On Monday night, the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams will play in the biggest game of their season yet, a Wild Card matchup to kick off their 2025 NFL Playoffs. While it’s a rematch of a Week 8 bout when the Rams defeated the Vikings 30-20, that game was played in October. This time, it’s win or go home.
Before Monday night’s Vikings vs. Rams game kicks off, let’s look at six bold predictions for the final game of this weekend’s NFL Playoffs schedule.
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Minnesota Vikings vs. Los Angeles Rams Wild Card game details
The Minnesota Vikings vs. Los Angeles Rams game kicks off at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT on Monday night on ESPN/ABC/ESPN+. It is the final game on the Wild Card NFL Playoffs schedule. This is a road game for the Vikings, but it won’t take place at the Rams’ SoFi Stadium either due to the California wildfires. This could reduce the Rams’ home-field advantage, but how much remains to be seen with the game still being played at nearby State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
The 14-3 Vikings, who hold the fifth seed in the NFC, are 2.5-point favorites over the 10-7 Rams, who hold the fourth seed. With the game being played indoors, neither team will have to worry about the climate, which means we could see a high-scoring battle
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Matthew Stafford held to fewest passing yards in NFL playoff career
Matthew Stafford has only played in eight playoff games; five of them have come with the Los Angeles Rams. He’s had as many as 380 passing yards in an individual playoff game, but he’s also had a game with 202 (win) and 205 (loss) passing yards. After he lit the Vikings up for 279 yards and four touchdowns, chances are their top-five defense will be more prepared this time around.
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Sam Darnold gets 300 yards in first career playoff game
Sam Darnold has never participated in a playoff game. Now, he’ll be starting in one. Darnold was just 1-2 in primetime matchups this season, but this time he gets to face a defense he’s already been tested against this year. Two weeks removed from a career-high 377 passing yards, we’ll boldly predict Darnold crosses the 300-yard mark again, for the fourth time this season, which have all taken place after Nov. 23.
Justin Jefferson records 150 yards in memorable NFL Playoffs performance
Justin Jefferson has only participated in one playoff game in his NFL career. He was targeted nine times, hauling in seven receptions for 47 scoreless yards. There’s no way he’ll get shut down again. He did well in the Week 8 Rams game, recording 115 yards, so he already knows he can beat his opponent; now, he just needs to maximize those opportunities. If so, he could have a huge game, like 150 yards huge.
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Rams defense records two interceptions and four sacks
If there’s one thing the Rams can take advantage of, it’s Sam Darnold’s propensity to hold onto the football (averages 3.03 seconds to throw), and his tendency to commit turnover-worthy plays (3.6 percent, third-highest in NFL). This could spell easy sacks and interceptions for a Rams defense that will need to come up with answers against Kevin O’Connell’s offense.
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Rams kicker Joshua Karty misses two field goals
Rookie kickers are unpredictable, and this game features two of them. Rams kicker Joshua Karty has connected on just 85.3 percent of his field goal attempts and 88.9 percent of his extra point opportunities. That places him in the middle of the pack in the NFL, but half of those misses have come in the protected elements of SoFi Stadium. He’ll be inside again at State Farm Stadium, but Karty will also be playing in the biggest game of his career. If the Rams have to count on him in clutch situations, the 22-year-old might not come through consistently. We could even see him miss two kicks while his rookie opponent, Will Reichard, misses one for the Vikings, too.
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Vikings defense forces three turnovers
No defense forces turnovers like Brian Flores’ Vikings. Minnesota recorded an NFL-high 24 interceptions, which led to the most takeaways too (33). Flores generates a ton of pressure, not only by having a high blitz rate but also by creating a ton of confusion at the line of scrimmage. Whether it’s interceptions or fumbles, expect to see the Rams cough the ball up at least two times, but we’re going to go out on a limb and say there will be three Minnesota takeaways contributing to a Vikings victory.
- Minnesota Vikings vs. Los Angeles Rams prediction: Vikings 33, Rams 19
