GLENDALE, Ariz. – The look on Zygi Wilf's face said all of it. It was as if the owner and chairman of the Minnesota Vikings had just seen a horror movie with a terrible ending. He left the locker room and stood there for a couple of seconds, staring blankly at the gang in front of him. His son Jonathan showed him an extended hallway. And off we went slowly into one other offseason.

How could it end so abruptly? How could a Vikings team with 14 wins go from potential No. 1 seed to loser within the wild card round so quickly? Wilf's thoughts turned to questions like these.

However, none of them were as confusing as this one: What happened to quarterback Sam Darnold?

Two weeks ago, Darnold's Vikings teammates doused him with water bottles as a part of a locker room celebration after a win at US Bank Stadium. Now they were at State Farm Stadium on Monday night, closing their bags and heading to the buses after suffering a brutal 27-9 loss to the underdog Los Angeles Rams.

The dichotomy between the 2 scenes was as stark because it was confusing. In the primary snapshot, it appeared as if Darnold, 27, had made a profession change and ignited a corporation in the method. At second glance, it was fair to wonder how much of Darnold's impressive play this season was a mirage.

“I think it's very important that we all reflect on Sam's work,” Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell said after the sport. “It didn’t work out in the end and I think Sam would be the first to tell you (he could have played better).”

After a loss like this, there are often multiple culprits. The offensive line can also be obvious for Minnesota. The Rams sacked Darnold nine times, tying an NFL playoff record. Additionally, based on Next Gen Stats, 12 Rams defenders generated a minimum of one pressure, essentially the most in a game since Week 6 of 2021.

Hoecht throws up the “LA” after the Rams’ last sack

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– NFL (@NFL) January 14, 2025

Allocating space and draft capital to interior defenders shall be a priority this offseason. O'Connell suggested this on Monday evening.

Still, that concern pales as compared to the importance of what happens at quarterback — and what meaning for every part else — which is why Darnold's loss over the past two weeks is so devastating.

After playing well enough in the primary 16 games to guide the Vikings to a 14-2 record and legit NFL MVP consideration, Darnold struggled within the regular season finale, a 31-9 rout. Defeat in Detroit. Against the Lions, he accomplished just 18 of 41 passes for 166 yards, posting his third-worst passer rating (55.5) and his highest miss rate of the season (34.2).

Those issues continued against the Rams. His numbers — 25-for-40 passing for 245 yards, a touchdown and an interception — belied Darnold's comfort level. He misplaced several throws. Darnold, who has been accurate so often this season, threw behind his receivers. He spun out of the pocket but didn’t release the ball. His eyes often moved too quickly from right to left. His feet kept swinging backwards and forwards. He tried to avoid pass rushers who surrounded him almost each time.

Darnold's system failed in almost every way. If it wasn't his vision, it was his footwork. If it wasn't his vision or his footwork, it was his arm.

“I left too many throws that I normally would,” he said afterwards.

If he had said that earlier in his profession in New York or Carolina, some might need laughed. However, despite being aware of O'Connell's plan and development process this season, he demonstrated in a big sample that he can develop in rhythm, execute the football with precision and withstand pressure.

Darnold also showed resilience, overcoming a difficult midseason stretch against the Colts and Jaguars during which he threw five interceptions. The way he responded to those tough film sessions, throwing 18 touchdowns and two interceptions over the subsequent seven games, showed what he was able to.

end of December, The athleteDianna Russini of 's reported, “After speaking with a team source, one thing is clear: The Vikings want Darnold back in Minnesota for 2025.” Separately, one other Vikings worker wrote, “I hope we can keep him.” Darnold's MVP Opportunities increased. Against the Packers within the team's final home game of the season, he accomplished 33 of 43 passes for 377 yards, three touchdowns and one interception and was subsequently drenched by his teammates within the locker room.

The Sam Darnold experience continues. pic.twitter.com/k5db9DYdtp

— Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) December 30, 2024

This 2024 Vikings season, billed as a transition yr to a more flexible future centered around rookie quarterback JJ McCarthy, had exceeded even the rosiest expectations.

“Outside these walls, no one really believed in him,” running back Aaron Jones said of Darnold on the time. “Nobody gave him a chance. But he proves everyone wrong.”

