Like the rest of us, the Rams will search for signs of normalcy on Monday night.
They’ll find it in the horned logo at midfield, in the paint in the end zone, in the blue towels waving in the stands, in their cheerleaders and mascot, in the voice of Sam Lagana asking whose house it is.
But though they may be the home team against the Minnesota Vikings (14-3), the Rams (10-7) have been displaced by the wildfires that have ripped through Los Angeles County this past week. Some players, coaches and staff members have evacuated their homes; other team employees have lost everything.
And they all, as a team, evacuated the city to fly to Arizona. Unable to host the home playoff game they earned, the Rams have accepted the hospitality of their neighbors to the east and will play on the Cardinals’ field at State Farm Stadium on Monday, and packed up their families and pets to come with them.
“There won’t be normal,” wide receiver Cooper Kupp said after a practice Saturday in Arizona. “There is nothing normal about practicing in the Arizona Cardinals facility and everything that’s going on. All the implications that are going around, you still feel that, but at the end of the day, it’s nice to go be out here with the guys, have a task and have something to work for.”
In other words, something to take their minds off what’s been going on at home.
The Vikings certainly offer plenty for the Rams to think about. Among the best in the NFL on offense and defense. Perhaps the top receiver in the NFL in Justin Jefferson. A pass rush that can beat any offensive line.
Minnesota is a tough team for the Rams to prepare for under normal circumstances, let alone when the safety of home and family is on their minds. But as head coach Sean McVay told his team Friday morning, they have overcome plenty of adversity this year. And they are ready for this latest challenge.
“I do believe that in spite of how unfortunate a lot of these different things are, this group is built to be able to handle different forms of adversity and overcome, which they’ve done,” McVay said. “We’re looking forward to doing that this week.”
If any team understands what a game like this can mean to a city in the midst of tragedy, it’s the Rams. Many saw first-hand how impactful the Monday night game against the Chiefs was in 2018 in the wake of the Woolsey fire and a mass shooting in Thousand Oaks that claimed 13 lives. It was a moment of catharsis for the fans who filled SoFi Stadium that day.
Fans appear prepared to make the pilgrimage to Arizona to take part in Monday’s moment of healing, of distraction, in the wake of tragedy. Rams season ticket holders got the first chance to purchase seats at State Farm Stadium, and 25,000 were scooped up in the first hour. Many will travel via bus provided by the Rams from SoFi to Glendale, Ariz., to see their team represent the city.
“We’re always playing for the city of L.A.,” tight end Tyler Higbee said. “Whether you’re from here or you’ve spent most of your time here, we’re Angelenos and we’re playing for the city. Especially when something like that can bring everybody together. As terrible, as devastating as this can be, sometimes it takes something like this for people to band together and come together and work as one and then you start to see the good in everybody. We’re playing for the city this weekend and hopefully we can get the W.”
Outside linebacker Michael Hoecht and his girlfriend handed out LAFD shirts for teammates and family members to wear on the team planes to Arizona. Coaches will wear Rams-branded LAFD shirts and hats on the sidelines Monday to honor the first responders who have fought to save so many homes, including their own.
And, when the ball is kicked off, the displaced Rams will try to do their city proud.
“It’s really bigger than just a game for us now,” safety Quentin Lake said. “We’re playing really for our community. We always play for our community, we play for the logo on the front and the logo on our helmet but to see the community impacted, for us to go out there and play well, will give the city hope.”