Thus, Vikings fans entered Monday night’s Wild Card contest vs the Los Angeles Rams with skeptical optimism. Sure, we’ve been hurt before, but most of those teams were not nearly as prolific in the regular season as this Vikings team was… right?

Sure, but it didn’t matter. Tonight, the Vikings fell behind the Rams early and never mustered a counterpunch. By the time halftime rolled in, Minnesota was already down 24-3. When the slaughter in Glendale, AZ was over, the scoreboard showed a final score of Rams 27, Vikings 9.

What We Learned: Minnesota Vikings vs Los Angeles Rams (Wild Card Round)

Sam Darnold continued his regression back to the 1st round bust we thought he had evolved from, up until week 18, Kevin O’Connell and Brian Flores were both desperately outcoached by his mentor Sean McVay and many of his former colleagues in LA.

Here is what we learned about the Vikings during an all around brutal playoff performance that raises all sorts of offseason questions that now need answered.

Sam Darnold lost a lot of money vs the Los Angeles Rams

There is one thing NFL pundits and doubters can never take away from Sam Darnold. In 2024, the USC product had an unbelievable regular season with the Minnesota Vikings, throwing for over 4,300 yards, 39 touchdowns and only 12 interceptions, earning his spot as a Pro Bowler and even a legitimate MVP candidate.

But over the past two weeks, when the pressure got heavier, he crumbled and reverted back to the 1st round bust that Jets and Panthers fan long ago gave up on and chased West. Vs the Rams, Darnold again looked like he didn’t know where pressure was going to come from or what to do with the football once it did.

And when he did have time, the 27-year-old didn’t know where he was supposed to go with the football. If his first or second reads weren’t available, Sam Darnold struggled to move on to his next receiver or find his outlet option. Then… there were throws that were so bad they cannot be logically explained.

SAM DARNOLD IS MISSING HIS BRAIN TODAY… THE LAST POSSIBLE THING IN THE WORLD HE COULD DO IS TAKE A SACK.

It took the Rams over six seconds to get to him and he still just didn’t throw the ball.

Pathetic showing.pic.twitter.com/k2y6LBnhi7

— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) January 14, 2025

What is this throw?
I want to say he was trying to slow WR down so he doesn’t take a big hit on the defender in front of him… but not sure what this is… Sam Darnold looks like the blitz & speed has gotten to him. The #Vikings have to run quicker plays & go no huddle… pic.twitter.com/EssoRchDHd

— Ron Johnson (@3RonJohnson) January 14, 2025

Sam’s stats in Monday’s loss — 25/40 (62.5%) | 245 Yards | 1 TD | 1 INT — weren’t as bad as last week vs the Detroit Lions (18/41, 166 Yds). But most of the night Monday, Darnold looked like a deer in headlights, who didn’t understand that standing in the middle of the road too long would result in him being turned into venison hamburger.

Related: Daniel Jones is Emergency Use Only for Vikings vs Rams

Suddenly, a quarterback that many believed would get upwards of $50 million per season now has a much different reality in his future. Sure, Sam will still get a multi-year deal as a starter in the league… but it won’t total $150 to $200 million. Maybe $100, and it won’t be fully guaranteed.

Troy Aikman and Joe Buck on Sam Darnold/Vikings QB situation.

"That conversation's a different conversation today than it was 2 weeks ago."

"Not to be simplistic…But the way the Vikings have played over the last couple of weeks. He's at least cost himself some money." pic.twitter.com/MnWi4d446J

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 14, 2025

Kevin O’Connell, Brian Flores were put in their place by Sean McVay

Once upon a time, Sean McVay was the up-and-coming hot-shot head coach that was taking the world by storm and reinventing the offensive side of football. Back then, Kevin O’Connell was working under him as an assistant and Brian Flores was working through what would wind up as a failed head coaching stint with the Miami Dolphins.

Entering the 2024 Wildcard round, the narrative was much different. Sean McVay and the Rams went all-in for a Super Bowl a couple years ago, and it worked. But they’ve been a team that is lucky it plays in a bad division ever since.

So while McVay’s Rams were struggling to make the Playoffs this year, NFL pundits and oddsmakers were focused on his former underling, Kevin O’Connell and an overqualified defensive coordinator that was being held back by a lawsuit he has against his own employer.

Related: Harrison Smith Planning to Retire; Vikings to Re-Sign Young Talented DBs

O’Connell will likely win NFL coach of the year and Brian Flores has finally earned his way back into head coaching interviews, solely based on how he has turned the Minnesota Vikings defense from a weakness to strength in just two seasons.

But Monday night, Sean McVay put his former assistant and his former assistant’s assistant back in their place. Even in a week where the Rams had to give up a home game while they worried about family/friends who were back home dealing with out of control wildfires, McVay was able to focus his group to a point where they looked head and shoulders more prepared than O’Connell’s Vikings.

