The Minnesota Vikings lost another heartbreaker, this time to the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA. The Vikings now sit at 5-2 on the season, but their biggest loss from this game could be the injury that LT Christian Darrisaw suffered right before halftime.
Game Recap
This game started with a flurry of scoring from both offenses. It is the only game this season in which both offenses scored on both of their opening drives. With just over 10 minutes left in the second quarter, the game was tied 14-14. Both teams ended the second quarter with two punts before the Vikings ran the clock out. Unfortunately, on the first play of that drive, Christian Darrisaw suffered a leg injury from a Rams player falling into the back of his leg. He would not return to the field for the rest of the game.
Second Half
The second half started well enough for the Vikings, in that they ended the Rams’ first drive with an INT by CB Byron Murphy Jr. The Minnesota Vikings took advantage of that turnover and scored a field goal. On the Rams’ next drive, they went down the field 70 yards on eight plays to get another TD. This drive was capped off with a 25-yard passing touchdown from QB Matthew Stafford to WR Demarcus Robinson.
The Vikings’ Shaq Griffin had a defensive pass interference penalty on the play but the Rams declined the penalty and got the TD. The next offensive drive for the Minnesota Vikings was highlighted by a 25-yard catch by Aaron Jones. However, the Vikings were unable to find the endzone and settled for another field goal. This got the Vikings’ total to 20 while the Rams were sitting in the lead at 21. Unfortunately for the Vikings, that would be as close as they would get for the remainder of the game.
The Rams responded with another passing touchdown to Robinson on their following drive, to extend their lead to 28-20 over the Minnesota Vikings. Both teams followed up that drive with punts before the Vikings’ final play of the game. The first play of that drive was about as anticlimactic as it could be when Sam Darnold skipped a throw off of the ground in front of WR Jordan Addison. The second play involved a lot more drama and a very controversial call by the referees.
Controversy Overshadows Game
Darnold was running around in the backfield trying to find an open receiver before he got sacked in the endzone for a safety. The controversy comes in when you see how LB Byron Young was able to bring Darnold to the ground. They showed the replay many times and every time it became more obvious that Young should have been called for a facemask penalty and the Minnesota Vikings should have maintained possession of the ball with a new set of downs.
Since this was not a reviewable play, the Vikings could not do anything besides an onside kick on the following safety punt/kick. The onside kick failed as it was recovered by Rams’ RB Kyren Williams. Kyren Williams turned out to be the kryptonite for this Vikings’ defense as he tore them apart all night long. He finished the game with 23 carries for 97 yards to go along with five catches for 19 yards and a TD. The return of WR Cooper Kupp and WR Puka Nacua proved to be too much for the Minnesota Vikings as well. They finished the game with a total of 12 receptions for 157 yards and a TD.
Minnesota Vikings’ Future Outlook
This was another painful game to watch as a Vikings fan. The offense looked nearly unstoppable on their first two drives before ultimately stalling out the rest of the game. They had 14 points after their first two possessions, they only managed to get six more points on their seven other possessions.
Ultimately, Head Coach Kevin O’Connell should be able to right this ship before it starts sinking. It is concerning that Darrisaw could miss significant time with his leg injury. He was not able to put much if any weight on that leg as he walked off into the locker room.
It also seems as if the Detroit Lions have now created a blueprint for defeating this Vikings’ defensive scheme. They took advantage of the Vikings’ aggressiveness by employing screens as well as other quick-hitting passing plays. The Rams followed this same game plan and it ultimately earned them 28 points and 386 total yards as they dismantled this iteration of the Minnesota Vikings defense.
Hopefully, the Minnesota Vikings can take advantage of this mini-bye week that they have before their next game on November 3 against the Indianapolis Colts at U.S. Bank Stadium. So while this was another soul-crushing loss, the Minnesota Vikings still have lots to look forward to as they await the return of TE T.J. Hockenson, OL Dalton Risner, and LB Blake Cashman.
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