NFL Wild Card Weekend wraps up tonight with one final NFC matchup between two of the leagues most powerful offenses. In terms of talent, these two teams are riddled with it. On the Rams side, you have a two-headed monster in Cooper Kupp and Puca Nacua who are two of the most difficult receivers to cover when they are both on the field. On the other sideline, the Vikings have their own unstoppable receiver-duo in Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Two completely differing styles of play, two equally dynamic duos going up against each other, alone in primetime on Monday night with a chance to advance. Does it get any better than this?
The weekend slate of games saw some thrillers like the Commanders vs. Buccaneers last-second field goal finish where a Washington kick doinked off the upright and through to advance the Commanders to Detroit. We also saw some teams like Baltimore and Buffalo flex their muscles over inferior opponents as those two are on a collision course for next Sunday night. But one of the most anticipated games of the weekend was saved for this evening when the Vikings and Rams decide who will go to Philadelphia to play the red-hot Eagles, and who will be cleaning out their lockers.
These two teams are quite familiar with each other, as the two met way back in late October when the Rams got away with some missed penalties on their way to a 30-20 win on Thursday Night Football. The Vikings were coming off a heartbreaking, 31-29 loss to Detroit, and had to play L.A. on a short week. Teams that had played the Lions the week before often lost the following week, maybe giving some explanation to the Vikings performance four days later. And if you remember, the Vikings were on the short end of a missed facemask penalty that essentially ended Minnesota’s hopes of a comeback win on the road. Fast forward to Wild Card weekend, and Vikings fans are having Deja Vu. Headed west to play the Rams after a tough loss to Detroit the week prior. It’s October 24th all over again. The only difference is this game isn’t in LA, it’s in Glendale due to the California wildfires, and a loss in this game doesn’t just hurt your W/L percentage, it ends your whole season. But I actually think that playing the Lions last week will have the opposite effect on Sam Darnold and the Vikings than it has had on other teams all season long. Instead, I think Darnold will benefit from Week 18 against Detroit.
We haven’t seen Darnold have back-to-back poor performances this season, he has just found a way to persevere and bounce back. We have seen him have some very poor performances in wins, just look at his game against Jacksonville where he threw for 0 TD’s and 3 INT’s. Or the win against the Jets where he completed under 50% of his passes and had 0 TD’s and 1 INT. He isn’t prone to a bad game, but the most important thing to remember is that he followed those games up with equally as successful performances. The week after those 3 INT’s to Jacksonville he threw for 246 and 2 TD’s against Tennessee. It’s not about how many times you get knocked down, it’s about how you get back up and dust yourself off, and Darnold has been elite in that regard.
This is why I think we see a completely different performance tonight against the Rams than we did in October. The stakes are completely different, but they are also playing on almost double the rest that they were the last time around. There is also the aspect of the Rams having to play what was supposed to be a home game on the road. Because of the wildfires, the game was moved from L.A to Glendale, AZ, meaning both teams will be playing away from their home turf. Normally, a team not being able to play in front of their home crowd would play a huge factor, but the Rams don’t really have that problem. For whatever reason, Rams games are like home games for the opponents. Regularly you will see more of the opposing teams fans in the crowd than actual Rams fans. It is starting to become kind of a running joke to the point that fans will make this trip over any other just to help fuel the stereotype. So this will almost feel like a home game for the Vikings, which is another advantage leaning their way.
Tonight’s game just has to be high scoring. It has to be. Stand alone game with two electric offenses led by two of the smartest coaches in the league? This has 70+ points written all over it. The reason I feel this will be such a “points-fest” is because there are four receivers on the field who simply cannot be stopped; Rams’ Cupp and Nacua and the Viking’s Jefferson and Addison. They’re simply un-guardable and I fully expect all four of them to make an impact on tonight’s outcome. Even if the impact for two of the guys is taking the focus off the other two.
The one disadvantage I feel the Vikings have is the playoff experience at quarterback. Matthew Stafford has won a Super Bowl, Sam Darnold has never dreamt of playing postseason football until this year. You add the aspect that Sam Darnold might be playing for his future in Minnesota, and the pressure ratchets up a little bit. I would say that tonight is all about what Sam Darnold is really about. If Darnold truly is a franchise quarterback then tonight he comes into this game and dominates, throws for 250+ yards and a couple TD’s, and he gets his team to the divisional round. But, if this has all been a facade, then tonight will be a long night for Minnesota. But, like I said earlier, I think we get a different Darnold. I think he comes out comfortable and clicking with his receivers. Keep an eye out for Aaron Jones to have a sneaky good game, too. I think with as much of a threat as Jefferson and Addison are, the Rams might beg the Vikings to run the football. And if that’s the case, Jones might have himself a night. Kickoff is set for 7:00 PM CT on ESPN & ABC.
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