That was the crescendo, a byproduct of an infrastructure optimized along Darnold's model. At the time, the Vikings staff emphasized the role rhythm and timing played in Darnold's success and the importance of his feet and eyes being in sync.

Hidden within the jargon was a very important reality: Darnold trusted the play calls and reads a lot that it was more about sticking to a selected timing than watching the sphere and making decisions based on what he saw. His struggles in Detroit and Arizona were best summed up by a break in timing. Both the Lions and Rams hampered Darnold's ability to maneuver up within the pocket, and each teams mixed countless stunts and exotic pressures to forestall Darnold from becoming comfortable, assessing the image in the sphere, and throwing.

There were quite a few examples from Monday evening. At the beginning of the second quarter, Darnold dropped back and faced the fitting sideline. Rams defensive lineman Braden Fiske pushed Vikings left guard Blake Brandel toward Darnold, who stepped aside and kept a watch on receiver Jordan Addison while receiver Jalen Nailor crossed the sphere openly. Darnold threw a pass in Addison's direction. But the ball was late and behind Addison, and it was intercepted by Rams cornerback Cobie Durant.

Later within the quarter, the Rams attacked safety Quentin Lake from deep. He slipped past right defenseman Dalton Risner, forcing Darnold to step forward and shift his vision from right to left. Unsure of what he saw, he looked back to his right. But before he could release the ball, one other blitzer, Rams cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon, speared him within the back. Darnold fumbled, and Rams edge rusher Jared Verse recovered and rumbled 57 yards for a touchdown, extending Los Angeles' lead.

JARED VERSE SCOOP AND POINT!

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“There are some examples where if you go back tomorrow and look at the tape in an air-conditioned room, you'll think, 'Man, why didn't I just do this or that?'” O'Connell said. “But it’s difficult at the moment. It’s difficult considering how quickly things are happening out there.”

Good quarterbacks have the arm and athleticism, especially in the fashionable NFL, however the mind is what sets the highest quarterbacks apart. Matthew Stafford's operational capability on the opposite side of the sphere confirmed that, and Monday night confirmed a widely held opinion in regards to the Vikings' future: Franchise-tagging or extending Darnold, who is about to develop into a free agent, is mindless for the team's need elsewhere, particularly on the inside of the offensive line.

Of course, one other move toward Darnold would raise questions. How ready is McCarthy? What veteran option could the Vikings pair with McCarthy? And what would O'Connell take into consideration having to construct a completely latest quarterback option?

These are completely different questions than those that went through Wilf's head as he wound his way through the bowels of the stadium on Monday evening. But they’ll soon be on his plate after a wildly successful season that resulted in a disappointing blitz, a rollercoaster ride for a quarterback who couldn't polish the progress he'd made.

The 49ers are still alive NFL playoffseven when their chances are high high.

They play the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night and have a likelihood to enhance those odds by picking up a division win and eliminating an NFC West opponent.

To accomplish that, they are going to should overcome a minor internal problem after team captain Deebo Samuel tweeted and deleted a message on Monday saying they weren't getting enough ball, a day after the 49ers dispatched the Bears. He admitted Tuesday that he was somewhat frustrated after recording just two catches and five runs within the win.

The Niners could have Dre Greenlaw back at linebacker after he tore his Achilles tendon within the Super Bowl last season. He and defensive end Nick Bosa (oblique) were listed as questionable for the sport on the time of Wednesday's injury update. Left tackle Trent Williams (ankle) is out for the fourth straight game. Rookie running back Isaac Guerendo was questionable due to an ankle injury he suffered within the win over Chicago, as he began the sport instead of Christian McCaffrey (knee) and Jordan Mason (ankle), each of whom are on injured reserve.

As of Thursday, the 49ers (6-7) are eleventh within the NFC, while the Rams (7-6) are three spots ahead of them at No. 8 within the seven-team playoff slate. Both teams are chasing the Seattle Seahawks (8-5) for the NFC West title.

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Originally published: December 12, 2024 at 4:30 pm PST

As depressing because it is to discuss a legendary faceplant of the 49ers Consider Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Rams how bad it will be in the event that they hadn't give you the money to sign their best receiver.

We're not talking about Brandon Aiyuk, who caught five passes for 48 yards and signed a four-year contract value $30 million per season in the times before the season.

