Why the Rams vs. Cardinals Playoff Game Is Being Played Monday Night

The final contest of Super Wild Card Weekend will be held in Los Angeles on Monday night.

The NFL playoffs got off to a bit of an unconventional start Saturday, as the Bengals snapped a three-decade playoff drought and the Bills demolished Bill Belichick and the Patriots. The weekend will end in strange fashion as well. This year's playoffs will feature the first postseason Monday game in league history, with the Rams hosting the Cardinals at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. 

So why is the first round of the playoffs extending into Monday night? The three-day schedule is thanks to the NFL's expanded playoff field in 2022, in which each conference sends seven teams to the playoffs. With just one bye in each conference, there are a total of 12 teams playing during extended weekend, with two games Saturday, three Sunday and one Monday night. 

Super Wild Card Weekend to Include Monday Night Game Beginning with the 2021 Season https://t.co/OOB0NLuScd pic.twitter.com/dvsf8YDhEu

— NFL345 (@NFL345) September 24, 2021

The Sunday schedule looked more like a typical NFL slate. The Buccaneers and the Eagles kicked off at 1 p.m. while the Cowboys and 49ers follow at 4:30 p.m. The Steelers and the Chiefs wrap up the weekend when they face off at 8:15 p.m.