The Minnesota Vikings saw their incredible season come to a disastrous end in the playoffs. Although it was far from the first time that has happened in their franchise’s tortured history, it was definitely one of the most disappointing.
After a spectacular 14-3 regular season, the Vikings (and Sam Darnold) laid some eggs when it mattered most. First came a blowout in Detroit with the NFC North title and #1 seed in the NFC on the line. Then came a blowout loss to the Los Angeles Rams in a game that was even played at a neutral site in Arizona because of the ongoing California wildfires.
The Vikings were behind 27-3 in the third quarter. But after a touchdown and a stop, a comeback was still possible, even if it would have taken some divine intervention that would make the Minneapolis Miracle look tame by comparison.
However, it didn’t seem the Vikings were all that interested in making a comeback as they played out the string in the fourth quarter. With the ball trailing 27-9 midway through the final period, the Vikings were content to seemingly run out the clock with no sense of urgency whatsoever. And it was something that left ESPN’s Monday Night Football announcers Troy Aikman and Joe Buck completely baffled.
Sure, Sam Darnold was sacked NINE times by the Rams defense and looked like the New York Jets version that saw his stock tank into bust territory before his Minnesota renaissance. But running the play clock all the way down in the fourth quarter of a playoff game is a sad sight to see. Crazier things have happened in NFL playoff history! And you could tell by the joke that Joe Buck made and the commentary of Troy Aikman that the pair were disenchanted with the lack of effort and fight from the Vikings to get back into the game.
It was almost as if Kevin O’Connell and the Vikings were already looking ahead to next year and had already decided to move on before the game was even over. With Sam Darnold a free agent and first round pick J.J. McCarthy waiting in the wings, that may very well be the case.
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