Jared Verse hilariously reflects on not being invited to 'sack party'
01/15/2025 05:07 AM
The Los Angeles Rams had planned a party on Monday night, but rookie pass rusher Jared Verse didn’t get the memo. The Rams’ defense was exceptional, setting a playoff record by sacking Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold nine times and scoring a touchdown off one of the resulting fumbles. Although he played a key role in the Rams’ 27-9 win over the Vikings, Verse's name was missing from the sack tally.
He laughed it off after the game, pointing out how all of his teammates got in on the action except for him. Kobie Turner had multiple sacks, Braden Fiske recorded one, Neville Gallimore finished with 1.5, Byron Young added 1.5, and Ahkello Witherspoon chipped in with one, spreading the sack tally across the board.
Jared Verse’s funny take on the Rams’ sack party
"To see Kobie go out there and have two and a half, three sacks – whatever he had – go crazy," the Rams defensive lineman said. "You see Fiske go crazy. Everybody going crazy. Neville go crazy. BY going crazy. Ahkello out there. I'm like, what the hell? It's a sack party and I am not invited."
"I was like, what the hell. It's a sack party and I'm not invited!" – Jared Verse
: @eric_d_williamspic.twitter.com/p4xSMKeYnqhttps://t.co/SaVmuKNa9L
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) January 14, 2025
It’s surprising, considering that Verse led the team in pressures, yet somehow, he didn't get in on the sack action, while eight other Rams defenders recorded at least half a sack.
Although Verse didn’t register a sack, he still made a significant impact on the game. He returned a fumble 57 yards for a touchdown, recorded six pressures, and made two tackles, often facing double teams from the Vikings.
Defensive tackle Braden Fiske has been dominant all season. In the regular season, he totaled 44 tackles, 24 assists, 8.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles with recoveries. In his playoff debut, Fiske contributed one tackle, one assist, and a half-sack. He didn’t need to do much, as the rest of the defense stepped up to handle the load.
Verse is having an outstanding rookie year, arguably even better than Fiske's. Already named Pro Football Focus (PFF) Defensive Rookie of the Year, Verse played in all 17 regular-season games, starting 16. He tallied 77 pressures, 41 solo tackles, 16 assists, 56 hurries, 6 sacks, two pass deflections, and forced and recovered two fumbles.
Sam Darnold dooming the Vikings
In addition to the Rams’ dominant sack performance, Sam Darnold’s lackluster play will be a major storyline from the game. Coming off a rough performance in a 31-9 loss to the Lions in Week 18, Darnold struggled again against L.A. He completed 25 of 40 passes for 245 yards, one touchdown, one interception, and a lost fumble.
Although the sack count doesn’t fully capture it, Sam Darnold's performance played a key role in the high sack total. Initial PFF data shows that his average time to throw was 3.19 seconds, and he was sacked on 40.9 percent of pressures. After back-to-back challenging outings, the offseason will likely bring many questions about his viability as a starting quarterback.
On the offensive side, the Rams earned their first playoff win since their 2021 Super Bowl victory, thanks to a dominant defensive effort and a few efficient drives led by Matthew Stafford (19-of-27, 209 yards, 2 TDs, no turnovers).
Stafford linked up with Kyren Williams early for a touchdown (19 touches, 92 total yards, 1 TD), and the Rams took control after a crucial second-quarter review that overturned what would have been a defensive touchdown for the Vikings.
The Rams will travel to Philadelphia to face the Eagles in the divisional round on Sunday afternoon. The matchup promises a tough battle between two defenses that dominated in the wild-card round.
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