Vikings fans fume over referee's missed face mask call on Sam Darnold as Rams take victory - "WTF this is so rigged"

Sam Darnold wasn't supposed to be this good in the 2024 season. Signed by the Minnesota Vikings on a one-year contract, he unexpectedly assumed the starting job after rookie JJ McCarthy tore his ACL during the preseason. Darnold won five straight before encountering the Detroit Lions, whose emergency kicker Jake Bates clinched the NFC North lead with a last-minute field goal.

On Thursday night, the Vikings visited the Los Angeles Rams with the intent of reclaiming the divisional lead. In a very closely contested game, they lost 30-20 after Byron Young sacked Darnold in the endzone for a safety within the final two minutes.

There was just one problem - he had grabbed the quarterback's mask, yet the referees didn't throw a flag, which would have meant a 15-yard penalty and automatic first down:

There was much outrage from fans, with one tweeting:

"The refs were right there!! wtf this is so rigged"

More fan reactions can be seen below:

"Fire those refs. They were horrible," one demanded.

"I can’t believe this sort of thing isn’t reviewable by now," another lamented.

"Most obvious call I’ve ever seen", another jeered.

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Vikings unsure about extending Sam Darnold despite strong start

Outside of the ensuing two-game slump, Sam Darnold has done nothing but looked elite. But with JJ McCarthy looming and tied to the team for the long-term, questions abound about his long-term future. ESPN's Dan Graziano asked:

"What kind of deal could Darnold get on the open market if his season continues the way it has gone so far?"

Hours before Thursday's game, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer gave some clarity to the situation. When asked about it by Kaylee Hartung, Breer said that there had been no concrete plans about the 2018 third overall pick:

"They love where Sam Darnold is. His accuracy, arm talent, makeup, all of it shows why he was a third overall pick in the draft.

"(Head coach) Kevin O'Connell has been up front with Darnold, telling him, 'Just have a good day, have a good practice, have a good game, and then we'll have a good problem, and we'll deal with it after the year.'"

Despite his injury, McCarthy was inside SoFi Stadium for the game, manning the headset.