Vikings suffer from ‘self-inflicted’ issues in loss to Rams 

Minnesota was penalized 9 occasions — 5 gave the Rams offense a brand new set of downs, and a number of other had been of the pre-snap selection from the offense.

The Vikings protection struggled to stress Matthew Stafford, not sacking the quarterback as soon as and incomes simply 4 performs with QB pressures. The Vikings have allowed 30-plus factors in back-to-back video games after not permitting 30 factors in any sport throughout their 5-0 begin.

Sam Darnold was additionally sacked thrice, one coming deep within the fourth quarter, forcing a punt that allowed the Rams to salt away many of the clock. The ultimate sack got here on a security through which the Rams’ Byron Younger took down the QB in the long run zone however obtained his fingers on the facemask.

Referee Tra Blake mentioned in a pool report that he and umpire Carl Paganelli — the 2 officers closest to the play — didn’t have a transparent view of the would-be penalty that would have prolonged the Vikings’ drive down eight factors with 1:36 remaining.

“The quarterback was dealing with the other way from me so I didn’t have a very good take a look at it. I didn’t take a look, and I didn’t see the facemask being pulled,” Blake mentioned, by way of The Related Press. “The umpire had gamers between him and the quarterback, so he didn’t get a take a look at it. He was blocked out as effectively. In order that was the factor, we didn’t see it so we could not name it. We could not see it.”

Facemask calls should not reviewable by on the spot replay.

Darnold did not blame the Vikings’ loss on the non-call.

“The facemask — it’s what it’s,” Darnold mentioned. “I assumed we might’ve finished quite a bit to not put ourselves within the scenario that we had been in. We simply need to proceed to play higher and never put ourselves in that scenario to start with.”

With just a few additional days off earlier than their Week 9 Sunday night time matchup with the Indianapolis Colts, the Vikings shall be looking for solutions as to why they can not maintain their quick begins.

“We simply want to simply keep on individuals’s necks,” Jefferson mentioned. “Simply go on the market and execute each single play for 60 minutes. That is what it comes all the way down to — who needs it extra on the finish of the day? … No crew is only a unhappy crew, and we’re simply gonna stroll throughout [them]. That is not gonna occur.”