The final game of Wild Card weekend is currently underway. The Minnesota Vikings have travelled to Arizona to square off against the los Angeles Rams. Currently, the Rams lead the contest 17-3 in the second quarter. Still, it is safe to say that the Vikings are locked in for tonight's contest. ESPN's account caught Minnesota safety Josh Metellus hyping up his teammates before Monday night's Wild Card matchup versus Los Angeles.

“‘US OR THEM'🗣️ The Vikings are ready for the playoffs!” posted ESPN's official account on X, formerly Twitter.

The “us or them” mentality is the exact mindset that the Vikings need to have entering this game. It's already a tough set of circumstances, as the game had to be moved to Arizona due to the wildfires threatening the Rams' home of Los Angeles. Both teams are dealing with that move in addition to the do or die attitude they need to have to progress to the next round. The Philadelphia Eagles await the winner. Can Minnesota capture a win in a hostile environment in order to take a trip to what could be the toughest opposing venue in football? If Metellus and his words ring true, then they will have to do just that.

Vikings look to move on to Divisional Round

Minnesota Vikings safety Josh Metellus (44) tips a pass by Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) which was intercepted by Minnesota Vikings linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. (0) during the first half at Ford Field.
Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images

Head coach Kevin O'Connell has his team at a higher level this season, in a year where many fans and analysts wrote them off. Rookie quarterback JJ McCarthy was lost for the season during the preseason, and veteran Sam Darnold seized the starting role. He's taken the role by storm and now the Vikings have a genuine quarterback competition brewing in the near future. For tonight though, the focus has to be on what Darnold and the offense can do against Los Angeles.

They came short in last Sunday night's loss that gave the Detroit Lions both the top seed and the NFC North. So far tonight, they've come up short as well. There's still plenty of time left, including the rest of the first half and the entirety of the second half. The team just needs to wake up and remember the words of Metellus: “us or them.” If Minnesota treats tonight's game like it's for them, and not for the Rams, then perhaps next week's matchup against the Eagles could actually come to fruition.