INGLEWOOD, Calif. — In the wake of the Minnesota Vikings’ 30-20 defeat to the Los Angeles Rams, quarterback Sam Darnold chose to focus on the team’s performance rather than the officiating, specifically regarding a controversial missed face mask call during a critical moment late in the fourth quarter. Rather than sulking over the incident, Darnold expressed disappointment about the circumstances that led to the Vikings being in a difficult position.
“The missed facemask call is inconsequential. We could have taken measures to avoid that situation entirely,” Darnold stated. “We need to improve our gameplay and prevent ourselves from falling into such predicaments.”
With just under two minutes left in the game, the Vikings received the ball at their own 5-yard line after Rams punter Ethan Evans executed a 41-yard punt that went out of bounds. Darnold struggled to connect with wide receiver Jordan Addison on the first play. On the next attempt, he had a few moments with a clean pocket, but was subsequently tackled for a safety by Byron Young, who managed to get past left guard Blake Brandel, effectively sealing the game’s outcome for Minnesota.
Referee Tra Blake shed light on the officiating crew’s inability to call the penalty, stating that both he and the umpire, Carl Paganelli, did not have an unobstructed view of the action. He noted that the crew had reviewed the play after the Vikings cited Young’s infraction but none of the officials could definitively see the facemask being pulled.
“From my angle, I didn’t have a clear view of it. The umpire also had players obstructing his line of sight to the quarterback, which made it challenging for both of us,” Blake explained. “Without a clear sight, we felt unable to make the call.”
Head coach Kevin O’Connell acknowledged that it appeared Young did indeed make contact with the facemask, yet he was adamant that the officiating shouldn’t be cited as a reason for Minnesota’s lackluster performance, especially following their second defeat within five days.
“I reminded the team that seeking solace in officiating won’t be our approach moving forward,” O’Connell commented. “While it did seem he made some contact with the facemask, it ultimately came down to their judgement not to throw the flag.”
Had Young been flagged, the Vikings would have gained a first down at their own 20-yard line but faced the additional burden of no timeouts left and the need for a touchdown and a two-point conversion just to force overtime.
More pressing for O’Connell is the health of left tackle Christian Darrisaw, who sustained a left knee injury during the latter part of the first half. Darrisaw was injured while blocking for running back Aaron Jones, following a side hit from Rams safety Jaylen McCollough, who lost his footing during a diving attempt to tackle Jones.
Darrisaw’s injury meant that David Quessenberry stepped in as his replacement for the remainder of the game. After the final whistle, Darrisaw was seen leaving the locker room on crutches. “We’ll study his situation closely here and on Friday, hoping for positive updates,” O’Connell said.
After a strong start with five consecutive victories, Minnesota is now staggered with two back-to-back losses, including a narrow 31-29 setback against Detroit just last Sunday. The Lions now take the lead in the fiercely competitive NFC North, closely pursued by Green Bay and Chicago.
“The upcoming mini bye week will provide us with a chance to recuperate and assess our performance,” Darnold declared. “We must hone the details and focus on the small things we can control. If we can nail those down, I have full faith that we can be a formidable offense and team.”