Sam Darnold's sacks drove Vikings radio announcer Paul Allen crazy

Allen was fed up with Darnold holding onto the ball and taking sack after sack.
Jan 13, 2025; Glendale, AZ, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) is sacked against the Los Angeles Rams during the first half in an NFC wild card game at State Farm Stadium.
Jan 13, 2025; Glendale, AZ, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) is sacked against the Los Angeles Rams during the first half in an NFC wild card game at State Farm Stadium. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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Sam Darnold was sacked nine times in the Vikings' season-ending loss to the Rams on Monday night. Those plays resulted in an NFL playoff-record 82 yards lost, a scoop and score defensive touchdown, and a turnover on downs that essentially sealed the game before the first half was over.

They also resulted in longtime KFAN radio play-by-play broadcaster Paul Allen nearly losing his mind. Allen, who has countless iconic, passionate calls of big Vikings moments — both good and bad — over the past 20-plus years, was understandably fed up with the drive-killing sacks, many of which were at least partially a result of Darnold holding onto the ball for far 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.

This was Allen's call of the fourth sack, which resulted in a 57-yard touchdown return by Rams edge rusher Jared Verse:

By the seventh one, with the Vikings trailing by the eventual final score of 27-9, Allen just sounded defeated. All of the excitement and fun and joyful vibes of the season had come crashing down in the opening round of the playoffs.

The sacks were the primary reason why the Vikings lost in nightmarish fashion in Arizona, and blame for the issue deserves to be split between Darnold, the offensive line, and Kevin O'Connell. Whoever was at fault, Allen expressed what every Vikings fan across the country was feeling in those moments.

As a bonus call from the KFAN broadcast, here's Allen celebrating Blake Cashman's would-be touchdown in the second quarter and then color commentator Pete Bercich flipping out when the ruling was overturned to an incomplete pass with no intentional grounding.


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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.