As for Brian Flores’ defense, which has been one of the best in the league all season in the red zone, Matt Stafford made McVay’s offense look like a hot knife cutting through warm butter.

Kyren Williams ran the fake and still got the TD from Matthew Stafford 😱 @OmahaProd pic.twitter.com/oe7PG4iWmD

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) January 14, 2025

Stafford finished with just 209 yards, but he spread the wealth around to 8 different receivers and made the Minnesota Vikings defense pay no matter how they tried to play him. If Flores called for a blitz, he picked them apart 5-15 yards at a time.

If they played coverage, he sat back and found open receivers downfield. Really, this game was over before the Minnesota Vikings offense even got going because the LA Rams scored 24 points in their first six drives of the game and the Vikings scored none.

Related: Vikings Insider Warns: Do Not Discount Kevin O’Connell Trade Rumors…

How? Obviously, you need the Jimmy’s and the Joe’s… but today, it was like McVay knew exactly what the Vikings were trying to do against them on both sides of the football. Is that because he and O’Connell are best friends, or because he is a better coach? Who knows… but he was certainly the better coach tonight.

Will it cost Kevin O’Connell his massive contract extension? Probably not. Will it cost Brian Flores a head coaching job? No, because he probably wasn’t going to get one from any of his interviews anyway. But without a doubt, McVay reminded the NFL world that he is still the gold standard of coaches in this league.

The Minnesota Vikings will always disappoint you

To wrap this up, tonight was an important reminder for those of us who have been here before and an early learning lesson for those who have not. If you are committing your football fanhood to the Minnesota Vikings then you are setting yourself up for year-in and year-out heartbreak.

It doesn’t matter how well they play in the regular season or how different this coaching staff is, than those of Vikings’ past. But at the end of the day, we cannot have nice things. And until proven otherwise, this is always how it ends. In heartbreak.

Coming into this game against the Houston Astros, there was a different feeling across Minnesota Twins country.. Sure, there was no Yankee dread to deal with, but it felt like even more than that. This game… this postseason… was just going to be different! And let’s be real, the Houston Astros finished below .500 this season. They aren’t very good.

As it turns out, though, nothing was different. We just got our hopes up again… just to watch them go up in flames again.

Most Consecutive Postseason Losses ⬇
(4 Major Sports)

Minnesota Twins 17 '04-Present
Chicago Blackhawks 16 '75-79
Detroit Pistons 14 '08-Present
Los Angeles Kings 14 '93-01 pic.twitter.com/jPh32C5FFh

— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) September 29, 2020

One guy was so confident, he bet $500k on a Minnesota Twins win. He’ll never make that mistake again. There was no dawn of a new Twins era, where we are washed clean from the sins of our postseason past. Instead, we saw an offense that could only muster two hits, one run, and a disgusting 0-for-7 with RISP. All that, while somehow using four catchers in nine innings.

Bad Baseball

While we’re on that subject, why is Willians Astudillo in the batter’s box (as the tying run in the bottom of the 9th inning) for the biggest at-bat of the game? Not surprisingly, he grounded into a game-ending double play on the first pitch he saw.

But none of the coaching blunders or offensive collapses compare to what happened in the field. Gonzalez was scared of short-hops at 3rd base and Polanco can’t even throw a ball 20 feet on target.

Maybe Arraez should focus on fielding instead of dancing at the plate. pic.twitter.com/6TR96x3uYr

— Michael Schwab (@michaelschwab13) September 29, 2020

Once again, this team played right into the stereotypes we’re all tired of hearing. They have done the impossible now, by losing 17-straight playoff games and could very-well rack up their 18th tomorrow. The staff ace, Kenta Maeda, did exactly what was asked of him and might be the best (for sure most reliable) pitcher the Twins have had in over a decade. Not good enough.

Had Enough?

Now I have to ask Twins fans, when will we learn? Maybe you have already jumped off the bandwagon? I was very optimistic coming into today’s game, and I know many of you were as well… but it’s hard to believe I will wake up with that much hope again.

But, I’ll be there… back at it again tomorrow. Because that’s what we do here. We get our hopes up, watch them die, then do it all over again the next day, or year… or decade. See you then.

Cooper Carlson | Minnesota Sports Fan

Tuesday was a blustery fall afternoon in the Twin Cities area and, even if you couldn’t hear the cheers while walking by, the Minnesota Twins were playing game 1 of a postseason game vs the Houston Astros inside the limestone walls of Target Field. Only family members and employees, including Joe Mauer and Paul Molitor apparently, were allowed to be in attendance.

