GLENDALE, Ariz. — Sam Darnold and the Minnesota Vikings were mired in a miserable moment, badly failing a legitimacy test on the national stage. And yet, with just under 13 minutes remaining in Monday night’s first-round playoff clash with the Los Ange ...

Football' match was moved from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood to State Farm Stadium in Arizona due to the wildfires.

And yet, if we can crown Darnold for his hand in shepherding the Vikings' attack from September through December, we can also identify his hand as the one that helped firmly drag Minnesota back to Earth and, ultimately, out of the playoffs in January.

The Rams defense hounded quarterback Sam Darnold, who saw a career renaissance in Minnesota after drifting around the league as a backup. Darnold was sacked nine times, finishing the game 25-of-40 for 245 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

Sam Darnold’s offseason outlook will look entirely different after back-to-back brutal performances in high-pressure situations ended the Vikings’ season with a dud, Troy Aikman opined Monday night. Darnold completed 25-of-40 passes for 245 yards,