Taking a spin around the national media, we find a lot of folks picking the Rams to win Monday. But maybe that plays right into the Vikings’ season-long narrative of proving skeptics wrong.

Despite his struggles in Week 18, the free agency market for Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold remains highly competitive.

And yet, even after resting their starters to effectively throw away the third seed in Week 18, Sean McVay and the Rams aren't taking their foe for granted, as on Monday, the Super Bowl-winning head coach told reporters just how impressed he's been with Sam Darnold in Kevin O'Connell's offensive scheme.

Pardon us. Coming through. Sorry to interrupt the pitch-fork party’s tarring and feathering of the quarterback y’all loved five days ago when he was 14-2 but … This, believe it or not, is a story about someone other than Sam Darnold who needs to play better against the Rams in the playoffs on Monday night.