Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay is thrilled that quarterback Matthew Stafford will no longer have to face questions about never winning a game in the NFL playoffs.
NFC West rivals the Arizona Cardinals were convincingly swatted aside by the Rams in the Wild Card round on Monday, the hosts triumphing 34-11.
The Rams will now move on to face Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a huge Divisional Round game with a place in the NFC Championship up for grabs.
Stafford had only previously reached the playoffs three times in 12 years with the Detroit Lions before his trade to LA ahead of the 2021 campaign and had been winless in each of those postseason appearances.
"I thought he did a great job leading the way," McVay said, per ESPN, after Stafford threw touchdown passes to Odell Beckham Jr. and Cooper Kupp.
"He's still the same great player to me, and he always was before this game.
"So I think it's good so you guys don't have to talk about [him not having a playoff win] anymore. So he can get that one out of the way.
"I am really proud of him. Just so lucky to be able to do this with him. He's our leader. We wouldn't be here without him."
Stafford only had to throw a season-low 17 pass attempts, but he was impressive in completing 13 of them, with three of his four incompletions being dropped passes.
The Rams' defense played a big part in the win too. The Cardinals were 21-0 behind before they were even able to record a first down, while cornerback David Long had a three-yard pick six on Kyler Murray, the shortest in playoff history.
"I'm just excited for our team to get the win," said Stafford.
"What a team effort. Our defense played outstanding, special teams basically set up a score with [punter] Johnny [Hekker] pinning them down there, we did a great job on field goals.
"And we were good enough on offense to score some points and come away with the win. Just happy to be moving on."
The Rams must now beat the defending NFL champions on the road to progress further in a postseason schedule which will culminate with the Super Bowl being hosted at their own SoFi Stadium.
LA were one of only three teams who beat the Bucs in the regular season but Stafford is under no illusions over the size of the task facing them.
He added: "It is a huge challenge. Obviously, a fantastic quarterback, great defense, a really good football team.
"I think their team is different than when we played them last [in Week 3], and I think we are, too, both [in] personnel and scheme a little bit. You always evolve throughout the season.
"So it'll be interesting to see what they look like here as of late, and we'll go out there, attack and see what happens."
Sabalenka soars past best friend Badosa and into French Open last 16
Aryna Sabalenka recovered from a slow start to eventually advance to the French Open last 16 a commanding 7-5 6-1 victory over best friend Paula Badosa.
The second seed trailed 4-2 and was a break down in the opening set, but went on to win 11 of the next 13 games to seal a fourth-round clash with either Madison Keys or Emma Navarro.
Sabalenka has dropped just seven games in her opening two matches at Roland-Garros.
Although, it looked like she may lose the opening set when a fortuitous net shot gave Badosa a second break and a 4-2 lead on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
However, she dug deep from 5-3 adrift, winning the last four games to draw first blood.
The reigning Australian Open champion broke her opponent a further two times on the way to a commanding 4-0 advantage in the second.
Badosa did well to save three match points from 0-40 in game six, but the Spaniard could not rescue a fourth as her opponent continued her surge into the second week.
Data Debrief: Sabalenka completes top four in last 16
Following on from her victories when they met in Miami and Stuttgart earlier this season, Sabalenka became the first player to beat Badosa three times at WTA events in a calendar year.
Joining Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina, this marks the first time since 2013 that the top four seeds are through to the last 16 in the women's singles at Roland-Garros.
Rybakina moves past Mertens and into French Open fourth round
Elena Rybakina is through to the second week at the French Open, following another straight-sets victory over Elise Mertens.
The fourth seed wrapped up a 6-4 6-2 win in 67 minutes on Court Philippe-Chatrier, to book a last-16 clash with either Elina Svitolina or Ana Bogdan.
Rybakina was forced to withdraw injured on the eve of her third-round showdown with Sara Sorribes Tormo at Roland-Garros 12 months ago.
A tight opening set ensued with four successive games from 2-2 going against the serve, but a crucial break to love in the 10th saw the former Wimbledon champion draw first blood.
She then broke to 15 in game four of the second set to take control of the match, before another in the eighth saw her into the fourth round in Paris for a second time.
Rybakina is joined in the last 16 by home favourite Varvara Gracheva, who continued her groundbreaking run with a straight-sets win over Irina-Camelia Begu.
The Moscow-born 23-year-old, who obtained French nationality last June, is into round four for the first time at a major.
Extending her stay into the second week, having stunned sixth seed Maria Sakkari in the opening round, Gracheva was serenaded with Les Marseillais by the crowd following her victory on Court Suzanne-Lenglen.
Data Debrief: Rybakina matches Swiatek and Jabeur
Rybakina becomes only the third player to reach the fourth round at multiple majors on clay and grass since the start of the 2020 season.
The 2022 Wimbledon champion joins an exclusive group of players to achieve the feat, along with Iga Swiatek and Ons Jabeur.
Mexico 1-0 Bolivia: Experimental El Tri boost Copa America preparations with narrow win
A youthful Mexico stepped up their Copa America preparations with a narrow 1-0 victory over Bolivia in Chicago.
Efrain Alvarez's second-half strike proved enough for El Tri, who fielded eight debutants at Soldier Field.
Two of those debutants went close early on; Ricardo Monreal heading against the bar and Ettson Ayon testing Bolivia goalkeeper Carlos Lampe, while Ramiro Vaca fired over for the visitors later in the half.
However, the hosts did find the breakthrough within two minutes of the restart, as Monreal squared for Alvarez to control and finish.
El Tri, who will face Ecuador, Jamaica and Venezuela in Group B at the Copa America, will play Uruguay and Brazil before the tournament begins on June 20.
Data Debrief: Mexico maintain Bolivia dominance
Mexico are now unbeaten in each of their last 10 meetings with Bolivia, winning nine and conceding just two goals during that span.
A 3-1 reverse at the 1997 Copa America represents El Tri's only defeat in this fixture.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
