The Los Angeles Rams' Wild Card playoff game descended into somber and emotional scenes as their hometown lay in rubble and devastation 374 miles away on Monday.
The Rams' playoff matchup against the Minnesota Vikings was moved from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood to Glendale, Arizona, due to the fires that continue to rage in Los Angeles.
Massive infernos continued to cause devastation across the City of Los Angeles on Monday as more powerful winds approached and threatened recent progress against wildfires that have destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 24 people.
And, after a week of turmoil and tragedy, singer Rachel Platten fought back tears as she performed an emotionally charged rendition of the national anthem.
The American singer-songwriter was caught breaking down in tears when the final note of the Star Spangled Banner rang out at State Farm Stadium.
As the singer sang a moving rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, Los Angeles NFL players were also moved by the moment.
Rachel Platten burst into tears after performing the national anthem against Rams-Vikings
Firefighters continue to battle brutal conditions on the front lines in Los Angeles.
The ESPN broadcast looked at Rams stars Cooper Kupp and Matthew Stafford, who appeared drowned in the dugout, while head coach Sean McVay was caught looking glassy-eyed.
As a growing force of firefighters continues to battle brutal conditions on the front lines in Los Angeles, the Rams honored their hometown heroes earlier in the night.
Stafford, McVay and company. They also wore special t-shirts with the legend 'LAFD', in the team colors, as the players took the field to warm up, while a moment of silence was observed before the game to pay tribute to the victims of the tragedy.
Before the teams took the field to join together to sing the national anthem, Platten had performed a rendition of his 2015 hit 'Fight Song', over a montage showing first responders heroically fighting the infernos.
Arriving at State Farm Stadium on Monday night, quarterback Stafford decided to make his own gesture as he donned a navy blue LAFD hoodie for his entrance.
The Chargers, who share a stadium with the Rams, paid their own tribute to their Los Angeles teammates with similar honorary jerseys before their playoff loss to the Houston Texans on Saturday.
Deadly fires broke out in Los Angeles last week, with flames quickly sweeping through the city, leaving destruction and devastation in their wake.
In less than a week, four fires around America's second-largest city have burned more than 62 square miles, about three times the size of Manhattan, and entire neighborhoods have been reduced to rubble and ash.
Firefighting helicopter drops water as Palisades fire grows
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford wore a Los Angeles City Fire Department hoodie on Monday.
Signs thanking emergency services hanging in the stands at State Farm Stadium
McVay's team headed to the desert Friday night and used its division rival's practice facility all weekend.
The Cardinals opened their training facility in Tempe for the Rams' use, and there was a large banner reading “Welcome Los Angeles Rams” with both teams' logos on the front door.
Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill even sent two team planes to Los Angeles on Friday to help the team travel to Arizona. Rams players were allowed to bring their families, and even some pets, for the trip.
Los Angeles still hopes to have a sizable home-field advantage for Monday's game, even if it's about 375 miles and a six-hour drive from SoFi Stadium.
Team members purchased 25,000 tickets in the first hour of availability on Friday and lined up before dawn on Monday to make the bus trip.
A line of fans could be seen surrounding the stadium before 5:30 a.m. local time.
And once fans got on the buses, they even received gifts, as an X post from fan Allen Sales showed a towel and a foam finger on his seat.
The Chargers wore warm-up caps and T-shirts with LAFD printed in their team colors on Saturday.
Los Angeles won nine straight games in Arizona before the streak was broken earlier this season.
McVay said Los Angeles requested the visiting locker room on Monday, even though they are still technically the home team, because of their familiarity with the space.
Only a few Rams employees had been directly affected by the fires until Thursday afternoon, when the Kenneth Fire broke out a few miles from the team's training complex in suburban Woodland Hills, sending smoke skyward. at an alarming speed.
Defensive lineman Kobie Turner said receiver Puka Nucua's home was in an evacuation warning zone, so he came and slept at his house one night.