This is the live report of the Vikings game Thursday night against the Rams at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. To read Ben Goessling’s analysis of the game, go here.
Recap: How the Rams beat the Vikings 30-20 in L.A.
Kevin O’Connell fell to his former team as the Vikings lost for the second time in five days to drop to 5-2. Star left tackle Christian Darrisaw left the game with a knee injury.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
October 25, 2024 at 3:15AM
10:10 p.m.: Vikings lose for second time in five days
Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold was sacked in the end zone -- apparently by his facemask, on a penalty that was not called -- for a safety with 1:36 left in the game, bringing an ignominious end to the Vikings’ second loss of the week.
9:45 p.m.: Stafford makes Vikings pay again
INGLEWOOD, CALIF. — When the Vikings give Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford an extra second, he’s making them pay for it.
Stafford threw his fourth touchdown pass of the night, a 10-yard toss to receiver Demarcus Robinson, while the Rams kept six blockers in protection to keep him clean. The Vikings trail 28-20 with 6:23 left in regulation.
Earlier in the drive, the Rams had seven blockers in front of Stafford when he uncorked a deep ball down the left sideline to receiver Cooper Kupp. Kupp didn’t make the grab, but Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. grabbed his right arm for a second defensive holding/interference call of the game. The penalty pushed the Rams up to the Vikings’ 16-yard line. Three plays later they were in the end zone. — ANDREW KRAMMER
9:31 p.m.: Vikings pull within 1
INGLEWOOD, CALIF. — Running back Aaron Jones brought the Vikings into scoring range, catching a 25-yard pass down the sideline to convert a third-and-3. Jones then took back-to-back handoffs down to the Rams’ 17-yard line, where quarterback Sam Darnold faced another manageable third down.
But on third-and-4, Darnold evaded pressure and found an open receiver Jalen Nailor, who dropped the pass. The Vikings settled for another field goal from kicker Will Reichard, pulling to within 21-20 with 12:47 left in regulation. — ANDREW KRAMMER
9:25 p.m.: Third-quarter analysis
INGLEWOOD, CALIF. — The Vikings and Rams were about dead even in third-quarter yardage – L.A. had a slight edge 94 to 90 – but the Vikings trail 21-17 because quarterback Sam Darnold settled for a field goal from the Rams’ 5-yard line. And Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford made quick work of the Vikings secondary with a 25-yard touchdown toss to Demarcus Robinson.
Cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. made two incredible plays on defense, intercepting Stafford and deflecting a 40-yard bomb near the goal line intended for Rams receiver Tutu Atwell.
The Vikings have a chance to respond, opening the fourth quarter with the ball at midfield. — ANDREW KRAMMER
9:18 p.m.: Rams take the lead
INGLEWOOD, CALIF. — Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford can pick apart shoddy coverage, and he put Vikings cornerback Shaq Griffin in his sights in the third quarter.
Stafford made three big throws in a third-quarter touchdown drive, and Griffin was twice the nearest defender in coverage, including an 18-yard grab by Tutu Atwell and the 25-yard touchdown to Demarcus Robinson.
Stafford had all day – 6.1 seconds, according to SoFi Stadium’s in-house stats – to complete the pass to Atwell. But he didn’t need long to throw the touchdown, dropping back and quickly lobbing up a go ball to Robinson, who outran Griffin down the sideline. The Vikings trail 21-17 with 2:36 left in the third quarter. — ANDREW KRAMMER
9:10 p.m.: Turnover leads to Vikings field goal
INGLEWOOD, CALIF. — Left tackle Christian Darrisaw’s knee injury at the end of the first half left a cloud hanging over the Vikings sideline. But cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. and receiver Justin Jefferson did their best to part the skies.
Both Murphy and Jefferson made toe-tapping grabs along the sideline. First, Murphy intercepted Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford – and got both feet in bounds. Then quarterback Sam Darnold marched 68 yards down the field, with 41 yards coming on back-to-back throws to Jefferson, setting up kicker Will Reichard’s 23-yard field goal and the Vikings’ 17-14 lead.
