5 reasons why Vikings lost 30-20 against Rams in Week 8

The Vikings and the Rams came into their Week 8 game knowing that a victory could change the way people talked about their season. Minnesota's loss in Week 7 to the Lions not only ended its perfect record but also put it down to second place in the loaded NFC North. Another loss here would make it two losses in a row and lead to uncomfortable discussions.

Los Angeles knew that a win would improve its record to 3-4 for the season, similar to the 49ers and Cardinals in the NFC West. More importantly, it would be on a two-game winning streak with Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua coming back from injuries. The Rams accomplished the job against the Vikings, and here is why they succeeded.

5 reasons why the Vikings lost against the Rams

#1 - Christian Darrisaw's injury turned the game

The first half was a close one with both teams going into the break level at 14-14. Both teams had scored a touchdown on their opening two drives followed by a couple of punts.

However, the turning point of the match came toward the end of the second quarter. With the Vikings backed up near their endzone, Kevin O'Connell decided they needed a bit of space to work with before they went into victory formation to bleed off the clock.

The reward for that play could have been high if Aaron Jones had found a seam to escape upfield. But Minnesota got caught with the downside as starting left tackle Christian Darrisaw injured his knee on that play. He was taken to the locker room and eventually ruled out of the game.

David Quessenberry replaced him, but in the second half, Sam Darnold was struggling with the pocket getting bent out of shape often. The Rams contained the Vikings to just two field goals in the second half, and that made all the difference.

#2 - Brian Flores' defense could not beat Matthew Stafford's experience

Brian Flores has made life miserable for opposition offenses in the 2024 season. He has disguised his defense to fool good quarterbacks on the other side. Players like C.J. Stroud, Jordan Love and Brock Purdy have struggled to pick up when the defense is blitzing and when it is dropping back.

However, Matthew Stafford is a Super Bowl-winning veteran, and he had the Vikings' defensive coordinator in check. He picked up what was happening at the line of scrimmage, and a couple of hard counts forced Minnesota defenders to play their hand early and reveal what they were thinking.

The Rams quarterback finished with four passing touchdowns and did not let a pick at the beginning of the second half get him down. He recorded 239 yards and a passer rating of 124.5.

#3 - Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua made an immediate impact

Matthew Stafford came into this game with three passing touchdowns for the season and got more than that in a single game tonight. One of the main reasons for his success was the returning wide receiver pairing of Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. Both had been out since September with injuries, and their return immediately turbo-charged the Rams offense.

The quarterback targeted Nacua with his first throw, and when the wideout dropped it, Stafford went back to him on the next snap. It set the tone for the game. Kupp also recorded a touchdown. Their exploits affected the Vikings' defense as they gave up crucial third-down penalties and struggled all night to come to terms with the dual threat.

#4 - Rams running back Kyren Williams is a beast

Kyren Williams had a phenomenal game on the ground and added another dimension to the Rams' offense. His ability to pick up yards on pretty much every play made it very difficult for the Vikings' defense. Matthew Stafford could rely on play-action passes and find his wide receivers open because of how well the running back was playing.

Williams finished with 97 yards in 23 carries with a solid 4.2 yards per attempt. However, his average would have been much higher had Los Angeles not been trying to protect a lead toward the end of the game and rushing plays were a foregone conclusion. He consistently kept them ahead of the chains and even got the first Rams touchdown of the match on a pass from Stafford.

#5 - The referees ended the game for the Vikings

Another game and another discussion about the referees! That seems to be the norm. Even though the score suggests that the Rams ran out comfortable victors against the Vikings, the match was finely poised with more than a minute remaining. At 28-20, Sam Darnold had the chance to go on a long drive from near his endzone and tie the game with a touchdown and a two-point conversion.

However, we never got to see that because he was tackled and gave up a safety to make the final score 30-20 in favor of Los Angeles. The only issue is that it should not have counted as it was a blatant facemask grab.

The coaches cannot challenge during the two-minute warning, and Kevin O'Connell did not have any timeouts anyway. The fact, though, that this play was not reviewed and effectively ended the game was a poor advertisement for the NFL.