worldwide ramsDoug Nelson Overview: While the Rams-Vikings rivalry isn't what it used to be, it brings back a flood of memories for long-time Ram fans. In the playoffs, December/January trips to Minnesota to play challenging, physical games in the old Metropolitan Stadium, usually in freezing weather watching Alan Page, Roman Gabriel, Jack Youngblood, and Chuck Foreman. It all brings back many memories of a rougher, more challenging time in the N.F.L. When football was football, and a concussion was a "headache." Sadly, for Rams fans, the Minnesota Vikings, then known informally as the "Purple People Eaters" {when is that last time you heard them called that?} usually won these games when it mattered. But there haven't been all that many of these matchups that meant much in recent years. The two teams haven't met in the playoffs since the 1999 shootout won by the Los Angeles Rams. Since then, when they met in the regular season, it was usually a tame, meaningless, vanilla-flavored affair in a domed stadium. With at least one of the teams mired in mediocrity and not much on the line. In the last 20 years, it's hard to think of a matchup when both teams were playoff contenders, and the game meant something. Welcome the late December 2021 and a Rams Vikings game that matters again. It almost FEELS like a playoff game-- And for Minnesota, it almost is. A loss won't eliminate the Vikings from playoff contention, but it will put their season on life support. The Rams will likely make the playoffs either way, but if they have any hope of taking the N.F.C. West title, they had better win this game. So, let's take a look at how these teams match up. Rams Offense vs. Vikings Defense: This is the side of the ball where the Vikings have struggled so far this season. The Vikings are 30th in the N.F.L. in yards per game, giving up an average of just over 380 yards. Only the Seattle Seahawks and the New York Jets rank lower than them. They are 29th in passing yards, surrendered on average at a little over 250. They aren't excellent at stopping the run either, coming in 27th in that category. In one battle with wide receiver Cooper Kupp versus Vikings corner Alexander McKenzie, the Rams have the upper hand. Does anyone think McKenzie can win this battle one-on-one? The Vikings probably don't either, which is why they will likely ask either Pro-Bowl Safety Harrison Smith or corner Xavier Woods to help out, especially in deeper coverage. Even so, Kupp hasn't been shut down all season, and we don't expect it will happen on Sunday. The Vikings have Patrick Peterson, the former Cardinal cornerback, but this isn't Patrick Peterson five years ago. He's still a heady veteran, though, and he knows the Rams offense from his days in Arizona. He will probably see a lot of Odell Beckham Jr. OBJ is growing steadily more familiar with the Rams offense, and while he didn't do a lot against the Seahawks on Tuesday night, he had scored touchdowns in the three previous games. He could be a factor here. We're going to play a hunch and say that Rams wideout Van Jefferson could have a big game. We're not sure that Minnesota has enough depth in the secondary to cover Kupp and OBJ and still control Jefferson, a quality number three receiver. The Rams like to take their shots downfield with Jefferson, and if he can haul in a couple of big catches, it will significantly help the L.A. offense in this game. While the Viking's secondary is not "all that," they can get after the quarterback, leading the league in sacks. The Rams O-line has been excellent most of the year, but they gave up four sacks on Tuesday against a Seahawks team that generally doesn't excel in pressuring the quarterback. The good news for the Rams is that right tackle Rob Havenstein has been activated for this game. Bobby Evans, the third-stringer, started against the Seahawks. We aren't going to say the Rams pass-protection issues in that game were all because of Evans—they weren't. But there is a reason why Havenstein is the starter here, and getting him back is good news. The other good news for the Rams is the return of Tyler Higbee at tight end. Higbee is a competent blocker and an outstanding receiver. If the Vikings pass rush does start to pressure Stafford, he could come into play as a safety valve for Matthew Stafford. The other thing worth mentioning for the Rams is the recent emergence of Sony Michel as a legitimate running threat. He rushed for 90 yards against the Seahawks the other night, and Coach Sean McVay seems to be making a sincere effort to run a balanced offense. That wasn't always the case early in the season. Update: As this was written, it announced that left tackle Andrew Whitworth was placed on the COVID-19 list, likely meaning he will not be eligible for this game. That's terrible news for the Rams, primarily as his backup, Joseph Noteboom, remained on the COVID list at last