As great as the season was for head coach Kevin O’Connell, Sam Darnold and Justin Jefferson, the regular season ended on a poor note as they got drummed by the Lions in Week 18 when the No. 1 seed, a bye in the Wild Card round was on the line and the division title was at stake.

The beleaguered Detroit Lions defense was supposed to be vulnerable against the Vikings’ high-powered offense, but that unit came through with its best game when everything was on the line. Darnold, who had helped the Vikings author both a five-game and nine-game winning streak during the season, struggled badly against the Lions. He completed just 18 of 41 passes for 166 yards and missed some throws that he normally turns into big plays.

But blaming Darnold for the Vikings’ Week 18 defeat would not be accurate. The Vikings offensive line was not able to hold up its end as the Lions pass rush had Darnold on the run throughout the game. There were very few throws that Darnold could set up in the pocket, survey the field and find an open receiver.

O’Connell’s main job this week is to make sure that game is put to bed and the failures in the 31-9 loss to the Lions are not carried forward. Maintaining a positive and optimistic perspective is one of O’Connell’s greatest strengths, but that characteristic is clearly being put to the test.

The Vikings are a complete team with Darnold, Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Aaron Jones all holding key roles. But the X-factor may be tight end T.J. Hockenson.

Hockenson can alter the outcome for Vikings

The X-factor is Hockenson, because he will be extremely difficult for the Los Angeles defense to defend. Hockenson came back from a 2023 torn ACL to catch 41 passes for 455 yards in 10 games. Hockenson appears to have regained full strength and has gotten better on an every-game basis.

Darnold will look to Hockenson on third-down plays and when the Vikings are in the red zone. The 6-5, 248-pound Hockenson turned 30 of his receptions into first downs, and he knows where to go to keep drives alive.

Hockenson has not gotten into the end zone to this point in the season, but that could change here. He caught 5 TD passes in 2023 before he suffered his injury and he will not drop the ball if he can get his hands on it.

Key players expected to produce

Going on the road after such a brilliant season seems like a burden for a team that had such a great and surprising season. But that is the hand that the Vikings have been dealt and they knew that going into their regular-season finale against the Lions.

They were not able to compete at the same level as their rivals. They were not as determined or confident as the Lions, nor were they as physical. That is something that is going to have to be corrected if the two teams meet in the divisional playoffs or the NFC championship game.

But to earn that opportunity, they will have to go on the road and beat the Rams. They certainly have some strong weapons on both sides of the ball that may allow them to do just that should allow them to do just that.

Jefferson is almost certainly the best receiver in the NFL and Addison has remarkable speed and can beat any defense with his ability to get deep. Jefferson caught 103 passes for 1,533 yards with 10 touchdowns and 28 plays of 20 yards or more. Addison caught 63-875-9 with 13 big plays.

Jones is also a key factor in the running game and he had a solid season, running for 1,136 yards and 9 touchdowns while averaging 4.5 yards per carry. The Vikings are hoping that Jones can come close to the playoff effort he had last season with the Packers when he rushed for 118 yards and 3 TDs against the Cowboys and followed up with a 108-yard effort against the 49ers.

Defense will be vital for the Vikings

Defensive coordinator Brian Flores has had a brilliant year and the Vikings have allowed just 19.5 points per game and that ranks 5th in the NFL. They also ranked second in run defense, allowing 83.4 rushing yards per game.

Jonathan Greenard (12.0 sacks), Andrew Van Ginkel (11.5 sacks, 2 interceptions returned for touchdowns) and Blake Cashman (team-leading 112 tackles) have all fit in beautifully this season, and they should be able to make life extremely difficult for Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford.

As long as the Vikings have gotten past their Week 18 loss to the Lions, they have the weapons to go on the road and defeat a good but not great Rams team