Why the Rams Are Prepared For This Playoff Run

WOODLAND HILLS, Ca. After their win against the Arizona Cardinals, the Los Angeles Rams were informed that they would open up the Wild Card round by traveling to Carolina for the first game of the playoffs.

Typically the matchup between the fourth and fifth seeds bookend the Wild Card round. Last year as the fourth seed, the Rams closed out the round.

Thus, Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford detailed why this is exactly the scenario they wanted.

Matthew Stafford

Stafford was asked if playing on a shorten week causes any issues for him.

“No," stated Stafford. "The adrenaline will be great. We will be ready to rock and roll. It’s playoff football, let's go. Is it my favorite thing? No, but at the same time, I'm just happy to be playing this weekend and to be getting an opportunity to go play.”

Last season, the Rams had to wait until Monday to play their Wild Card opponent, throwing a wrench into their typical lead-up to game day. Stafford explained how the Rams' schedule in 2025 allows the team to stay in their weekly rhythm.

Jan 4, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) throws downfield against the Arizona Cardinals during the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

“It's just all sped up a little bit," stated Stafford. "We usually come in on a Monday, get a nice run and lift, flush the last game and start on the next opponent. Tuesdays are a nice day off and that all gets condensed into one day. Then we come out here and start going. It’s nice. I'll take this over a Monday [Night Game] one though. I'd rather play. Let's get our feet back in the grass and go rather than sit around and watch a bunch of football all weekend and be the last game to play.”

Sean McVay

Rams head coach Sean McVay was asked to comment on Stafford's statements, echoing the same points, being sure to illustrate the advantage to maintaining their schedule.

“Oh, yeah," stated McVay. "You feel like you wait…especially when you go play a Monday night game on the east coast, that's torture. It just feels like you're sitting around all day and then you're ready to take a nap or go to sleep by the time kickoff comes. I've always been a big advocate of you get up and you go. I've always liked those east coast windows. Most importantly, it's about the players."

"What I think is good for us is 4:30 kickoff is normally what we're accustomed to at 1:30 kickoff out here. We did a short week last week. I think our guys are in a good little rhythm. You come in and typically it's a little bit accelerated for the coaches and they have to be able to turn over, but they did a great job handling an above-the-neck approach today. We've had some experiences handling these things and the guys always do a great job. I'm in alignment with Matthew on that.”

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