The Los Angeles Rams earned a hard-fought victory in the wild-card round of the playoffs on Monday night, securing their place in the divisional round. Before the game kicked off, it was clear that the Rams were playing for more than just a win against the Minnesota Vikings.

The defense was electrifying, sacking Sam Darnold an NFL playoff record nine times. Meanwhile, Matthew Stafford calmly guided his offense throughout the game and helped the Rams secure a victory at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

After the game, Stafford dedicated the Rams' playoff win to the city of Los Angeles amid the ongoing wildfires occurring in the area.

"I mean, we knew what we were playing for today. It was go get this win, but man this is for the people of Los Angeles struggling right now. It's been unbelievable to watch the whole community, the state, the country kind of get behind them. It's a tough time to be back there, and we're just happy that we came out and played like this to give (Los Angeles) something to be happy about tonight," Stafford said to ESPN's Lisa Salters.

Stafford echoed a similar sentiment when speaking to Scott Van Pelt on SportsCenter after the game.

"We just know what's going on back home, felt really motivated to play for the people of the city. It's been a hell of a week so we're happy to come out with a win," Stafford said.

Rams coaches on the sideline were wearing LAFD hats in honor of the city's fire department that has been battling the wildfires since they began. Defensive lineman Michael Hoecht made an "L.A." symbol with his hands after sacking Darnold during the second half.

The team took care of business on the field, but it was abundantly clear that this was more than just another game throughout the entire night.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Matthew Stafford, Rams Dedicate Wild-Card Win to the People of Los Angeles.

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