Before the game, Josh Donaldson was ruled out with his nagging calf injury, but Byron Buxton was allowed to return, after being hit in the head with a fastball over the weekend. When Alex Kirilloff was called up overnight, the fan base was in disarray. But then, the first pitch came and we were playing baseball again.

This is #MNTwins Territory.

This is #OurSZN.

Let’s go. pic.twitter.com/ilFckxfGTk

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) September 29, 2020

1st Inning

In the bottom half of the 1st inning, the Twins got frisky but couldn’t seal the deal, with the bases loaded. Buxton singled, with one out in the inning, then Kepler and Sano both walked. Rosario proceeded to piss on a line drive that was caught by Yuri Gurriel at first base and Sano hit a dribbler to 3rd that he couldn’t beat out.

Inning over.

3rd Inning

The Twins left runners on base all night, but got their lone run in the 3rd inning. Cruz hit a missile over Josh Reddick’s head in right. Because there were two outs, Kepler was off with the crack of the bat and scored in a close play at home. Twins hit the scoreboard first but the game got a little boring from there.

Alex Bregman just robbed Miguel Sano pic.twitter.com/HZcXy5WP0i

— Dillard Barnhart (@BarnHasSpoken) September 29, 2020

Cruzin’ to the lead. #OurSZN pic.twitter.com/bWe9kA5tP2

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) September 29, 2020

5th Inning – Greinke Out

Greinke was pulled before the bottom of the 5th inning and he was pissed about it. He took his mask, went into the first row of seats above the dugout and sulked for the Twins-half of the inning. I can’t blame him, but the move worked for Houston.

Framber Valdez started the 5th inning by walking two hitters but those two runners were just about all he let on for the rest of the game. He was completely dominant and the Twins had absolutely no answer for him.

7th Inning

Finally, the Astros broke their silence in the 7th inning and it started with two outs. Reddick and Maldonado both singled, before Springer got a hit, that scored Reddick. Maldonado is an idiot and got thrown out at 3rd base right after the one run was scored.

George Springer ties it up for the Astros (+149 ML) in the 7th with this single up the middle#BarstoolSportsbook pic.twitter.com/R9zYvEwwxG

— Sterling Bets (@_sterlingbets_) September 29, 2020

9th Inning

This is where shit all hit the fan. Sergio Romo was brought in after a surprisingly clean 8th inning by Taylor Rogers. Unless Baldelli was going to hand the ball to Odorizzi, I don’t know where else he could have gone. I would question why we took Maeda out so early? The Twins now enter a win-or-go-home game 2 tomorrow, with a taxed bullpen and Jose Berrios starting on the bump.

That’s a blog for another hour, though.

The Minnesota Way to Lose

This had to have been the most Minnesota way any team has ever lost a baseball game. Romo allowed hits from the first two batters of the inning, before pulling two straight outs from his ass. Then, George Springer hit an inning-ending ground ball to Jorge Polanco at shortstop… or so we thought.

Polanco sidearms the throw and the bases are loaded. pic.twitter.com/gmAn475v0N

— Alex ? (@Dubs408) September 29, 2020

We’re not talking about a difficult play or even screwing up an easy ground ball (Bill Buckner style). No, this was a sunday-hop ground ball that just needed to be tossed to second base. How Polanco fucked up this throw will forever haunt my dreams.

Nobody scored, though, and the bases were loaded with two outs and Jose Altuve at the plate. Altuve got approximately 3 hits all season but clearly, Romo was afraid of throwing strikes to anyone. He wasn’t the same “in your face” hyped-up Sergio. He was nibbling and it cost him.

Yes, he walked Jose Altuve AND the winning run, across home plate. He was then pulled and replaced by Caleb Thielbar (now our 5th pitcher of the game), who gave up the hit that essentially ended any hopes the Twins had of making a comeback.

Romo walks Altuve. Astros take the lead in the 9th. pic.twitter.com/zCiLIqD2Zk

— Stros Nation (@StrosNation) September 29, 2020

UNCLE MIKE!! Astros now lead 4-1! pic.twitter.com/fwaALQSZIS

— Stros Nation (@StrosNation) September 29, 2020

This is What the Twins Do.

This is peak Twins. Even in games where they don’t get blown out and suck the entire 9 innings, something fucked up enough happens, you almost wish they had been blown out again.

How does your veteran shortstop and a World Series winning relief pitcher both choke away a playoff game, like ours did today? That doesn’t happen to anyone else but the Minnesota Twins.

This makes 17-straight playoff losses, which would be completely impossible for any other franchise, in any other sport. You could run a college team out there and win one of seventeen games. Now, my worst fear has been realized. Jose Berrios will take the mound for a do-or-die game 2, tomorrow.