You’ll probably see Jefferson’s 27-yard catch repeatedly in highlight reels. Jefferson tried to corral a deep pass with his left hand, but had to tip the pass to himself before securing the catch with his right hand – all while jackhammering his feet along the sideline to ensure he was in bounds. — ANDREW KRAMMER
9:00 p.m.: Darrisaw out with knee injury
INGLEWOOD, CALIF. — Vikings left tackle Christian Darrisaw did not come out for the second half with the rest of the team and was ruled out for the remainder of Thursday’s game against the Rams. Darrisaw appeared to suffer a knee injury on the second-to-last play of the first half when a Rams defender rolled over his leg. — ANDREW KRAMMER
8:45 p.m.: Halftime analysis
INGLEWOOD, CALIF. — The Vikings and Rams are still tied at 14 after two quarters, but after a stretch of offensive line miscues ended a Vikings drive late in the first half, they suffered what could be a significant injury at the end of the half.
Kevin O’Connell decided not to take a knee on the last drive of the half, after a Rams punt and a holding penalty started the Vikings at their own 3. On Aaron Jones’ first-down run, Christian Darrisaw was still engaged with a pass rusher while Rams safety Jaylen McCollough rolled over the back of his leg. Darrisaw was helped off by team vice president of player health and performance Tyler Williams and team doctor Chris Larson, and David Quessenberry replaced him at left tackle.
After gaining 140 yards in the first quarter, the Vikings had six net yards in the second quarter. The Rams will receive the second-half kickoff. — BEN GOESSLING
8:02 p.m.: Kupp’s turn to cash in
INGLEWOOD, CALIF. — The Vikings know about Matthew Stafford’s mobility from his days in Detroit, and Kevin O’Connell saw it when he coached Stafford in Los Angeles. It appeared the Vikings had him dead to rights when he escaped a sack, and hit Cooper Kupp for a game-tying touchdown.
He slipped past a spin move from Jonathan Greenard, ducked a tackle attempt from Harrison Phillips and popped up in time to hit Cooper Kupp for a 7-yard TD. It’s 14-14 between the Vikings and Rams with just over 10 minutes to go in the second quarter.
The Rams went 70 yards in 10 plays, and got a first down on Byron Murphy Jr.’s third-down holding penalty and another on Stephon Gilmore’s third-down pass interference penalty against Kupp. Kevin O’Connell and Sean McVay are dueling. — BEN GOESSLING
7:55 p.m.: First-quarter analysis
INGLEWOOD, CALIF. — We’re through 15 minutes of what looks like it could be a shootout. The Vikings lead the Rams 14-7, with Los Angeles near midfield to end the first quarter.
Sam Darnold is 8 of 8 for 97 yards and two touchdowns, to Josh Oliver and Trent Sherfield Sr., but the Vikings have leaned on Justin Jefferson and Aaron Jones otherwise. They’ve touched the ball on 13 of the Vikings’ 18 plays; the Vikings came out confident they could move the ball on the Rams’ 30th-ranked run defense, while Darnold has found Jefferson with several darts off play action. On a 17-yard completion that set up the Vikings’ first touchdown, Jefferson was the third or fourth read on the backside of the play, and Darnold found him over the middle as the Vikings’ offensive line gave him plenty of time.
The Rams have gone after the Vikings’ linebackers in pass coverage, though, with Blake Cashman out for at least one more week because of turf toe. It’s slightly reminiscent of the Rams’ 38-31 win over the Vikings on a Thursday night in 2018, when Sean McVay went after Anthony Barr in coverage. Tonight, it’s been Ivan Pace, who got beat on an angle route from Kyren Williams for a touchdown after he was flagged for a face mask. — BEN GOESSLING
7:45 p.m.: Vikings encounter little resistance
Not much traffic on the SoFi Stadium field so far. Sam Darnold has yet throw an incompletion, going 4-for-4 on the Vikings’ second drive as well, the big play a 19-yarder to Justin Jefferson before a 10-yard touchdown pass to Trent Sherfield and a 14-7 lead. Jefferson has five catches for 68 yards.
