The NFL has moved the final playoff game of Super Wildcard Weekend between the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams from wildfire-ravaged Southern California to the relative safety of the Arizona desert.
The league officially announced the move via social media on Thursday, January 9.
While the change doesn’t directly impact the Detroit Lions in the immediate, it could change the entire complexion of the NFC playoff bracket.
Detroit will host the winner of the Vikings-Rams contest in the Divisional Round next weekend if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No. 3 seed) hold court at home against the Washington Commanders (No. 6 seed) Sunday night. The Bucs opened as 2.5-point favorites, and that spread had moved to three points as of Sunday afternoon.
The Lions went 3-0 against the Vikings and Rams combined this season, with two wins over Minnesota and one victory over Los Angeles. However, the Vikings (14-3) were the better team throughout the course of the year based on overall record, despite losing to the Rams (10-7) on “Thursday Night Football” in Week 8.
Minnesota was also better down the stretch, winning nine of its last 10 outings. Meanwhile, the Rams’ offense has taken a nosedive since putting up 44 points in a win over the Buffalo Bills on Dec. 8.
While L.A. won three of its last four contests to end the year, star wide receiver Cooper Kupp all but disappeared with just 4 catches for 53 yards over that run (three games played). Quarterback Matthew Stafford threw for only 459 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception over the stretch (three games played), and the Rams offense averaged just a shade over 17 points across the last month of the season.
Minnesota opened as 2.5-point favorites against the Rams on the road, though the line move to just one point by mid-week, indicating more public faith in Los Angeles. However, the spread bumped back up to 2.5 points as of Sunday afternoon following the NFL’s announcement that the game was moving to a neutral site.
The circumstances of the relocation favor the Vikings, making a Minnesota victory more likely. That is unfavorable for Detroit if the Bucs win Sunday, as the Lions will then have to beat the same team (Minnesota) three times over a 20-week stretch.
The Vikings are arguably the second-best team in the NFC and held the longest active win streak in the NFL until Detroit handed defeated them last weekend. And while the Lions would still be favored to best Minnesota in the Divisional Round, it’s hard to argue that wouldn’t be the worst-case scenario for Detroit as it attempts its first Super Bowl run in franchise history.