If we’ve learned anything from Twins playoff baseball or Jose Berrios over the last handful of years, it’s that we can expect this series to be over by the end of tomorrow afternoon.

See you then.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

After a crazy regular season finale across Major League Baseball, the (3) Minnesota Twins have drawn the (6) Houston Astros for a 3-game Wild Card Series at Target Field. Kenta Maeda will throw the series’ first pitch at 1PM CT on Tuesday. Then, Zack Greinke will take the mound for Houston.

When the Houston Astros traded for Zack Greinke at the 2019 trade deadline, they solidified what looked to be the best starting rotation in baseball. It started with Justin Verlander, rolled into Garrit Cole and was topped off by Zack Greinke. It doesn’t get much better than that, right?

In the 2019 AL Divisional Round, the Astros went up against the Tampa Bay Rays. Their trade-deadline genius looked to be paying off when Verlander steamrolled through the Rays lineup in game 1. He surrendered just one hit and zero runs in 7 innings. Houston took the series opener. With Garrit Cole on the mound in game 2, the result was more of the same. 7.2 innings, 4 hits, zero runs and an Astros victory.

Needing just one more victory to complete an ALDS sweep and move onto the American League Championship Series, with rest, Houston ran their prized trade deadline acquisition, Zack Greinke, out to the mound. That’s when the entire landscape of this series changed.

Greinke was terrible.

1 swing and the Rays are up. #ALDS pic.twitter.com/6XZyxnieio

— MLB (@MLB) October 7, 2019

The Houston Astros stumbled again in game 4, but finally pulled out their series-clinching victory in game-5, thanks to 8 innings of 2-hit, 1-run baseball by Garrit Cole.

Greinke never really recovered. The Astros lost his next start, 0-7, to the Yankees (game-1 of ALCS). Zack pitched six innings in that game, but gave up 7 hits (2 HR) and 3 runs, only striking out 5.

Houston still made the 2019 World Series, but they got there on the banging of trash cans, not the coattails of Zack Greinke, who never stretched his services farther than 6.1 innings. He finished the 2019 postseason with 25 innings pitched (5 starts), a 4.68 ERA and an opponent OPS of .835. I won’t go as far as to say Greinke stood in the way of an Astros World Series in 2019… but I’m betting they’d reverse that deadline trade and try the whole thing again, if given the chance.

Going Deeper Into Greinke’s Playoff Past

I wouldn’t have written this blog for just one bad Zack Greinke playoff run. Zack’s playoff demons go farther back than 2019. He helped the Diamondbacks make the playoffs back in 2017 and pitched the play-in Wild Card game for them. Luckily, Arizona also brought their bats that night and won 11-8.

His NLDS appearance that season wasn’t much better. He got his shot with the Diamondbacks down in the series, 0-2, and facing elimination. They needed their newly-acquired and highly-paid ace to give them hope. Instead, he gave them mediocre.

Playoff Greinke Was Better With the Dodgers

While Zack Greinke has struggled in his most recent playoff appearances, he does have a history of being pretty damn good, too. You just have to go back to his days with the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2013-2015.

In that time, Greinke appeared in 6 playoff games and 41.2 playoff innings. He posted a 2.38 ERA and opponents hit a pathetic .186 off him, with an OPS of just .527. He struck out 41 playoff hitters and gave up just 3 home runs. Playoff Zack was pretty much dominant, while in a Dodgers uniform.

But, that was 5 years and 2 teams ago, for Greinke. He’s now 36 years old and coming off only his second regular season since 2011, with an ERA over 4.00. The Minnesota Twins can definitely get to this Zack Greinke but that doesn’t mean he’s washed up. ERA doesn’t tell his entire 2020 story.

Greinke also posted his best FIP since 2015, when he went to the all-star game and came up 2nd in Cy Young voting. He’s been striking out hitters at his highest pace since 2017 too, at 9 guys per 9 innings.

How About Kenta Maeda?

Kenta Maeda burst onto the Major League Baseball scene back in 2016 and immediately hit the ground running. He started 32 regular season games that season for the Los Angeles Dodgers, posting a 3.48 ERA in 175.2 innings and coming in 3rd for rookie of the year voting.

Unfortunately, his first playoff appearances didn’t go as well. Maeda pitched in three postseason games for the Dodgers that season, posting a 6.75 ERA in 10.2 innings and allowing an .896 OPS. He would never start another playoff game for LA, though he would appear for them in 21 more postseason games.

Over the next three seasons, he was relegated to the playoff bullpen, where he was absolutely dominant.

Now, Maeda is coming off his best regular season of his short MLB career. Can he combine that, with his playoff dominance from the bullpen, and come out with a game-1 gem for the Twins? Hopefully… but they may not even need it, if Greinke brings the same playoff stuff he has recently.

See you Tuesday!

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan