Fans want Sam Darnold benched for Daniel Jones as Vikings QB massively struggles vs. Rams - "He is playing horrible football"

Vikings fans were sick of Sam Darnold even before their first half against the Rams was over in the Wild Card round. Los Angeles took a 21-point lead into the break and much of the blame could be laid at the feet of the Minnesota quarterback.

Sam Darnold turned the ball over with an early interception. He then followed it up with losing the ball in a tackle for a Rams scoop-and-score. He was sacked six times for more than 50 yards as there were times when he held on to the ball a bit too long.

It prompted fans on X/Twitter to say that Daniel Jones should come in and get a chance in the second half.

Here are some of the responses from the social media platform advocating for a change in the quarterback position.

Others blamed the Vikings' offensive line for the situation they were in. They failed to keep a clean pocket for their quarterback and he was pressured on over 40 percent of snaps.

Here are some more reactions.

"Vikings oline cant run block and cant protect their QB. Pass routes too long." - said one.

"These Vikings O-line trash they ain't winning shit until they fix that they can't even drop back and pass" - agreed another.

"The Vikings O Line getting murdered and the coaches don’t have a counter at all" - added a third.

Sam Darnold's performance raises questions about Vikings future with Daniel Jones in the wings

Sam Darnold was playing for his future this year, knowing he had a chance to cement his place in Minnesota if he played well. After leading the team to 14 wins, it looked as if it was going to be a formality that he would return to the Vikings in 2025.

However, in the final game of the regular season, he struggled in a loss against the Lions. Since that game determined who won the NFC top seed, it was effectively a playoff game before they officially began. And his poor performance continued in this Wild Card round match against the Rams.

Suddenly, what looked to be a lock about him being their franchise quarterback going forward does not look so certain. Minnesota brought in Daniel Jones, who himself is a former starter with the Giants, during the season. They also drafted J.J. McCarthy in the 2024 NFL draft. There will be questions about what the Vikings should do with Sam Darnold after this clash.