Rams vs. Vikings: Controversial late missed penalty overshadows LA's impressive win over Minnesota

CNN
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A controversial late missed penalty overshadowed the Los Angeles Rams' impressive 30-20 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday Night Football.

With just over 90 seconds left at LA's SoFi Stadium and the Rams leading by eight, Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold tried to pass out of his own end zone as he tried to mount a comeback attack.

Darnold was tackled in his own end zone by Rams linebacker Byron Young for a sack and a safety, making it a 10-point game, but TV replays showed that Young had grabbed Darnold's face mask and twisted his head in an awkward manner.

The Vikings' team and sideline were outraged at what they believed was a missed facemask penalty that would have allowed Minnesota to continue its drive, with receiver Justin Jefferson slamming his helmet to the ground in frustration. The Rams would win by that 10-point margin.

After the game, senior official Tra Blake said the incident went unpunished because none of his refereeing teams had a clear view of it.

“The quarterback was facing the opposite direction of me, so I couldn't get a good look at it,” Blake told a pool reporter after the game, according to ESPN. “I wasn’t looking and I obviously didn’t see the face mask come off.”

“The referee had players between him and the quarterback, so he couldn’t get a good look at it,” Blake said. “He was also hidden. So that was it. We didn’t see it, so we couldn’t call it.”

Blake also added that it wasn't a verifiable moment.

On the broadcast, commentator Kirk Herbstreit said Young “definitely” grabbed Darnold's face mask and that the linebacker “got away with one.” Al Michaels agreed, adding that Vikings fans might chant “what the fuck” after the missed call.

Afterward, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said he thought Young “got quite a bit of (Darnold's) face mask there.”

“(I) will not attend the call or make a call. I told our team that it's not our job to talk about it and that taking comfort in it is not our way of responding,” he told reporters.

“It's just not going to happen and I'm going to do the same thing now. I really can't tell if it was a piece of face mask, but they didn't think so. They didn’t throw the flag.”

The controversial ending came after a tense game in which both teams moved the ball at will.

The Rams were bolstered by the return of their two star wide receivers, Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, after both missed weeks with injuries.

Their inclusion in the starting lineup seemed to open up everything for Rams QB Matthew Stafford, who threw four touchdown passes – one to Kupp, one to Kyren Williams and two to Damarcus Robinson. Running back Williams also rushed for 97 yards on the ground.

Kupp and Nacua combined for 12 receptions for 157 yards — with Nacua, the sophomore, rushing for 107 yards — and the Rams scored a season-high 30 points against the Vikings' vaunted defense.

Stafford then talked about the importance of having his top targets back in the lineup as the Rams improved to 3-4 this season.

“This is what you envisioned (for this offense) when training camp started, and it's nice to have these guys back,” Stafford told reporters. “I've said it before, but I really think it was great for our entire team. Of course it was great for our offense.

“I was so happy and proud that these guys were back on the field with us, but I was also very important for our defense, our special teams, (because) everyone feels it when these guys are back.”

It was a special victory for Rams head coach Sean McVay, who became the franchise's all-time leader in wins with 80.

It was the Vikings' second loss in four days after starting the season 0-5. Perhaps even more worrisome for Minnesota, however, is the potentially serious injury to star left tackle Christian Darrisaw.

Darrisaw is one of the best at his position in the league and was ruled out for the remainder of the game after suffering an injury late in the first half.