The Los Angeles Rams will play the NFC North Minnesota Vikings in the opening round of the NFL Playoffs at State Farm Stadium on Monday Night.
The Rams finished off the season with a 10-7 record, while the Vikings come into the matchup with a 14-3 record. Both teams have had great seasons, and they played each other back in Week 8 of the season, with the Rams coming out on top.
Predictions for the matchup seem to be split in the middle. The Rams come into the playoffs as one of the hottest teams in the NFL. And the Vikings have had a great season. They are back in the playoffs and are looking to knock out the Rams.
One advantage that the Rams have is the veteran presence that is on the offensive side of the ball. Head coach Sean McVay and quarterback Matthew Stafford are one of the best duos in the league. They have won a Super Bowl together before and know what it takes to win games to get back there.
With the game expected to be a good close matchup, the preparation leading up to it will be a major factor and can potentially be the difference for both teams.
“Yeah, that's a huge part of it," said Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford. "That's a huge part of it every single week. There are multiple in their looks, both in the fronts and the coverages that they present. Personnel groupings or whatever it is, they do a nice job of mixing it up and making the quarterback the center of the whole team on offense to really be on the same page. They do a really nice job of not making too many mistakes when it comes to busting a coverage or anything. They do a lot. You can tell they're really well-coached. I have a lot of respect for them as a team, as a defense, and as a playcaller.”
Both teams will have to execute their game plan in order to win this game. The team with fewer mistakes will likely come out on top. Stafford will lead the way for the Rams and if he can have a good game it is going to be hard for the Vikings to overcome that on Monday Night.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/rams/ as Rams Preparation Will Loom Large in Wild Card Game Against Vikings.