GLENDALE, Arizona -- Sam Darnold's dream season crashed during the past two weeks. It happened so quickly, in fact, that Darnold seemed unwilling to process its implications in the moments after the Minnesota Vikings' 27-9 wild-card playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night.
"Obviously," Darnold said, "at the end of the day all that matters when you have a good season is, 'What do you do in the playoffs?' We didn't get it done today and that's all that matters."
Darnold seemed to have resurrected his career this season after signing a one-year contract with the Vikings and leading them to 14 wins, while throwing for a career-high 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns.