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 wild-card weekend.
The Vikings dropped a NFC North title showdown in Week 18 to Detroit. That meant the Lions have the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and the Vikings got the fifth seed. They play the Los Angeles Rams, who sat their starters in Week 18 even though they had a chance to move up to the No. 3 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 the previous record holder, the 1999 Tennessee Titans at 13-3, advanced to the Super Bowl. The bad news is the one loss the Vikings had to someone other than the Lions this season came against the Rams.
The matchup
No. 5 Minnesota Vikings (14-3) at No. 4 Los Angeles Rams (10-7)
SoFi Stadium
Monday, 8 p.m. ET
How to watch Vikings at Rams
The game will be broadcast on ESPN, ABC and ESPN Deportes. It will be streamed live on ESPN+. There will also be a “ManningCast” on ESPN2, which will also be streamed 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 at 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 a game-breaker as well. When the Vikings and Rams faced each other in Week 8, Jefferson caught eight of nine targets for 115 yards. Veteran Ahkello Witherspoon, who played just nine snaps in that first meeting, has been playing well late in the season. The Rams will be hoping that Witherspoon and Darious Williams can at least keep Jefferson and Addison from breaking the game open.
How the Vikings can win
Sam Darnold has had a very good season. It’s also true that in the Vikings’ biggest game, he had a rough night. Darnold was off most of the Vikings’ Week 18 game against the Lions, missing many reads and being inaccurate on several throws, particularly in the red zone. It’s not fair to Darnold to discount all he did in the regular season just because he struggled in last week’s loss to Detroit. But he has to rebound fast. If Darnold plays like he did most of the season, the Vikings can make a long playoff run. There will be a big spotlight on Darnold after he struggled a week ago.
How the Rams can win
Under Sean McVay, the Rams have been 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 in that stretch, despite having Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams healthy. In Week 18 the Rams sat starters, and maybe that helps, but Los Angeles went from being a very good offense when healthy to suddenly being unable to find the end zone. The good news for the Rams is their defense allowed 6, 9 and 9 points when the offense fell into a slump. The Rams’ defense improved late but it’s not an elite unit. If the offense remains in a slump, it will be hard for the Rams to make a run. And it won’t be easy to break out against the Vikings, whose defense has been very good under coordinator Brian Flores.
Prediction
There has to be some letdown for the Vikings. They were on the verge of a 15-2 season, NFC North title and a bye week as the No. 1 seed in the NFC. But they lost in a Week 18 game that became a blowout in the second half and now have to play at the Rams on wild-card weekend. Even if the Vikings don’t have a hangover, it’s not like the Rams are an easy opponent. The Vikings went 14-1 against everyone but the Lions, and the one blemish was a 30-20 loss to the Rams in Week 8. Sean McVay rested his starters for a reason last week. Having a pseudo bye week while the Vikings played one of the biggest regular-season games ever is a huge edge for Los Angeles. The Vikings have been disrespected all season and it seems unfair to doubt them going into the playoffs after they went 14-3, but this is a tough spot for Minnesota. Rams 24, Vikings 21