The NFL has moved Monday night time’s wild-card sport between the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
The sport was initially scheduled to be play at SoFi Stadium, the house of the No. 4 seed Rams, however as a result of devastating wildfires which might be ravaging the world, in addition to the diminished air high quality within the space, the NFL needed to make the choice on Thursday night time to discover a Plan B for the sport.
State Farm Stadium is the house stadium for the Arizona Cardinals, so the Rams do have some familiarity with enjoying there provided that they’re division rivals.
It’s the proper name.
Whereas it may be irritating for the Rams to lose their home-field benefit and switch the sport right into a impartial subject state of affairs, there are extra necessary issues for the town of Los Angeles to be specializing in and focusing its assets on.
Proper up till the official announcement from the NFL, the Rams had been nonetheless making ready as if the sport was going to be performed in Los Angeles, with head coach Sean McVay saying that they had the “full expectation” of still playing at SoFI Stadium.
By making the choice on Thursday it provides each groups, in addition to ESPN/ABC, loads of time to make essential preparations for the sport.
Rams season ticket holders will nonetheless have the primary alternative to purchase tickets for Monday’s sport, nevertheless it stays to be seen what number of will make the journey, or have the ability to make the journey.
There’s a very actual risk that this might flip into extra of a Vikings house sport given how effectively their followers are inclined to journey and the way giant their fan base is.
The Rams, winners of the NFC West, have the No. 4 seed within the NFC playoffs with a 10-7 file. The Vikings, the No. 5 seed and high wild-card seed within the NFC, have a 14-3 file which is among the greatest within the NFL, however as a result of they didn’t win their division they should go on the street to open the playoffs.
