Defensive tackle Kobie Turner said the Rams’ long but joyful regular season primed them for what’s next.
On Monday night, the No. 4-seeded Rams will play the No. 5 Minnesota Vikings in an NFC wild-card game at SoFi Stadium.
“We’ve been waiting on this moment,” Turner said after the Rams’ regular-season finale against the Seattle Seahawks.
Even before the Rams knew their opponent — they had to wait until Sunday night for the outcome of the Detroit Lions’ 31-9 victory over the Vikings — Turner and his teammates said their rebound from a 1-4 start showed they were gritty, resilient and prepared to make a run to the Super Bowl.
“The energy in this group is insane,” Turner said. “The urgency picks up, but we’ve been putting ourselves in position this entire last back half of the season.”
And the Rams, who will resume their regular game-week prep and media availability on Thursday, will do it with a rested and healthy roster.
Coach Sean McVay sat quarterback Matthew Stafford, running back Kyren Williams, receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua and linemen Alaric Jackson and Kevin Dotson against the Seahawks so they would be ready, and uninjured, for the postseason.
The Rams will be without No. 2 running back Blake Corum because he suffered a fractured forearm against the Seahawks.
Right tackle Rob Havenstein will return after sitting out the last two games because of a shoulder injury. Tight end Tyler Higbee appears fully recovered from knee surgery. Veteran safety John Johnson III was designated to return from injured reserve Tuesday after missing the final 15 games of the season.
“You can kind of see it in everybody’s eyes — how much they want it,” safety Quentin Lake said. “We know we need to take it one game at a time, that’s no doubt. But the vision is a lot bigger for us.
“We see ourselves as a really big Super Bowl contender, and we want to live up to that expectation.”
The Rams roster includes veterans who were part of the Rams’ Super Bowl run in the 2021 season.
Stafford and Kupp starred, and Havenstein played a prominent role for a team that defeated the Arizona Cardinals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and San Francisco 49ers before beating the Cincinnati Bengals to win Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium.
But the roster is dominated by young players.
Williams and Lake are third-year players. Turner, Nacua, edge rusher Byron Young and offensive lineman Steve Avila are second-year pros. Edge rusher Jared Verse, the lone Rams player voted to the Pro Bowl, defensive lineman Braden Fiske, linebacker Omar Speights, safeties Kamren Kinchens and Jaylen McCollough and kicker Joshua Karty are rookies.
Kinchens, a third-round pick, did not get to play in a bowl game during his three seasons at Miami.
“So I’m excited,” he said of playing in the postseason. “A lot of people don’t get to see the playoffs their whole career. So for it to be my first year, I’m grateful and ready to put in that work.”
Kinchens has intercepted four passes, and returned one for a touchdown.
His approach won’t change for the playoffs.
“It shouldn’t change your mindset,” he said. “You don’t want to go outside the rules of your game. Just be calm, cool and collected.”
