Sometimes it’s illuminating to look at the reactions from the other side to see just how your team is being perceived. The reaction in Minnesota to the Lions’ dominating 31-9 victory over their Vikings paints quite a disturbing picture of how Minnesota is handling the crushing defeat in Week 18.
Take a look at some of the headlines and reactions from around the Vikings media:
Summarized simply, how can we trust Sam Darnold again?
This video reaction from KARE-11 in Minneapolis
Sam Darnold, Vikings blockers got exactly what Lions planned: ‘More than they could handle’
Assigning blame via the Daily Norseman
SAM DARNOLD STRUGGLES! Vikings-Lions Instant Reaction!
Vikings fall flat on their faces in 31-9 loss to Lions in primetime
They may or may not have expected to win the game, which is fair; there was a healthy skepticism from many Lions outlets and fans that Detroit could win, too. But the manner in which the Lions completely outclassed the Vikings in a showdown critical game opened up some veins of doubt that are bleeding all over Minnesota’s fandom right now.
The Vikings have to regroup quickly if they want a shot at redemption. They have to play the Rams in Los Angeles on Monday night for a potential trip back to Ford Field. Even if they make it, the crushing nature of Detroit’s ongoing domination over their venerated defense and how unready Sam Darnold looked on Sunday night isn’t something that will be easy to erase from the Minnesota memory banks.
