Plaschke: Rams finally claim ownership of their house, just in time to host Super Bowl

SoFi Stadium shook. The Rams danced. Confetti sprayed.

1000’s screamed, time and again, answering the public-address announcer’s bellowing query of exactly who will personal this Inglewood palace within the upcoming Tremendous Bowl.

They’ve chanted it many instances earlier than, but it surely’s by no means fairly resounded like this.

“Whose home?”

“Rams’ home!”

It occurred. It actually occurred. The Rams promised, and delivered, and are actually staying house for the journey of a lifetime after defeating the San Francisco 49ers 20-17 on Sunday within the NFC championship recreation.

Their home. Their second. And now their magic.

On Sunday, Feb. 13, at SoFi Stadium, the Rams will face the Cincinnati Bengals in Tremendous Bowl LVI.

Take into consideration that. The Tremendous Bowl. Being performed in Los Angeles. With a Los Angeles crew.

“It feels wonderful. It feels wonderful,” Rams defensive again Jalen Ramsey mentioned. “I ain’t going to mislead you. That’s actually the one phrase I can consider. It feels wonderful.”

Wonderful? It’s flat-out nuts. Will probably be solely the second time in NFL historical past — and the second time in two years — the league’s title bout will probably be performed on the house discipline of one of many attendants.

“To have the ability to play at house on this home that [Stan] Kroenke constructed, this iconic venue, is basically distinctive,” Rams coach Sean McVay mentioned.

The celebration started with a large hugging get together on the sector Sunday and can proceed for the subsequent two weeks. The Tremendous Bowl is the largest sports activities occasion in the US, and the Rams will probably be its focal point, and the thrill will probably be overwhelming.

Dwelling Tremendous house.

“Unbelievable. … Unbelievable,” Kroenke, the Rams’ proprietor, mentioned from the sector throughout Sunday’s postgame trophy ceremony. “You go searching right here … whose home?”

Kroenke spent $5 billion to construct this stadium on the dream that his crew would play within the Tremendous Bowl right here. The Rams’ entrance workplace employed the sport’s brightest younger coach and bought a bevy of star gamers in hopes of creating that occur.

Rams linebacker Von Miller hoists the trophy as cornerback Jalen Ramsey seems on following the Rams’ 20-17 victory over the San Francisco 49ers within the NFC championship recreation Sunday at SoFi Stadium.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Occasions)

On a raucous stage amid fixed deafening cheers from a crowd of break up loyalties, all of it got here collectively.

“It’s a terrific signal of the celebrities shining the brightest after they wanted to,” McVay mentioned.

The Rams not solely overcame a 10-point deficit within the fourth quarter towards a crew that had crushed them six consecutive instances, however additionally they did it with the gamers collected for simply this event.

“You go down 17-7, it doesn’t look good, however the guys simply stayed within the second,” McVay mentioned.

And what moments they had been, good passes and lunging tackles and followers so charged up that afterward they pounded on the partitions of the postgame interview room.

The Los Angeles Rams have by no means gained a Tremendous Bowl and have been in solely two earlier Tremendous Bowls, most just lately a loss to the New England Patriots after the 2018 season.

They’ve proven nice promise since their return to Southern California six years in the past after a 22-year absence. However in an extended historical past that included a 48-year keep earlier than they left city, that promise has but to have been fulfilled. The noise that continued lengthy after the tip of the sport was for the frustration of missed probabilities, and the hope that this time, taking part in the largest of video games in their very own yard, issues will lastly be completely different.

“That is for everyone,” quarterback Matthew Stafford mentioned.

Stafford, acquired in a commerce final offseason, brilliantly led the Rams on three fourth-quarter scoring drives that included an 11-yard landing go to Cooper Kupp and an ideal five-for-five efficiency on the game-winning drive that ended with Matt Homosexual’s 30-yard discipline aim.

“This can be a entire lot higher than I assumed it was gonna be like,” Stafford mentioned. “That is an unbelievable crew, an unbelievable environment.”

Odell Beckham Jr., a petulant vast receiver signed at midseason, caught three passes for 42 yards on these remaining three drives — 9 passes for 113 yards general — and was principally inconceivable to cowl.

“He’s so sensible, so gifted, so gifted,” McVay mentioned of Beckham. “And he’s introduced such a charisma and a presence, actually a swag to our crew.”

Von Miller, an getting old linebacker acquired in a midseason commerce, helped lead a protection that held the 49ers to twenty-eight yards and recorded an interception on San Francisco’s final three possessions.

“There’s one thing in regards to the vivid lights that make you sweat,” Miller mentioned. “There’s one thing in regards to the vivid lights that carry essentially the most out of you.”

The lights lastly went out on the 49ers with 1:09 left when quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was grabbed by Rams star defensive lineman Aaron Donald and flipped a desperation go that bounced off the fingers of JaMycal Hasty and into the arms of linebacker Travin Howard for a game-clinching interception.

Rams linebacker Travin Howard intercepts the soccer after it bounced off the arms of 49ers operating again JaMycal Hasty.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Occasions)

Donald earlier had gathered the protection collectively for a mixture scolding and pep speak. The protection listened, then answered.

“It was one thing about how unhealthy do we would like it,” Ramsey mentioned of Donald’s speak. “Like, we’re proper right here. We bought to do extra. We bought to present somewhat bit additional. We bought to present extra. We simply went on the market and did that, actually.”

Much more will probably be required towards an upstart Bengals crew that earned its approach right here Sunday by rebounding from an 18-point deficit to defeat the mighty Kansas Metropolis Chiefs 27-24 in time beyond regulation. The Rams will probably be about four-point favorites and may win the sport, however the Bengals and second-year star quarterback Joe Burrow don’t have anything to lose, making them wildly harmful. Including to the intrigue, their coach, Zac Taylor, is a former Rams quarterbacks coach below McVay.

“Nice, resilient crew. It didn’t look good for them, and so they’ve simply continued to indicate why they’re a mentally powerful outfit,” McVay mentioned of the Bengals. “I feel that’s mirrored by their head coach. I do know what a terrific coach he’s. … I’m trying ahead to diving into the tape and determining how we will put collectively recreation plan to attempt to see if we will end this factor off.”

The Rams almost completed themselves off early in Sunday’s recreation, stumbling and bumbling whereas the 49ers’ trustworthy — about 60% of the gang — saved chanting, “Beat L.A.”

Within the first half alone, Stafford threw an interception in the long run zone, his receivers dropped one potential landing go and one positive landing go, and Homosexual shanked a 54-yard field-goal strive.

On the finish of the half, Ramsey jumped into the face of kicker Robbie Gould and so they needed to be separated. Ramsey then threw his helmet into the bench in frustration.

The Rams legitimately ought to have been main not less than 21-7 on the half, however as a substitute they trailed 10-7, a margin that grew to become 10 factors earlier than that gorgeous fourth-quarter domination. It was a domination that was helped early within the quarter when security Jaquiski Tartt dropped a positive interception from Stafford.

“We simply needed to lock in somewhat bit extra,” Ramsey mentioned.

Now they’re locked in for the subsequent two weeks, headed towards historical past whereas going nowhere.

“That’s dope,” Ramsey mentioned of the Rams’ Tremendous Bowl home-field benefit. “How they do this? Like NFC, AFC. Who’s the house crew technically? Y’all know? I don’t know. Doesn’t matter. We’re going to be swagged out.”

For the document, the Bengals would be the house crew.

However you realize whose home it’s.

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