The Minnesota Vikings were ousted from the NFL Playoffs last night being handled by the Los Angeles Rams 27-9.
From the opening drive, the Rams seemed to be on a mission, whether it was to silence the doubters thinking they would be one and done against a 14 win team, or playing for their city that was experiencing horrific wildfires that burned through the streets.
The Rams came out hot, scoring on their first two drives, as well as fielding a swarming defense that was consistently pressuring, and flustering Vikings Quarterback Sam Darnold.
Sam Darnold was the topic of conversation much throughout the game, with many wondering if he would shake the mini slump he was in after his performance against the Lions in Week 18, but the slump continued on. Darnold was seen multiple times, holding on to the ball for too long which led to sacks, taking unnecessary hits, and making ill advised throws, much like he did against Detroit the week before. Darnold finished the game 25/40 for 245 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception, as well as a fumble that led to a recovery and touchdown by the Rams defense.
Darnold wasn’t all to blame for the offensive performance, the Vikings offensive line gave up 9 Sacks to the Rams defense, a season high that wasn’t reached since Arizona sacked him 5 times in Week 13.
The major weapons for Sam Darnold weren’t much of a factor in the game as well, TJ Hockenson was the teams leading receiver with 5 catches and just 64 yards being the lone touchdown scorer. The dynamic duo of Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison were held in check for most of the game, combining for 8 catches for 87 yards and no scores.
The Viking defense was also sliced and diced throughout the game by Matthew Stafford and the Rams offense, only getting to Stafford twice, and not being able to force a turnover. Stafford finished the game going 19/27 for 209 yards, and 2 touchdowns with a QB Rating of 117.7. Tyler Higbee was the teams leading receiver with 5 catches for 58 yards. Kyren Williams, and Davis Allen were on the receiving ends of Stafford’s two touchdown passes.
The Los Angeles Rams with the win, will now travel Philadelphia to take on the Eagles for the Divisional Round, who are coming off their own defensive dominating win against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. Matthew Stafford will attempt to bring home one more Super Bowl title as his career begins to wind down.
Many questions will surround the Minnesota Vikings locker-room heading into the offseason however. The first and most importantly being, who will be the Vikings quarterback next year? Sam Darnold is set to be a free agent, but despite the playoff loss, lead this Vikings team to a 14 win season when the team was projected to win 8 or less. Will the Vikings bring him back to see if he can continue to build off this good season where he at one time was considered in the MVP conversation?
Another question looming will be the future of the current backups of the Minnesota Vikings, recently signed former New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, and rookie J.J. McCarthy. Jones was ousted from his spot in New York, while McCarthy was injured in the preseason and missed all of the 2024 regular season. Are the Vikings going to move off Sam Darnold, and install one of these two as their next signal caller? Both quarterbacks could also be used as trade bait for other teams looking for a quarterback to spark their offense next season.
Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores’ future is also in question, after the defensive showing the Vikings had through most of the season, some teams may be calling Flores to possibly give him another shot at head coaching. Flores was head coach of the Miami Dolphins for 3 years, totaling a record of 24-25.
Another season come and gone in Minnesota, but as their loyal fans always like to say, there’s always next year. #skol
Photo Credit: ESPN, The NFL, The Minnesota Vikings, The Los Angeles Rams
Comments