Sam Darnold, Brian Flores, and multiple talent voids cost the Vikings in their brutal wild card loss vs. Rams
The season is over for the Minnesota Vikings. They came into Glendale, Arizona with hopes of winning a playoff game for the first time under Kevin O'Connell, but that didn't come to fruition with a 27-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. It was a tough game to watch, as the Vikings continuously shot themselves […]
The season is over for the Minnesota Vikings.
They came into Glendale, Arizona with hopes of winning a playoff game for the first time under Kevin O'Connell, but that didn't come to fruition with a 27-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. It was a tough game to watch, as the Vikings continuously shot themselves in the foot.
Normally, this is the time for the studs and duds column, but there aren't any studs from this performance, just duds, as the entire team was a failure on Monday night.
Dud: QB Sam Darnold
Where do we begin with Sam Darnold? Against the Detroit Lions, he used good process throughout the night in finding the right receiver to throw to. There was consistency in that area against the Lions with the hope that it would revert back to the mean like it had all season.
Well, it didn't quite get there. The first half saw Darnold take six sacks, throw an interception, and fumbled the ball that turned into a scoop-and-score by Jared Verse. It just didn't feel like it was Darnold's night for a multitude of reasons, some of which he could have easily avoided.
Dud: Offensive line
The first game with these two teams saw the Vikings lose their star left tackle Christian Darrisaw at the end of the first half with a torn ACL and MCL. A few days later, the Vikings struck a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars to acquire Cam Robinson to stabilize the offensive line. Now, it did work for a while, but the loss of Darrisaw is showed itself in a big way.
The offensive line did Darnold zero favors on Monday night and everything that Darnold did to try and avoid the pressure didn't seem to work. The pocket was collapsing from all sides, hindering Darnold's ability to slide into the open gap, along with the Vikings' failure to consistently pick up the blitz. Along with that, they allowed an NFL-record nine sacks in a playoff game. Getting Darrisaw back is going to be a huge factor in the growth of the unit next year, but getting an upgrade on the interior should be a priority this offseason.
Dud: DC Brian Flores
After the week eight game against the Rams, the path to losing this game was simple: come out doing the same things on defense. Well, that's exactly what Flores did initially. They came out sending five or six rushers, not getting home and Stafford eviscerated the blitz early on by starting 11-11 through the air.
They started to settle in after the half, but that was only after they allowed another touchdown in a two-minute situation. By the time they figured things out, it was already too late. Coming out with that gameplan was brutal from the Vikings, whose talent gap showed out in a big way.
Dud: Talent gap
The Vikings didn't have the most talented team all season. There were obvious talent gaps on the roster and they didn't end up mattering much at all this year. At times, they came into focus, but the Vikings were able to overcome it all season.
That wasn't the case on Monday night. They were in a rough spot all night long, especially on the offensive line. The loss of Christian Darrisaw ended up costing them in a major way. The line allowed an NFL playoff record nine sacks on the night, which was the main reason they lost.
Along with the line, the defense not having anyone who can generate pressure on the quarterback from the interior ended up being a major factor as well. When they couldn't get pressure, their cornerbacks needed to hold up in coverage, which is another talent gap that the Vikings have. This offseason can be a major help to all of these positions, and it should be.