The Vikings are out of the NFL playoffs after a 27-9 blowout loss to the Rams in Monday’s Wild Card matchup, as Sam Darnold looked like the Darnold of old for a second straight week, dooming Minnesota and ending its 14-win campaign.
How did things go downhill so quickly for the Vikings, who went into their regular season finale riding high after a thrilling win over the rival Packers in which Darnold went off for 377 yards and three touchdowns? For Boomer Esiason, the season took a turn as soon as Darnold’s teammates hoisted the quarterback on their shoulders and celebrated in the locker room after that win over Green Bay.
“They celebrated like they had just won the Super Bowl when they beat the Packers in Week 17,” Boomer said. “They let their guard down.”
As for Darnold, Boomer believes these last two weeks may have washed away all the equity he had built for himself over the first 16 games of the season, and he could have gone from a team’s future franchise quarterback to returning to life as a backup, even after earning a Pro Bowl nod.
“What he did the last two games are just mind numbing…the quarterback has to get rid of the ball,” Boomer said. “He may have went from a five-year, $200 million contract to a one-year, $5 million contract.
“He may be back at the Drew Lock starting gate. That’s just the way it is.”