The player who mattered essentially the most was Jauan Jennings, the previous third-and-jauan who was a go-to guy for all downs with Deebo Samuel, George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey out. Jennings set profession highs with 11 receptions, 175 yards and three touchdowns.

Jennings and quarterback Brock Purdy (22 of 30, 292 yards, three touchdowns) carried the 49ers' passing game and each did enough to win. Instead, Purdy stood on the postgame podium and declared the 49ers' second consecutive loss and Jennings left the locker room without chatting with reporters after the sport of his life.

In the offseason, Jennings, a seventh-round draft pick in 2022, was a restricted free agent and the 49ers gave him a two-year contract value $15 million with $8.4 million guaranteed.

“Jauan was incredible,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “I think the numbers show it, but more than the numbers, he was a fighter the whole game. He's always like that, but today he had a lot of chances and he took every single one of them automatically.”

Jennings caught touchdowns of 13, 4 and 31 yards from Purdy, the last of which gave the 49ers a 21-7 lead with 7:01 minutes left.

He scored his first touchdown on a very open play during which Aiyuk drew coverage.

Rumor has it: It's still running pic.twitter.com/Xoiv2qOIGL

— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) 22 September 2024

“It started with BA on the backside, and JJ kind of bluffed like he was blocking and slid up the seam,” Purdy said. “He was my second read and he was completely open. Great play.”

Jennings' most impressive performance got here when he wasn't on their lonesome. He by some means stole a ball from Quintin Lake and gained 32 yards, establishing the sector goal that gave the 49ers a 24-13 lead with 11:57 left.

He caught the ball on a minimum of two occasions when he was surrounded by three defenders. Shanahan said afterward he wondered if it was clever to throw him the ball in the primary place.

“Even on some bad chances when I didn't know if the ball was going to go there, you quickly realized they weren't going to take the ball away from Jauan,” Shanahan said. “His play today was very inspiring.”

He told us he had these hands covered

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— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) 22 September 2024

According to Associated Press stats expert Josh Dubow, only three 49ers receivers have ever had a game with 10 or more catches, 175 or more yards and three or more touchdowns. The other two – Jerry Rice and Terrell Owens – are within the Hall of Fame.

Jennings caught his career-high 11 passes on 12 attempts. He also set his previous profession highs at SoFi Stadium as a rookie in the ultimate game of the 2021 regular season: six catches for 94 yards with two scores, a 24-yard pass from Jimmy Garoppolo and a 14-yard pass on a reverse from Samuel.

The 49ers celebrated today with a 27-24 victory in extra time, securing their playoff spot.

It was the alternative of last yr's Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs, when Jennings looked like he could change into the most dear player when the previous Tennessee quarterback threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to McCaffrey and caught a 10-yard pass from Purdy, resulting in a 16-13 lead early within the fourth quarter. The 49ers, in fact, lost in extra time, 25-22.

“I absolutely love Jauan,” Purdy said. “Just the way he comes in and brings energy and his love for the game, you can feel it. You can see it. I'll go to war with him any day of the week.”

As for Aiyuk, he now has 10 pass catches for 119 yards with no touchdowns through three games. It's also value noting that he's never had a game where he caught 11 passes. Never had a game where he scored three touchdowns. Never had a game with 175 yards passing.

That's to not say Aiyuk didn't have an effect against the Rams, because with Samuel, Kittle and McCaffrey all missing, he was actually a focus of the Rams defense on more plays than simply Jennings' first touchdown. He was targeted 10 times, only one lower than Jennings.

Purdy said against the Rams he simply went where the reads and progressions took him, and went where they took him, fairly than specializing in a particular receiver.

“I just think it has to do with the opportunities you get in games with looks,” Purdy said. “It's not like I'm backing off and saying, 'We're not ready, I'm not going to pass him the ball.' It's nothing to do with that. It's about, 'How do I see this? Is it the right thing to do here with BA?' We're making plans to put him in great position to win and pass him the ball, but the defense does a good job of planning some things, they get me off my looks and I go to other guys.

“We will proceed to work to seek out an agreement. I really like BA. He is working really hard right away and I can inform you that we’ll proceed to grow together.”

