Vikings fall to Lions, 31-9, in season finale. 5-Seed Vikings will play 4-Seed Rams in first round of the playoffs! #SKOL
In the biggest season finale game in NFL history, the Lions outlasted the Vikings 31-9. The Lions finished 15-2 and have the number 1 seed going into the playoffs, while the Vikings finish 14-3 and have to hit the road as the number 5 seed in the playoffs. It was a tough way to end the regular season, but the Vikings had their opportunities and simply got out-coached.
I have seen way too many people putting the majority of the blame on Sam Darnold, and I think that's too shallow of a recap in this game. Yes, Darnold was clearly playing with nerves and not connecting on his usual passes, but what I saw was Kevin O'Connell getting completely out-coached by Dan Campbell right from the start. There were three major points that led to this Vikings loss.
1) The Lions won this game before it even started. It was clear that Kevin O'Connell decided to play the Lions style of game, instead of our own game. The Vikings went for it on 4th down and 4th and goal the least amount of times in the NFL this season. Instead of playing our game, O'Connell decided to continually go for it on 4th down rather than taking the points. When he fell into the Lions trap, it was game over. This game by O'Connell makes me very nervous heading into the playoffs.
2) Sam Darnold has been one of the best QB's in the NFL this season, but he was clearly off his game against the Lions. Rather than noticing that and making adjustments, like the entire state of Minnesota saw, KOC kept on calling the same old plays and forcing what everyone knew was going to continually fail. He kept calling plays that sent receivers on long-developing routes when Sam and the offensive line clearly didn't have the time to keep playing like that. The Lions were sending blitzes all night. What kind of pass plays do you call when a defense is sending pressure? Screen passes, slant routes, short in routes, comeback/curl routes, etc. KOC needs to figure this out asap or this season is going to be over quickly.
3) COMMIT TO THE RUN! KOC is addicted to passing the ball and as the games get bigger and you get to playoff time, you have to be able to run the ball. This isn't a problem with the line or the ball carriers. We have seen this issue in all three season under KOC. We averaged almost 6.5 yards per carry against the Lions, but didn't run the ball consistently enough to win on Sunday. After Cam Akers had a 58 yard run to the 5-yard line, KOC left Akers in to run up the middle only to get stuffed. It was almost like KOC used that as a reason to stop running because between that possession and the next possession we had the ball inside the 5-10 yard line and decided to pass on the next 7 straight plays, resulting in 0 points. This is not how you win a game. Mix in runs and play action and we will score some touchdowns.
The Vikings likely would have won this game had they adjusted to a short passing game and committed more to running the football. If you watch how all of the teams are winning the early playoff games, they are running the ball and having success in the short passing game. It was still a heck of a regular season and the Minnesota Vikings are 14-3 and one of the best teams in the NFL.
The first round of the playoffs will feature the 14-3 Minnesota Vikings against the 10-7 Los Angeles Rams on Monday night in Arizona, due to the wildfires in Los Angeles. Earlier in the season, the Rams beat the Vikings on a short week, 30-20. The Rams were able to deploy a short passing game and running attack in order to counter the Vikings high blitz rate...sound familiar? This allowed Matthew Stafford to go the full game without being sacked. The Vikings are the better team in just about every metric. The Vikings hold a +100 point differential, while the Rams finished the season a -19. The Vikings also have the better offense and defense. This would be a disappointing end to the season if the Vikings can't find a way to win. I predict a 27-24 Vikings win. The Vikings need to sack Stafford multiple times, win the turnover battle, and call balanced plays on offense (run the ball, short passes, play action, set up the deep passes, etc.). Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford have won a Super Bowl together, so it won't be an easy win. We also know that the NFL is an entertainment business, just like the WWE...with the fact that the other LA team already lost, don't be surprised if the Rams get some calls due to the fires going on in LA. We saw something similar after Hurricane Katrina and the NFL making sure the Saints went the distance for the city of New Orleans. I'm not making excuses, just laying out facts and reminding everyone that this is an entertainment business that doesn't always have the better team win if a "better script" is available. Hopefully the Vikings can keep this magical season going as they absolutely have the roster to win the Super Bowl. Let's go, Vikings!
My girlfriend, Lauren, says "I think it's good news for the Vikings that the game was moved to Arizona. There are a lot of Minnesota snowbird Vikings fans down there that might make it feel like a home playoff game." Great point, Lauren!
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