FULL BOX SCORE

1. The Rams’ defense dominates the Vikings’ strong offense. Minnesota entered Monday night’s game with the NFL’s sixth-ranked passing offense, ninth-ranked scoring offense and an elite receiver duo Justin Jefferson And Jordan Addison. They finished the game with 163 passing yards, 6 for 17 on third down and just nine points. Los Angeles developed a masterful defensive game plan for the return game with the Vikings and limited Sam Darnold with man coverage (he finished 4 of 12 for 64 yards, a touchdown and an interception against man coverage) and confounded him with a variety of pressures created by their excellent defensive front and defensive backs. Eight Rams registered at least half a sack Monday night, two of which were recorded by defensive backs. With the second complicating the picture for Darnold, the Rams rushers had free rein to chase the uncertain quarterback, forcing two turnovers in the process. The second – a forced fumble Ahkello Witherspoon and recovered by the rookie Pro Bowler Jared versethat returned the favor for a touchdown — felt like a crucial blow, even if it came in the first half. As we eventually learned, Minnesota lacked the ability to overcome defensive coordinator Chris Shula’s schemes, which worked almost perfectly and resulted in a resounding win for the Rams, who added two more turnovers to their plus-eight lead and their 10th since their bye week recorded wins in 13 games.
2. Minnesota’s magical season ends with a bang. The Vikings won 14 games in 2024 with a nice mix of explosive offense and a hyper-aggressive, opportunistic defense that combined to produce one of the NFL’s top regular-season contenders. They looked nothing like this club on Monday night. Aside from a touchdown drive in the third quarter, the Vikings offense never really found a rhythm in this game. They scored just nine points for the second straight game and fell short in the playoffs for the second time under coach Kevin O’Hill. Connell. Their defense – which ranked in the top five in takeaways and sacks – failed to limit the Rams’ offense in the first half, allowing Los Angeles to split them up with an emphatic opening drive and produce quickly on a short field another touchdown before halftime and went into the break 24-3. Minnesota’s defense was able to prevent the Rams from significantly increasing their lead in the second half, but even after forcing three straight punts between the third and fourth quarters, Minnesota’s offense continued to falter. Overall, it was an incredibly disappointing performance from a team that many consider to be one of the NFC’s postseason heavyweights, and it will draw some criticism as the Vikings now head into the offseason with little to show for themselves outside of a wild card berth. Berth.
3. Darnold ends the season after two difficult games. By the start of week 18, almost everyone was spending the same amount of time talking about it Sam Darnold‘s rising value on the open market as they discussed the Lions-Vikings game to determine the NFC North and the winner of the NFC’s top seed. Eight days later, Darnold’s stock went into free fall. After a tremendous performance in Minnesota’s loss to Detroit, things got even tougher for him Monday night in Arizona. Like most of 2024, Darnold held the ball longer than the 2.5-second mark for a quarterback’s internal clock. Instead of leading to big games, it spelled doom for him and the Vikings. Returning to the form the NFL knew from his time with the Jets and Panthers, Darnold buckled under pressure from a relentless Rams defense that refused to give receivers free rein and was happy to chase the hesitant quarterback. The overall results were triumphant for the Rams and devastating for Darnold, who went 25 of 40 for 245 yards, one touchdown, one interception, one lost fumble and nine sacks. The tape was much, much worse than these numbers. Minnesota’s offense lacked competitive spirit all night and essentially conceded defeat in the final six minutes of the game, taking time between plays without ever threatening the Rams’ lead. Darnold, meanwhile, left the field looking confused and in need of answers on a night that significantly tarnished the goodwill he had built up in the career year of 2024. They were only two games, but they were the biggest contests of the year and Darnold flopped in both cases. It will be difficult to make a case for Minnesota spending to keep him in 2025.
4. Stafford overcomes the crisis with a great victory. Matthew Stafford entered Wild Card Weekend having had three straight games with fewer than 200 passing yards. His Rams had won all three games, but he had thrown just one passing touchdown since Week 15, experiencing a precipitous decline after a red-hot streak of 10 touchdown passes in Weeks 11-14. Some wondered if Stafford had lost his touch and was nearing the end of his Rams career, but the veteran quarterback ignored those concerns and surpassed his passing average from the aforementioned three games (153 yards per game) with 154 yards in the first alone Half. He threw two sharp touchdown passes across his body Kyren Williams for the first score and firing a bullet into the tight end Davis Allen for their second offensive touchdown before halftime. With a sizable lead, the Rams went to a run-first approach in the final two quarters, but Stafford had already accomplished enough and proved his point by executing Sean McVay’s game plan brilliantly and leading his team to victory. Those who were worried about his performance will be much calmer after this performance, even though he only had to do most of his work in the first two quarters.
5. Rams play inspired ball and roll to meaningful victory. While the location of the game and the performances weren’t clear enough before the game, we quickly learned that the Rams were after more than just a chance to advance to the divisional round. From the first possession, Los Angeles went all out, covering 70 yards on seven plays – including a successful rush against the Vikings on fourth-and-1 to gain a first down – and capped the drive with a touchdown pass by Stafford Williams. By halftime, the Rams had built a 24-3 lead through complementary football and were proving to be the hungrier team. For what was supposed to be a home game at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, but postponed because of the raging wildfires in Southern California, the crowd at State Farm Stadium appeared to be split nearly 50-50 between Rams and Vikings fans, resulting in a bowl similar college football environment in suburban Phoenix. None of that mattered to the Rams, they took control of this game from the start and never let it out of their hands. When Braden Fiske teamed up with Mike Hoecht To sack Darnold in the fourth quarter, he made an interlocking “LA” with his fingers. It wasn’t just because he had performed a key piece, but also because it was a sign that the city they call home was anchored in their hearts throughout the night. They played like that and will travel to Philadelphia next week with the same goal: victory for their city.

Next-generation stats insight from the Vikings-Rams (via NFL Pro): Jared Verse reached a top speed of 19.88 mph during his fumble recovery and return for a touchdown, the fastest speed recorded by a 260-plus pound ball carrier in the last seven seasons.

NFL Research: After posting a 106.4 passer rating in Weeks 1-17, Sam Darnold posted a rating of just 66.4 in his final two games, both losses for the Vikings.