The Minnesota Vikings ’ matchup with the Detroit Lions in Week 18 was the regular season Super Bowl for both teams. Home field advantage in the playoffs, the critical bye, and the NFC North title were on the line — and like so many times in the team’s past, when the lights shone brightest, Minnesota faltered.

Sam Darnold’s first half of playoff football quickly turned disastrous, with the Vikings quarterback — and Jets castoff — turning the ball over twice and taking six sacks as the Rams jumped out to a double-digit lead in the NFC wild-card round.

The Minnesota Vikings endured a miserable start against the LA Rams, not helped by a series of sluggish decisions from the quarterback.