The LA wildfires have derailed the third game this week. After a Kings game and a Lakers game were shifted out of California, now the NFL has announced that the Vikings vs Rams Wild Card game will be played in Arizona.
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Monday night’s wild-card contest will be played at the home of the Arizona Cardinals, instead of southern California, as had been originally planned. Fans offered prayers for LA amid the ongoing crisis in the city.
Prayers up to California
— Relax Trumps Got This (@ChadCoo30346954) January 10, 2025
Pray for LA 🙏
— Vince (@vince_wtf) January 10, 2025
The change in plans also impacts the Rams’ home-field advantage, which upset plenty of fans.
Gavin Newscum just took the home field away from the Rams
Prayers and thoughts go out for everybody 🙏
— Buddy Boy Bets (@Buddyboybets) January 10, 2025
Rams should start the game up 3-0 since they lost home field advantage
— Terps Recruiting (@TerpRecruiting) January 10, 2025
Big benefit for the Vikings.
What do you think?
— Wealth Warrior (@WealthWarri0r) January 10, 2025
Several active wildfires in LA have devasted communities in the Los Angeles area, including Pacific Palisades and Altadena.
These fires have consumed nearly 30,000 acres amid a Santa Ana wind event, leading to evacuation orders for at least 130,000 residents. Tragically, the wildfires have resulted in at least five fatalities and the destruction of over 1,000 buildings.
The game was moved “in the interest of public safety,” the NFL said in a statement. “The decision was made in consultation with public officials, the participating clubs, and the NFLPA.”
The Rams had a planned off day on Wednesday and hence practice was not affected by the wildfires. However, the Los Angeles Chargers, who share SoFi Stadium and are heading to Houston for a wild-card game on Saturday, restricted players’ outdoor practice time due to poor air quality.
The Vikings vs. Rams Wild Card game’s time remains the same, kicking off at 8 p.m. ET.
