12 Snap Reactions after Vikings at Rams
Each week, we offer a “snap reactions” piece detailing thoughts and analysis after the latest Minnesota Vikings game.
12 Snap Reactions after Vikings at Rams
This will be off-the-cuff, a wee bit random, and hopefully insightful.
The Vikings lost on the road Thursday night to the Los Angeles Rams 30-20 and are owners of a 5-2 record after a sweet sprint to start the season.
1 — Most VikingsTerritory writers picked Minnesota to finish around 7-10 or 8-9 this season, and although the team probably won’t crumble that far, it feels closer to 7-10 or 8-9 than a true-blue Super Bowl contender.
2 — The Vikings survived-and-advanced at the Green Bay Packers in Week 4 and then survived-and-advanced in London in Week 5. After that, they lost to the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams. The trend is alarming, to say the least.
3 — Brian Flores’ defense could not generate any pass rush, even with the Rams’ offensive line as one of the NFL’s most lackluster. Allowing Matthew Stafford time to throw the rock will never end happily. What on earth happened to the ferocious pass rush from the first several games?
4 — Minnesota’s schedule over the next 4-6 weeks is extremely favorable and navigable, so that’s a perk for those expecting a resurgence. The hard part is totally over.
5 — Sam Darnold played well enough in Los Angeles for his team to win, but the defense simply disappeared. A similar outcome occurred last year when the Vikings lost at Cincinnati. And that defense never recovered. Brian Flores feels like a streaky shooter in the NBA.
6 — Justin Jefferson cooked — and cooked often — early in the game. But then the targets diminished, and the offense stalled. He’s pretty damn due for a monster game.
7— Sources tell VikingsTerritory that Christian Darrisaw will be okay, though he could miss time. He seems to have avoided a doomsday injury. Thank God.
8 — The Vikings probably weren’t going to win the game late in the 4th Quarter, but the NFL’s “replay assist” simply doing nothing on a blatant facemask was mind-boggling. Furthermore, the safety was a “scoring play,” and nobody in the NFL orbit could say, “Wait, we screwed up here.” It’s rare to find a play where every single human who saw it agreed that the no-call was egregious.
9 — The reporting about Puka Nacua on a “snap count” was a total falsehood. The guy was targeted 9 times and looked great. The Rams could be poised to go on a run inside a suddenly winnable NFC West.
10 — It’s pretty rare for Minnesota to have showcase zero interceptions and fumbles on offense and special teams … and lose. You can tell things are going poorly when that happens.
11 — The Rams were 3 for 3 in the redzone, while the Vikings were 2 for 4. Killer. The difference maker.
12 — Kevin O’Connell and friends better “figure it out” soon because they’ll be in last place in the NFC North within days if they do not. The division is that competitive.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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