Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
Our Illustrated Guide To How The LA Rams Beat The San Francisco 49ers To Head To The Super Bowl
(
Alborz Kamalizad
)
-
We thought it'd be fun to cover the NFC Championship game with some handcrafted illustrations by our photojournalist Alborz Kamalizad and some of my own sometimes snarky observations.
It was a wild ride. After a bumpy start to the game, the hometown Rams and rival San Francisco 49ers definitely shook off the cobwebs and came to play.
Let's revisit the key moments:
Pre-game:
Troy Aikman predicted it would come down to the quarterbacks. We agreed and offered these photorealistic renderings of Matt Stafford and Jimmy Garoppolo ahead of kickoff.
Support for LAist comes from
Photorealistic rendering of Matt Stafford and Jimmy Garoppolo.
(
Alborz Kamalizad
/
LAist
)
Matt Stafford:
- The Good: 4 TDs, 0 INT, 131.5 passer rating, 74.5% completion percentage in 2022 playoffs.
- The Bad: 0.400 playoff winning percentage (should not be a QB stat but we needed something negative)
- The Ugly: Enjoys "stealing [people's] soul[s]"
Jimmy Garoppolo:
- The Good: 0.800 career playoff winning percentage (once again, this should not be a QB stat but we had to find something positive)
- The Bad: 0 TDs, 2 INTs, 63.0 passer rating in the 2022 playoffs.
- The Ugly: He cannot whistle.
I really wish I could whistle
— Jimmy Garoppolo (@JimmyG_10) December 28, 2012
First Quarter: Rams 0 - 49ers 0
Welp. All good things must come to an end. Matt Stafford tosses his first interception of the postseason on a tip drill in the end zone. Jimmie Ward nabs the ball, returning it to the SF 23.
Support for LAist comes from
(
Alborz Kamalizad
/
LAist
)
Ward now has intercepted Stafford three times this season, adding to his 2-pick total from Week 10.
We are scoreless after quarter 1. As a wise scholar once said, "Boooooooooooo."
Second Quarter: Rams 7 - 49ers 10
Cooper Kupp opens up scoring and we are not even remotely surprised.
(
Alborz Kamalizad
/
LAist
)
PAT nailed by Matt Gay. Held by Johnny Hekker. Trying to hold back the overflowing joy. 7-0 Rams.
Support for LAist comes from
Well, we aren't pumped about it. But this doodle is too good not to share. Deebo Samuel with the TD. Game is all square again, 7-7 with 6:10 to play in the first half.
The Los Angeles Rams face off against the San Francisco 49ers in the 2022 NFC title game.
(
Alborz Kamalizad
/
LAist
)
WIDE RIGHT. @RamsNFL looking like the @BuffaloBills . Matt Gay = Scott Norwood for a hot second. The score remains tied 7-7 with less than 2 minutes to play in the 2nd quarter.
Translation: the Rams missed that field goal.
San Francisco pulls ahead as time ticks down in the half. 10-7 49ers. We're not sad, we're just disappointed.
Halftime Analysis
We've racked our brains, analyzed the numbers, and reviewed the footage. Here's some in-depth analysis from the first half of the NFC Championship game between the Rams and 49ers.
Support for LAist comes from
(
Alborz Kamalizad
/
LAist
)
Data point no. 2 for the first half of the NFC Championship game.
(
Alborz Kamalizad
/
LAist
)
Third Quarter: Rams 7 - 49ers 17
(Things slowed down again. So we mused. Isn't it nice to experience Odell Beckham Junior's career resurgence firsthand? Isn't it shaping up to look like the Robert Pattinson renaissance?
Also, ***attempts truly terrible Jerry Seinfeld impression*** what is the deal with new FOX TV shows?
Anyway, it took a while for anyone to score in the second half. And the bad guys managed to do it.)
George Kittle hauls in the pass from Jimmy GQ (it's a real nickname, we swear) for the TD. San Francisco leads 17-7 with roughly two minutes left to play in the 3rd.
EVERYTHING IS FINE, WE SWEAR
(
Alborz Kamalizad
/
LAist
)
(The Rams begin their drive to pull even. They benefit from a taunting penalty against the 49ers. We have some thoughts on taunting penalties.)
This is the only time Vince McMahon has seemed reasonable. It really looks like the no-fun league as of late re: taunting penalties.
()
Fourth Quarter: Rams 20 - 49ers 17
(Hope starts to shine through.)
Cooper Kupp keeps on being Cooper Kupp. To quote Atmosphere, "take a look around, do we seem surprised?" Another TD for the league's best receiver, Rams pull within 3. 17-14 SF with plenty of time left in the 4th.
Kupp doing Kupp things
(
Alborz Kamalizad
/
LAist
)
(San Francisco gets the ball back, but the stout Rams defense halts a crucial third-down conversion attempt on the ground.)
Note: the Rams defensive line is the wall #SFvsLAR pic.twitter.com/03whQy3lOE
— LAist (@LAist) January 31, 2022
(And then a proverbial bullet is dodged)
PHEW. Glad we didn't have to dust off the interception doodle again. Stafford avoids the turnover, drive stays alive.
(
Alborz Kamalizad
/
LAist
)
TIE GAME! Matt Gay splits the uprights. 17-17 with less than 7 to play.
(
Alborz Kamalizad
/
LAist
)
RAMS BALL! RAMS BALL! SPORTS BALL! Aaron Donald brings the suffocating pressure and forces the throw from Jimmy G. Travin Howard with the big interception to put a nail in things.
(
Alborz Kamalizad
/
LAist
)
*exhales for the next 45 minutes*
The Rams are going to the Super Bowl, folks.
Their opponent: the Cincinnati Bengals. The Joe Burrow-led squad staged an impressive come-from-behind OT victory over the Kansas City Chiefs earlier in the afternoon to win the AFC title game and punch their ticket to Super Bowl LVI.
Post Game
Folks, it was a barn burner. Could it have been higher scoring? Sure. But it sure did its job of burning through every doodle LAist had on hand and kept our coverage team glued to its seat (it's me, I'm the coverage team).
And there were plenty of clutch performances throughout the game, but one stood above the rest. Cooper Kupp, you have earned the very first LAist MVP award. It is unclear if it is at all transferrable for points toward your NFL MVP candidacy.
(
Alborz Kamalizad
/
LAist
)
Postcript
Sure, game stats are fun. But what about mascot attributes? Choose your fighter.
These very cool horn-havers are going to the Big Game™.
The Los Angeles Rams face off against the San Francisco 49ers in the 2022 NFC title game.
(
Alborz Kamalizad
/
LAist
)
This musty mascot gets to hit the golf course tomorrow! Cash in the gold dust, get a new set of clubs.
The Los Angeles Rams face off against the San Francisco 49ers in the 2022 NFC title game.
(
Alborz Kamalizad
/
LAist
)
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake. -
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
-
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars.
-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
Best of LAist