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Scarlett was used as a rotational linebacker with the Texans last year, totaling 28 tackles across 287 defensive snaps. He remains only one year removed from notching a career-high 3.5 sacks with Houston.

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.

Under contract through the 2025 season, Nailor is likely to reprise his role as the WR3 for the Vikings in the new league year after catching 28 passes for 414 yards and six touchdowns during the 2024 regular season. That said, he could be catching passes from a different quarterback considering Sam Darnold’s contract is up and his significant struggles to end the season against the Lions and Rams.

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.

Akers saw more work in the backfield for the Vikings towards the end of the 2024 season after veteran lead back Aaron Jones appeared to slow. Both backs were playing the 2024 season on one-year “prove it” deals, potentially an indication of sweeping changes in the backfield for a Vikings team that flamed out down the stretch this year. Akers ends the 2024 season with 147 yards and a touchdown on 40 regular season carries, adding four receptions.

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.

Anarumo served as the defensive coordinator for the Bengals for the previous six seasons. After being widely regarded as one of the top defensive minds in the game, Anarumo’s Bengals struggled mightily in 2024 while allowing 25.5 points and 348.3 yards of total offense per game. Both values ranked 25th in the league during the regular season.

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.