Sam Darnold’s sackings drove Vikings radio announcer Paul Allen crazy

Sam Darnold was sacked nine times during the Vikings’ season-ending loss to the Rams on Monday night. These plays resulted in an NFL playoff record 82 yards lost, a defensive touchdown and a turnover on downs that essentially sealed the game before the end of the first half.

They also caused longtime KFAN radio play-by-play broadcaster Paul Allen to nearly lose his mind. Allen, who has countless iconic, passionate calls of great Vikings moments – both good and bad – over the past 20-plus years, was understandably fed up with the sacks killing drives, many of whom were at least in part the result of Darnold’s detention. on the ball for too long.

“He’s holding it too long! Throw it, man!” Allen yelled after the Rams sacked Darnold for the fifth time in the first half.

It was Allen’s call for the fourth sack, which resulted in a 57-yard touchdown return by Rams rusher Jared Verse:

In the seventh, with the Vikings trailing by a final score of 27-9, Allen looked defeated. All the excitement, fun and joyful atmosphere of the season had collapsed in the first round of the playoffs.

Sacks were the main reason the Vikings lost in nightmarish fashion at Arizona, and the blame for that problem deserves to be shared between Darnold, the offensive line, and Kevin O’Connell. Regardless of who was at fault, Allen expressed what all Vikings fans across the country were feeling at those times.

As a bonus from the KFAN broadcast, here’s Allen celebrating Blake Cashman’s potential touchdown in the second quarter, then color commentator Pete Bercich getting upset when the call was overturned on an incomplete pass with no intentional grounding.

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