Paul Allen speaks for all.
The Minnesota Vikings were smacked by the Los Angeles Rams in the wild-card round on Monday night, 27-9, ending a 14-3 season in a way that only they can.
Minnesota’s magical run began with expectations of competing for the No. 1 pick, but they were in position for the No. 1 seed all the way until Week 18. The wheels started to come off at that point, with Sam Darnold officially turning into a pumpkin as the clock struck midnight.
It was a fitting outcome for the quarterback who previously admitted to seeing ghosts, as he was sacked nine times by the L.A. defense.
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Allen, the team’s radio announcer on KFAN in Minneapolis known for his memorable calls, sounded like everyone else that watched the game as Darnold held onto the ball for an eternity.
By the seventh sack, Allen was clearly less animated with Minnesota trailing 27-9 in the fourth quarter, resigned to the reality of yet another Vikings’ season ending in disappointment.
And then finally, the ninth sack had Allen and broadcast partner, Pete Bercich, questioning why he wasn’t throwing the ball. The duo added that Darnold’s unwillingness to throw had the Rams defense looking like the 1985 Chicago Bears.
Allen was a little less active on X, with his final live tweet of the game coming in the second quarter after Darnold’s only interception of the game. Prior to that, Blake Cashman’s scoop and score was overturned on review, keeping an earlier Rams’ drive alive.
Considering Allen’s history, his calls on Monday night were pretty tame for the passionate broadcaster.
He’s seen plenty of heartbreaking Vikings’ moments over the years, from Blair Walsh’s missed kick against the Seahawks, to the Cardinals’ Josh McCown’s prayer being answered, Brett Favre’s NFC championship game interception and so much more in between.
It’s not all bad, however.
He was on the call for the ‘Minneapolis Miracle,’ as Stefon Diggs hauled in the touchdown pass from Case Keenum to defeat the New Orleans Saints.
The Vikings are still on the hunt for their first Super Bowl in franchise history, one of 12 teams in the NFL that haven’t won.
Maybe Allen will one day get to call that triumph. For now, it’s just another chapter in Minnesota’s sports cursed history.
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