Minnesota Vikings fans were left furious after their team’s controversial defeat to the Los Angeles Rams, claiming the game was "rigged" following a missed face mask penalty late in the match. The Thursday Night Football showdown saw both teams vying for a playoff spot, with the Vikings hoping to regain their lead in the division after traveling to SoFi Stadium.
Despite a valiant effort from Kevin O'Connell's squad, the Vikings fell 30-20, with a crucial 10-yard touchdown pass to Demarcus Robinson sealing the deal with just eight minutes left in the fourth quarter. However, the real controversy erupted with less than two minutes remaining.
As the Vikings, trailing 28-20, started from their five-yard line, quarterback Sam Darnold tried to find an open receiver on second-and-10. He was sacked in the end zone by Byron Young, resulting in a safety and a 10-point buffer for the Rams. However, replays quickly revealed that Young had illegally grabbed Darnold’s face mask before bringing him down.
What should have been a 15-yard penalty and an automatic first down went uncalled, as the referees failed to throw the flag. The situation became even more baffling as camera angles showed an official with a clear view of the blatant face mask violation.
Fans on social media erupted in outrage, demanding action from the NFL. One enraged user on X stated: "The refs were right there!! This is rigged!" while another complained: "Pathetic. I thought ALL SCORING PLAYS WERE REVIEWED?" Other fans called for accountability, with comments like: "Fire those refs. They were horrible," and "Most obvious missed call ever."
According to NFL officiating guidelines, the referee is primarily responsible for overseeing quarterback hits. Yet, the play was not reviewable under current NFL rules, prompting one fan to express disbelief: "I can't believe this kind of thing isn't reviewable yet."
Referee Tra Blake admitted in a post-game interview that none of the officials had a clear view of the incident. He explained: "The quarterback was facing away from me, so I didn’t have a good angle. I didn’t see the face mask being pulled."
Umpire Carl Paganelli was also unable to provide assistance due to obstructed sightlines, with Blake further adding: "There were players between the umpire and the quarterback, so he couldn’t get a good look either. That was the issue—we simply didn’t see it, so we couldn’t make the call."
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell took a more measured approach compared to the fans, acknowledging the missed call but refusing to use it as an excuse for his team’s performance. "It looked like he got a pretty good amount of face mask there," he commented.