Sam Darnold did all he could for the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. In the end, however, it just wasn't enough as the Detroit Lions secured a dominant 31-9 win to clinch the NFC North title and the No. 1 seed in the conference.
Darnold, who has had an incredible campaign for Minnesota, completed 18-of-41 passes for 166 yards and zero touchdowns. The former No. 3 overall pick came up short in the Vikings' biggest game of the season thus far.
The silver lining for Darnold and Co. is that they still have the playoffs in front of them. Despite the loss against their rivals, the Vikings still have a shot at the Super Bowl title this season -- and they're going to do everything in their power to go as far as they can in the postseason.
This is the message Darnold's girlfriend, Katie Hoofnagle, sent on Monday following the disappointing loss. Much like every single Minnesota fan out there, Hoofnagle is riding with the Vikings until the wheels fall off.
"RIDE OR DIE IN PURPLE !!!" Hoofnagle posted on Instagram.
— Paolo Songco (@PaoloSongcoNBA) January 7, 2025
Hoofnagle, who has been dating Darnold since at least June 2023, shared a post from fellow Vikings WAG (wives and girlfriends) Keely Grugier-Hill, who is the better half of Minnesota veteran linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill.
Keely Grugier-Hill shared a video montage of her experience during Sunday's game with her fellow WAGs. This included Hoofnagle, who is quoted in the video saying the same five-word message she posted.
Darnold and the rest of the Vikings will now be preparing for their upcoming Wild Card clash against the Los Angeles Rams. They will be traveling to SoFi Stadium on Monday for a road game, but are still considered favorites to come out of this do-or-die showdown.
