Monday evening’s wild-card spherical disappointment for the Vikings appeared to be felt viscerally by the voice of the crew.
Paul Allen, the crew’s iconic radio voice on KFXN, felt the entire feelings in what turned an unpleasant 27-9 loss that noticed quarterback Sam Darnold get sacked 9 occasions for 82 yards.
Allen, the radio voice since 2002, has by no means been shy about displaying his displeasure, anger and disappointment through the years, together with memorable calls on Brett Favre’s late interception within the 2010 NFC title recreation, Blair Walsh’s missed chip-shot area aim within the 2016 wild-card spherical and when then-Cardinals quarterback — and now Vikings QB coach — Josh McCown eradicated Minnesota within the ultimate seconds of the final common season recreation in 2003.
And, on Monday evening, Darnold was on the heart of Allen’s newest name.
With below 4 minutes left within the second quarter and the Vikings already down 17-3, Darnold danced across the pocket and held onto the ball, hoping for somebody to get open downfield.
However that didn’t occur, and Darnold was ultimately sacked.
Allen was none too happy.
“He’s holding it too long! Throw it, man!” Allen stated in disbelief. “On the 25-yard line he’s sacked for a fifth time.
It was the story of the sport for Darnold who was sacked six completely different occasions after at the very least 4.4 seconds after the snap, in response to Subsequent Gen Stats.
At halftime, Allen shared his ideas on X in what he referred to as a “drunk” recreation.
“This game is drunk. Idiot call by the Hussey crew nullifying a Cashman scoop and score, Rams rough Ryan Wright in a punt, free first down Minnesota, then Sam throws a pick,” Allen wrote. “It’s 10-3 Rams second quarter.”
By the point Darnold was sacked for the ninth time late within the fourth quarter and the sport out of attain, the radio sales space’s name was considerably extra subdued, with the Vikings’ fortunes all however sealed at that time.
Darnold, heading to free company, admitted to “mistakes” after the sport, and head coach Kevin O’Connell instructed reporters that the signal-caller had loads of moments the place holding onto the ball for longer intervals of time didn’t assist the crew.
“Those moments where you’re holding that ball, and your reaction is to try to make a play — we can’t talk out of both sides of our mouth cause he sure as heck made a lot of plays doing that this year — but I think that’s part of the growth,” the coach stated.
