What was hyped to be one of the biggest showdowns in the NFL Wild Card Round turned out to be another disappointing finish as the Los Angeles Rams tore the Minnesota Vikings apart without much hassle, leading to a 27-9 win. Now they are slated to come up with a showdown against the Philadelphia Eagles in the next round.

Sam Darnold did all he could to lift the Minnesota Vikings from start to finish, and yet he only ended up with a single touchdown pass to TJ Hockenson. The Rams had its defense locked in all game long, and it cannot be denied that there are a lot of expectations from the team moving forward.

At this point, it is expected that the Rams will have a lot of hype heading into a clash against one of the best in the NFC. On the other hand, the Vikings will have to address some issues in the offseason – especially after their wonder season ended in a tough loss, which saw them unable to score more than a single touchdown in a crucial playoff showdown.

As it Happened

Sam Darnold finished with 245 yards and a touchdown in 25 of 40 attempts, and yet the Minnesota Vikings only managed to score nine points in four quarters, being scoreless in the first and in the fourth. The Rams locked down its defense in all four quarters while the offense, led by Matthew Stafford, easily hounded the end zone with 10 points in the first quarter.

That assault barrage continued in the next set of quarters, with the Rams capping it off with a 14-3 run in the second to take a 24-3 lead heading into the second half. The Vikings did show some signs of life in the third quarter, when Darnold nailed that touchdown, but the Rams did not let them score any further all the way to the final moments of the game, capping off a majestic victory in front of their own fans at the SoFi Stadium.

The Vikings had the ball more than the Rams did at 32:18, and yet they only managed nine points in those possessions, showing how the defense of the Rams played a huge role in capping off a massive victory that proved to be a key in their showdown.

This has been a disastrous playoff debut for Sam Darnold, who did all he could to lead the Vikings, and yet his brutal night sends them off home now more than ever, which says a lot about how it is expected to be a landmark game for him at this point.

A Showdown Fulfilled

With the win, the Rams now set their eyes on a clash against the Philadelphia Eagles, who are expected to be one of the contenders to beat in the NFC. It does seem that this showdown will be as hyped as it can be, featuring some of the veteran stars that the league has loved to see over the years.

The victory of the Rams also completes the final eight teams competing in the Divisional Round, joining the Kansas City Chiefs, Houston Texans, Detroit Lions, Washington Commanders, Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens, and the Eagles.

So far, the Rams have pulled off a promising upset win against the Vikings, and now they are hyped to pull off the same thing against the Eagles. Winner of the showdown will take on whoever wins the clash between the 1st seed Detroit Lions and the rising Commanders led by Jayden Daniels.