report. We'll still check this box for the Rams, but this is potentially awful news for the Rams in this game if Noteboom does not return. EDGE: RAMS Vikings Offense vs. Rams Defense: Speaking of COVID-19, the Vikings will be without one of their significant playmakers, running back Dalvin Cook. Cook is an explosive runner named the N.F.C. starter at his position for the Pro Bowl. The Vikings are fortunate to have a very competent backup in Alexander Mattison. Mattison lack's Cook's explosiveness, but he is a powerful downhill runner who can pick up the tough yards between the tackles. Mattison would likely start for about half of the teams, so while Cook's loss does matter, it isn't necessarily a backbreaker for the Vikings. The Vikings will also be without center Mason Cole, while his opposite for the Rams, nose tackle Greg Gaines, is listed as questionable. This season, Gaines has been a real surprise for the Rams, filling in for Sebastion Joseph Day well enough so that the Rams defense hasn't missed a beat. The Rams hope he can go on Sunday. The marquee matchup on this side of the ball is Rams corner Jalen Ramsey versus Vikings wideout Justin Jefferson. We think Cooper Kupp is the best receiver in the N.F.L. right now, but Jefferson is undoubtedly not far down on the list. Ramsey made several critical plays in the Rams win over Seattle on Tuesday. He's probably the best corner in the league right now; he certainly is on the N.F.C. (some might argue for the Patriot's JC Jackson or the Bills. Tradevious White, who is currently injured, of the A.F.C.). The battle of Ramsey versus Jefferson is as good as you will see this season and worth the price of admission by itself. Aaron Donald is still the best overall defender in the N.F.L., and the Viking's loss of their starting center does not help Minnesota's chances in this game. If you look at his sack totals and see the number 11, you might think he's, well, pretty good. But if you have watched the games this season, you know those numbers don't tell the story. Whether it is tying up 2-3 blockers, tipping passes to cause interceptions, or tackling runners on either side of the line of scrimmage, A.D. is a force of nature. The Vikings don't necessarily have a tremendous offensive line even without Cole's injury. Pro Football Focus recently rated them 24th in the N.F.L. Containing AD, Leonard Floyd, Von Miller [who got his first sack as a Ram on Tuesday] will be asking a lot. Cook was a significant threat catching the ball out of the backfield, so his absence could hurt in that regard. Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins is having a great year statistically. But he has never been able to shake the "can't win the big one" label. On Sunday, he will get a chance to at least put a dent in it. Edge: Rams Special Teams: Did we mention the Rams' Matt Gay is the N.F.C. Pro Bowl kicker and honor that is well-deserved. He gets the edge over Minnesota's Greg Joseph in that department. Sadly, the same can't be said of Ram's special teams as a whole. They've been a problem all season, and while there has been some improvement, they still are not good. Minnesota's are certainly above average. We'll leave it at that. Edge: Vikings Coaching: The Vikings Mike Zimmer is considered a defensive mastermind, but that hasn't been reflected on the field this season.
Sean McVay is still one of the top coaches in the league. You can criticize him for getting overly pass-happy at times or for making seemingly dumb decisions, like going for it on fourth down from his own 30 early in a game recently. Nobody is perfect, but there aren't many teams who wouldn't hire Sean McVay to lead their teams if he was available. His coaching tree is pretty good at this point, with former Rams assistants with the Bengals, Packers, and Chargers all in the playoffs or knocking on the door. The fact that he keeps losing coaches of that quality and still has his team in the hunt for a Super Bowl tells you a lot. Edge: Rams Final Prediction: The toll COVID-19 takes on this game makes predicting an outcome dicey. We could still have more additions or subtractions to these rosters by kickoff on Sunday, for all we know. Ram's loss of Andrew Whitworth may not be a massive deal if Joseph Noteboom is available to fill in, but it could be a huge deal if that happens. The Viking's loss of Cook and Cole is likewise hard to gauge. We like Mattison as a running back, but when you come right down to it, there is a reason why starters are starters, and Dalvin Cook is an elite back. The Vikings, meanwhile, could easily be 11-3, but they keep losing games in the final seconds [including a head-scratching loss to the Detroit Lions]. Is that bad luck or an inability to perform under pressure? Or maybe a little of both? The Rams are favored by 2.5. We'll say: Rams 30 Vikings 27
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