After being dominated by the Lions in the second half of their Sunday Night showdown, the Minnesota Vikings are set to travel to Los Angeles next Monday.
This is a bit of Deja Vu for Rams head coach Sean McVay and Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell, as the last time either man played in the Monday Night playoff slot was when both led the Rams to victory over Arizona in 2022. The Rams went on to win Super Bowl LVI, securing McVay's first title and O'Connell's move to Minnesota.
Now in 2025, they reunite in a rematch of the Rams' Week 8 30-20 victory over Minnesota on Thursday Night football. The game launched Los Angeles' journey to the playoffs. The win gave legitimacy back to the team after a 1-4 start, helping them win seven of the next 10.
Minnesota rebounded to finish the year 14-3 with their other losses being both to Detroit. Sam Darnold is the favorite to win Comeback Player of the Year while Justin Jefferson continues to build on a likely Hall of Fame career. Brian Flores' blitz-heavy defense has dominated opponents with Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel and Byron Murphy Jr earning Pro Bowl honors.
The rematch will be a chess match across the board, as both sides bring potent offenses with top-5 wide receivers and youthful defenses filled with underrated contributors. This matchup will come down to the Rams' ability to disrupt Sam Darnold's timing and the Vikings' ability to stop the run.
For Pro Bowler Jared Verse, Hall of Fame pass rushers make their names in the playoffs. The Florida State rookie earned his nomination by continually making plays in the backfield, using a deadly combination of power and speed to dominate alongside the Rams' new fearsome foursome.
For Matthew Stafford, his resume has him as a toss-up for the Hall of Fame. If he retired today, he might fall short of that honor. If he wins another Super Bowl, we're having an entirely different conversation. Not only is the season on the line, his legacy may be up for grabs as well.
Sam Darnold returns to his collegiate hometown to put a defining touch on what has been an incredible comeback story. That is the narrative the media will paint. It will be up to the Rams to rewrite the story, perhaps with a new headline about bringing another title to Los Angeles.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/rams/ as BREAKING: Rams Set to Play Minnesota Vikings in Wild Card Round.