The Minnesota Vikings went 14-1 against all opponents this season except the Detroit Lions.
The Vikings went 0-2 against the Lions, and that’s why they’re on the road for a wild card weekend.
The Vikings lost an NFC North title showdown in Week 18 to Detroit. That means the Lions have the No. 1 seed in the NFC and the Vikings got the fifth seed. They face the Los Angeles Rams, who dropped their starters in Week 18, although they were fortunate to hold the third seed and avoid the loser of the Vikings-Lions game. They obviously weren’t too worried about playing either team.
At 14-3, the Vikings have the most wins of any wild-card team in NFL history. The good news is that the previous record holder, the 1999 Tennessee Titans, with a 13-3 record, qualified for the Super Bowl. The bad news is that the only loss the Vikings suffered to someone other than the Lions this season came against the Rams.
The match
No. 5 Minnesota Vikings (14-3) and No. 4 Los Angeles Rams (10-7)
SoFi Stadium
Monday, 8 p.m. ET
How to watch the Vikings at the Rams
The match will be broadcast on ESPN, ABC and ESPN Deportes. It will be broadcast live on ESPN+. There will also be a “ManningCast” on ESPN2, which will also air on ESPN+.
Betting Odds
The Vikings are barely favored despite being four games better than the Rams in the regular season. Minnesota is a 1-point favorite than BetMGM. The total is 48.
X factor
The Rams aren’t great at cornerback, and that’s not the best news against the Vikings. Minnesota has perhaps the best receiver in the NFL, Justin Jefferson, and Jordan Addison is also a game-breaker. When the Vikings and Rams faced off in Week 8, Jefferson caught eight of nine targets for 115 yards. Veteran Ahkello Witherspoon, who played only nine snaps in that first game, played well late in the season. The Rams hope that Witherspoon and Darious Williams can at least keep Jefferson and Addison from opening the game.
How the Vikings can win
Sam Darnold is having a very good season. It’s also true that during the Vikings’ biggest game, he had a rough night. Darnold was absent for most of the Vikings’ Week 18 game against the Lions, missing numerous reads and being inaccurate on several throws, particularly in the red zone. It’s unfair for Darnold to overlook everything he did in the regular season just because he struggled in last weekend’s loss to Detroit. But he must bounce back quickly. If Darnold plays like he has for most of the season, the Vikings can make a deep playoff run. There will be a big spotlight on Darnold after his struggles a week ago.
How the Rams can win
Under Sean McVay, the Rams are known for their offensive prowess. That’s what makes their late-season slide so strange. In Weeks 15-17, the Rams scored 12, 19 and 13 points. They averaged just 267 yards per game during that stretch, despite the healthy health of Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams. In Week 18, the Rams were starting, and maybe that helps, but Los Angeles went from having a very good offense when healthy to suddenly unable to find the end zone. The good news for the Rams is that their defense allowed 6, 9 and 9 points when the offense broke down. The Rams defense has improved late, but it’s not an elite unit. If the offense remains in poor shape, it will be difficult for the Rams to get by. And it won’t be easy to win against the Vikings, whose defense has been very good under the direction of coordinator Brian Flores.
Prediction
There must be some disappointment for the Vikings. They were on the verge of a 15-2 season, an NFC North title and a bye week as the NFC’s No. 1 seed. But they lost in a Week 18 game that turned into a second-half blowout and now have to play the Rams on a wild-card weekend. (The game could be moved to Arizona if conditions in Los Angeles amid deadly wildfires do not improve.)
Even though the Vikings aren’t hungover, it’s not like the Rams are an easy opponent. The Vikings went 14-1 against everyone except the Lions, and the only blemish was a 30-20 loss to the Rams in Week 8. Sean McVay rested his starters for a reason on last weekend. Having a pseudo bye week while the Vikings played one of the biggest regular season games of all time is a huge advantage for Los Angeles. The Vikings haven’t been respected all season and it seems unfair to doubt their playoff appearance after a 14-3 record, but it’s a tough situation for Minnesota. Rams 24, Vikings 21