7:35 p.m.: Rams match Vikings TD drive
The Vikings have given up their first first-quarter touchdown of the season. With receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua back in the lineup, the Rams marched down the field with ease. Nacua had catches of 13 and 21 yards on the drive, which ended with a 7-yard TD pass from Matthew Stafford to running back Kyren Williams. Williams has scored 10 touchdowns this season.
7:25 p.m.: Vikings start fast again
The Vikings lead the NFL in first-quarter points and are now up to 65 after taking the opening kickoff and driving 70 yards on eight plays to take a 7-0. Sam Darnold, a native of Southern California, went 4-for-4 for 49 yards, connecting with Justin Jefferson three times before hitting tight end Josh Oliver for a 5-yard touchdown. Aaron Jones ran for 21 yards on four carries. The Vikings have outscored opponents 65-3 in the first quarter this season.
6:50 p.m.: Secrets to a short week
Thursday night games in the NFL leave little time for anything other than trying to get the body and mind prepared to play with three fewer days of recovery. The Star Tribune’s Chip Scoggins asked a few Vikings players how they prepared for the quick turnaround.
“Normally after games is when I eat the worst,” Harrison Phillips said. “Chocolate cookies and cereal and all that stuff. This week I cut back a little bit.”
Phillips also said he multitasked by watching two hours of film during a massage.
Josh Metellus’ secret is sleep: “Sleep is the best recovery on the planet.” And for a night game, players “can bank a little bit more sleep.”
6:30 p.m.: Pregame reading
Perhaps you’ve heard: Kevin O’Connell used to work for the Rams, as Sean McVay’s offensive coordinator. This is O’Connell’s first game against McVay since O’Connell took the Vikings head coaching job after winning the Super Bowl with McVay after the 2021 season.
The Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling recently talked to O’Connell about how he’s evolved as an offensive play-caller and what he learned from McVay.
“All the time I spent with him, framing how you want the week to go to provide ultimate clarity, for not only the quarterback but the whole team, was something I took directly from him,” O’Connell said.
6:15 p.m.: Vikings-Rams predictions
After losing their first game of the season 31-29 at home to the Lions on Sunday, the Vikings get little time to dwell on the defeat before a trip to the West Coast. They’ll face a Rams team with plenty of players and coaches familiar to Kevin O’Connell and the rest of the Vikings coaching staff. Will the Vikings get their first West Coast night win since 1996?
6:00 p.m.: Hockenson, Risner out; Kupp, Nacua return
INGLEWOOD, CALIF. — The Vikings downgraded T.J. Hockenson and Dalton Risner to out before Thursday’s game, though Hockenson is expected to be activated from injured reserve on Friday in time for his season debut against the Colts on Nov. 3.
Vikings starting linebacker Blake Cashman (turf toe) and reserve cornerback Akayleb Evans (hip) were also ruled out. Both will miss a second straight game due to their injuries. Defensive lineman Jalen Redmond and tight end Robert Tonyan were elevated from the practice squad for the game in Los Angeles.
The Rams activated receiver Puka Nacua from injured reserve for the game for his first action since sustaining a knee injury in the season opener. Star receiver Cooper Kupp is also expected to play, returning from a Week 2 ankle injury.
Vikings’ inactives: Cashman (toe), Evans (hip), CB Dwight McGlothern, DT Levi Drake Rodriguez, OT Walter Rouse and RB Myles Gaskin
Rams’ inactives: LB Troy Reeder (hamstring), WR Jordan Whittington (shoulder), QB Stetson Bennett IV, CB Tre’Davious White, RB Cody Schrader and DE Desjuan Johnson
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