And if you needed any more proof of what a leader Purdy is, consider how he mastered a drop from second-year receiver Ronnie Bell with 1:08 left that could have set up a game-winning field goal for the 49ers.

“I don't know if I had enough power from where I used to be within the pocket,” Purdy said. “I'm just trying to provide him a likelihood. Obviously I could give him a greater ball and every part. He's a young guy, I really like him. We're all behind Ronnie, so we're going to proceed to want him and construct him up, and we're all on this together. It's a team sport. It's not about one game or one player.”

Not normally, anyway, although for a very long time on Sunday it looked as if Jauan Jennings was the player who made the largest difference.

Originally published: September 22, 2024 at 18:49

LOS ANGELES – After a couple of wild seasons, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo finally seems relaxed.

The 10-year veteran has returned to a backup role as each Garoppolo and the Los Angeles Rams realized it was the proper time to unite. Garoppolo was in search of a solid foundation while the Rams wanted a reliable backup for starter Matthew Stafford.

It's been a fantastic pairing thus far, especially after Garoppolo has struggled with a lot uncertainty over the past few years.

“It was chaotic at times, but it was all learning experiences,” Garoppolo said. “That's one thing I took away from it. The NFL is crazy, man. Everybody has a story. Everybody's trying to make it somehow. But at the end of the day, it's your story and you have to make the best of it. Good, bad or indifferent, whatever happened in the past, it happened. … Now I'm here and I'm just trying to make every day the best day.”

Garoppolo's profession overall has been remarkably eventful. The New England Patriots drafted him within the second round in 2014, with Bill Belichick citing Tom Brady's age as a primary reason for considering a possible succession plan. But when Brady's performance didn't decline with age, the Patriots traded Garoppolo to the San Francisco 49ers in 2017.

Garoppolo tore his ACL in 2018, led the 49ers to the Super Bowl in 2019, and missed a lot of the 2020 season resulting from a severe ankle sprain. Garoppolo kept his starting spot in 2021 after the Niners invested heavily in Trey Lance, however the team had prepared to make use of Lance in 2022, setting off an unpredictable chain response that appeared to lay the groundwork for Garoppolo's transfer or release. Instead, he reworked his contract and filled in for Lance after the latter suffered a gruesome ankle injury in Week 2, but ultimately went down again along with his own Lisfranc injury, paving the best way for Brock Purdy's emergence.

There was never a dull moment: Garoppolo endured a grueling recovery from offseason foot surgery before joining the Las Vegas Raiders in 2023. However, he was benched midseason, the identical day head coach Josh McDaniels was fired.

So it's comprehensible why a backup job with the Rams and the chance to start out over were attractive to Garoppolo.

“It's really nice to have a healthy offseason,” Garoppolo said. “I haven't had one like this in a long time. The foot surgery last year was tough. For anyone who's been through that, it wasn't a great recovery, but I feel like I'm back to being myself. In this role, I get to experiment with some things when I'm with the 2s. I get to be myself. I haven't had that in a long time, so it's nice to get back to that.

Garoppolo cited Stafford and Rams coach Sean McVay as the main reasons he wanted to play in Los Angeles. McVay in particular impressed Garoppolo when the two spoke on the phone. Garoppolo, who has also drawn interest from other teams, was also eager to learn more about Stafford's approach.

Garoppolo, who will begin the season serving a two-game suspension for violating the league's doping policy, also realized in the offseason that a guaranteed starting spot is out of the question. Of course, he could have gone somewhere to compete with a young quarterback, but that would have led to a similar dynamic to what he experienced in San Francisco, where the organization would inevitably be reliant on the long-term investment. Similarly, with teams starting over at the quarterback position, job security for head coaches is usually not as stable as he just experienced in Vegas.

McVay is hardly a sure thing in the league and his offensive scheme speaks for itself. The mood in the Rams building is also as good as it can be.

There were a number of reasons for Garoppolo to take a step back in Southern California.

“This place also lets you be yourself, which is different than other places I've been. You're put under pressure with a way of urgency, but in a very good way. Of course, everyone desires to win. Everyone desires to perform well. Here, they do it the suitable way. They push you in a positive way. There's just numerous good things happening, man. I'm having fun with every second of it. Even the meetings are a very good time. Everything's going well immediately.”