Kupp was notably held without a target in the first half as the team relied heavily on tight end Tyler Higbee and Puka Nacua through the air. HIgbee departed after the second possession with a chest injury and was promptly deemed doubtful to return before ultimately being ruled out, something that could influence the team’s target pecking order in a Divisional Round matchup against the Eagles next weekend, even though that appeared to be influenced by the matchup against the blitz-heavy Vikings.

For all intents and purposes, Nacua and Stafford were not really on the same page in the blowout win, but a dominant performance by their defense, which included nine sacks and a strip sack fumble recovery for a touchdown in the second quarter led to only 51 offensive plays run from scrimmage. Nacua appeared to bang knees with a defender in the third quarter and he was seen limping to the sideline, but he would return on the same possession and finish the game for the Rams. The win sends the Rams to a road Divisional Round clash with the Eagles next weekend.

Williams got the scoring started for the Rams on the opening possession of the game, catching a five-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Matthew Stafford on a leak play to the middle of the end zone. The Rams ran only 51 offensive plays as their defense clamped down on the Vikings, resulting in only 19 opportunities for the running back that led the league in percentage of team touches in the regular season at 43%. Williams and the rest of the Los Angeles skill position players could be called on at greater frequency in the Divisional Round against the Eagles.

Stafford and the Rams controlled the flow of the game throughout after scoring on their opening possession. A second quarter fumble recovery for a touchdown from their defense padded their lead early, eventually leading to a 24-3 lead heading into the half. That allowed the Rams to use more caution on offense after the break, something that contributed to Stafford’s lowly 27 pass attempts. The win sends the Rams to a road Divisional Round matchup against the Eagles, which will showcase two defenses playing their best football of the season.

Addison failed to come down with multiple deep passes in single coverage, most of which came with the game well out of hand in the second half. The second-year receiver failed to match his gaudy stats from a season ago after a breakout 2023 campaign, finishing his 2024 season with 63 catches for 875 yards and nine touchdowns. Most notably, Addison managed just four receptions on 15 targets in his final two appearances against the Lions and Rams, coinciding with poor quarterback play from Sam Darnold to end the season. Either way, Addison is likely to remain an integral part of the offense moving forward only two years into his rookie contract.

Jefferson appeared visibly frustrated on the sideline in the second half after failing to coral any of the three targets thrown his way after the break, potentially a sign of a lack of trust in quarterback Sam Darnold. That is of particular intrigue considering the franchise reportedly loves J.J. McCarthy and Darnold’s contract terminates this year, something that could lead to a change at signal caller heading into the new league year in Minnesota. Jefferson’s stellar 2024 season ends with 103 catches for 1,533 yards and 10 touchdowns, narrowly edged in the receptions department by triple crown-winning wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase.

Hockenson scored the only touchdown for the Vikings as they put up a performance they’d rather soon forget against the Rams. Under contract for the next three season, Hockenson is likely to be a large part of the future plans for a franchise likely headed towards significant offensive changes considering quarterback Sam Darnold and running backs Aaron Jones and Cam Akers are on the final year of their contracts. Hockenson appeared in 11 games for the Vikings, including the playoffs, in 2024 after starting the season on injured reserve as he recovered from a torn ACL suffered in the 2023 season. His season ends with 41 receptions for 455 yards.

Aaron Jones enters the 2025 offseason as an unrestricted free agent after playing the 2024 season on a one-year deal in Minnesota, potentially signaling the end of his run with the Vikings. The veteran back rushed for 1,138 yards and five touchdowns in the regular season, adding 51 receptions to his ledger. He slowed as the season wore on, ceding additional snaps and opportunities to fellow veteran Cam Akers towards the end of the season. The Vikings have numerous key unrestricted free agents heading into the offseason including all but one starter in the secondary, something that could have this team looking far different on paper heading into the new league year.

Darnold was under duress throughout, eventually leading to an NFL-record nine sacks in the Wildcard loss to the Rams. He notably failed to complete a pass directed towards alpha wide receiver Justin Jefferson in the second half on three targets. One of his nine sacks taken resulted in a fumble that was housed by the Rams defense, which occurred in a seven-point game in the second quarter. It is fair to question whether Darnold has attempted his last pass as a member of the Vikings considering the offense managed just 18 points in their final two games in 2024, scoring just nine against the Lions in Week 18 to fall to the five seed and nine against the Rams in the Wildcard Round. Darnold’s contract is set to expire this offseason. Although the team finished the regular season with a stellar 14-3 record, a one-and-done in the postseason could have the franchise looking elsewhere at quarterback, potentially turning to J.J. McCarthy in 2025. Darnold’s year ends with a Pro Bowl selection after throwing for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns to 12 interceptions.

It’s a big loss for a Rams team that fed five targets to Higbee on their first two possessions. It is unclear when Higbee picked up the injury but the fact he was immediately deemed as doubtful to return likely indicates a more serious injury. Higbee returned from injured reserve in Week 16 and appeared in the final three games of the regular season, with his role picking up through the first quarter in the Wildcard Round prior to his departure with a chest injury. Higbee caught all five targets for 58 yards prior to departing.