Vikings QB Sam Darnold was on his way to a big payday this offseason. But two bad games may have cost him his job — and millions.

The Minnesota Vikings were blown off the field by the Los Angeles Rams in a 27-9 beatdown. Sam Darnold was sacked nine times, threw an interception, and lost a fumble. It was a nightmare, but it shouldn't be the only takeaway from a great season.

At the dawn of the new year, Sam Darnold was a folk hero in Minnesota. Not only did the quarterback -- no longer locally branded a reclamation project, but rather a full-blown, high-octane Pro Bowler -- sweep the rival Green Bay Packers to give the Vikings their best regular-season record in 16 years,

The Los Angeles Rams have had far from a normal last week. Still, they continue to play some of their best football of the season.

The Minnesota Vikings lost to the Los Angeles Rams Monday in the NFL Wild Card round. Here's what we learned, beyond the fact that we can't have nice things.