Vikings-Rams playoff game moved to Arizona
Days before the Los Angeles Rams host the Minnesota Vikings in the wildcard playoff round on Monday night, the location for the game has shifted to Arizona to play at Glendale State Farm Stadium.
The NFL’s decision to move the game to the Arizona Cardinals’ home field comes due to the ongoing numerous wildfires in the Los Angeles County area in the interest of public safety.
The league had voiced earlier this week that this was a possibility but only decided on Thursday after the continued increase in wildfires that have caused significant damage.
A few hours before that move, a fire started in a location several miles away from the Rams’ training complex in Woodland Hills, resulting in the organization canceling its scheduled player media availability.
It isn’t the first time the Rams had a game relocated, as their 2018 game against the Kansas City Chiefs was moved from Mexico City to Los Angeles due to concerns regarding the playing surface at Azteca Stadium.
Head coach Sean McVay believes that experience should help his coaching staff and players prepare for this scenario.
“You acknowledge these things, but you also want to make sure that how you can control making sure that you’re doing the right things is preparing accordingly, while also being mindful that this is bigger than football,” McVay said via ESPN. “If people you’re directly involved with are affected, you’re making sure you’re tending to that first.”
The NFL previously relocated other games due to circumstances similar to the 2003 regular-season game between the then-San Diego Chargers and Miami Dolphins, which was moved from San Diego to Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona, in response to the wildfires in Southern California.
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Tickets for Monday’s game in Arizona are expected to go on sale on Friday morning.
