The Vikings were red hot on offense and the Detroit Lions defense allowed 30+ points going in three of their last four games. However, they brought back linebacker Alex Anzalone for this game against the Vikings. With his return, it felt like his presence just changed the way the Lions defense was going to play on Sunday night.

But against the Vikings – and with a key player in linebacker Alex Anzalone back from injury – the Lions defense looked as good as it has all season. Minnesota’s 142 passing yards were its lowest of the season as it was held to single-digit scoring for the first time all year.

Lions Rout Vikings, Take No. 1 Seed In NFC

The Minnesota Vikings face the Detroit Lions this week on Sunday Night Football. The winner takes the NFC's No. 1 seed. Live coverage begins at 7 PM ET on NBC and Peacock.

The Vikings are a great team, but there are several reasons for the Rams to feel good about this wild-card matchup

The Los Angeles Rams host the Minnesota Vikings in the opening round of the 2025 NFL playoffs. The Rams earned the No. 4 seed in the NFC as the champions of the NFC West while the Minnesota Vikings qualified for the postseason as a wild card and the No.

The Los Angeles Rams are going back to the playoffs for a second straight season and a fourth time in five seasons. After winning the NFC West, the Rams are looking to make a deeper postseason run this time around after losing in the wild-card round to the Lions last season.