What a difference a couple of weeks make. The Minnesota Vikings went from a Super Bowl contending, 14-game winner playing for the NFC North title with the conference's No. 1 seed and a wild-card bye on the line -- before Week 18's 31-9 defeat by the Detroit Lions -- to an early playoff exit because of a 27-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams .

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.

This ESPN football analyst defends Sam Darnold after Vikings lost to Rams in wild-card game.

The Minnesota Vikings have a big fan in quarterback Sam Darnold's girlfriend Katie Hoofnagle. As Darnold has taken full advantage of his opportunity in Minnesota, Hoofnagle has been a staple at Vikings games.

The Minnesota Vikings could turn to Aaron Rodgers to solve their quarterback conundrum after Sam Darnold's performance against the Los Angeles Rams left a sour taste in the organization's mouth

Sam Darnold's future as the Minnesota Vikings quarterback is a major question mark heading into the offseason. Has the former USC Trojan earned the right to be the starter next season, or will the Pro Bowler be on the move?

Minnesota Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah answered direct questions about QB Sam Darnold and his future with the team. The post Vikings GM Turns Heads With Comments on QB Sam Darnold appeared first on Heavy Sports.