Vikings' Wild Card blowout was bad, but the real crime was so much worse

Well, that didn't last long. Former disgraced New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones' second playoff stint ended as quickly as it began, as the Minnesota Vikings fell to the Los Angeles Rams 27-9. So much for Danny Dimes assisting the Vikings through a long playoff run.

The Vikings were completely overwhelmed, a performance that bordered on embarrassing. Sam Darnold spent the night running for his life behind an overwhelmed offensive line, getting sacked a playoff-record nine times.

Meanwhile, Matthew Stafford picked apart Minnesota’s defense, while rookie Jared Verse put the game on ice with a 57-yard scoop-and-score. It was a clinic in dominance by the Rams and a masterclass in disaster management by the Vikings.

Minnesota’s offense was stagnant, the defense was porous, and Darnold’s playoff debut was nothing short of a disaster. Heading into the game, rumors swirled that Daniel Jones—called up to the active roster before the game—might be an option if things got out of hand. But even as the Vikings floundered in every phase of the game, Kevin O’Connell left Jones glued to the bench, a curious choice given how desperate the situation became.

Kevin O'Connell and the Minnesota Vikings robbed football fans of the Daniel Jones experience

The Vikings elevated Jones to the active roster ahead of this matchup, likely to position themselves for a compensatory pick when he inevitably signs elsewhere in free agency. Yet, as the offense sputtered and Darnold hit the turf again and again, Jones remained sidelined, making his call-up feel more like a paperwork move than a genuine contingency plan.

What were the Vikings waiting for? A handwritten invitation from Roger Goodell? If ever there was a time to throw caution—and Jones—into the wind, it was Monday night. Instead, O’Connell stuck with Darnold, who completed 25 of 40 passes for 245 empty yards while losing 82 to sacks.

The Vikings didn’t just lose—they robbed us of the glorious spectacle of Daniel Jones potentially doing something—anything—to make this game interesting.

Sure, Jones might not have saved the day, but watching him scramble around and maybe uncork a deep ball would’ve been far more entertaining than whatever that was.

The Vikings’ refusal to give Jones a shot feels like a missed opportunity on multiple levels. Social media was already buzzing with Daniel Jones takes as the game unraveled. Fans clamored for the former Giants quarterback to get a shot, if only for the sheer entertainment value. Instead, O’Connell decided to ride out the disaster with Darnold, leaving us all to wonder: what could have been?

As the Darnold-led Vikings offense sputtered, the Rams piled on the humiliation. The only thing Minnesota managed to accomplish was setting themselves up for a long offseason filled with questions about their quarterback situation—and the missed opportunity of giving Jones a redemption shot in primetime.

Because let’s face it, if you’re going to flame out in the playoffs, at least go down swinging.

Give us the drama, the memes, and the chance to see Danny Dimes take the field one more time. But alas, we were left with a lot of sacks, a struggling quarterback, and zero entertainment from Minnesota’s sideline decisions.

As the Darnold-led Vikings' offense struggled to move the ball against the Rams defense, social media was popping off with Daniel Jones takes—which (as always) we were here for:

Call 9-1-1:

Even when Darnold had shape-shifted:

The people demand it:

Only one way to find out:

It's all about those reps:

It's tough when you're 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds:

Unfortunately, Giants fans, Vikings fans, and football fans were all denied the chaos and intrigue of the Danny Dimes experience. "Robbed" barely scratches the surface—it feels like a crime against football itself. We demand answers from Kevin O'Connell.

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