, going five-for-five on
that possession and capping it with a third-down dime
on a corner route to Kupp for an 11-yard touchdown.
The defense followed that up with stops on second-
and-1 and third-and-2 to force San Francisco to punt.
After that, good fortune shined on Stafford when 49ers
veteran safety Jaquiski Tartt dropped an easy pick on
the first play of the ensuing series.
The quarterback made the Niners pay for that missed
opportunity, throwing a 29-yard dart to Beckham one
play later. That pass wouldn’t be the last big throw
Stafford would make.
“Jared [Goff] was a really good quarterback, and
Matt’s taken this to the next level,” Weddle said. “The
confidence, he’s just the general, how he runs the ship,
everything. He’s it, through and through, out of the
quarterback position; he runs our team. And he showed
it tonight.”
Stafford showed it with a bullet thrown to Kupp
over the middle for 16 yards on third-and-10 to set up
Matt Gay’s game-tying 40-yard field goal with 6:49
to go in the final quarter. He showed it again on theLOS ANGELES RAMSCH
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FIRE WITH FIRE
With the running room tough to come by
for Cam Akers (left), Donald (99) implored
his teammates to raise their intensity.