Just two weeks ago, Sam Darnold was in the midst of a dream season and lined up for a career payday.
Two disastrous performances later in the biggest games of his career, and his football future is suddenly murky.
Darnold was outmatched and overwhelmed Monday night in the first playoff game of his career. The result was a 27-9 win by the Los Angeles Rams over his Vikings that eliminated Minnesota from the postseason. The loss concludes a 14-win Vikings season with a crashing thud and without a playoff win.
The Rams entered Monday's game with a clear game plan: pressure Darnold early and often, and see how he responds.