The Minnesota Vikings fizzled out again down the stretch after a hot start.

For the seventh straight game, the Vikings sprinted out of the gate in the first quarter and scored back-to-back touchdown drives in Los Angeles on Thursday night. However, for the second straight game, Kevin O’Connell’s club couldn’t keep up the pace, scoring just two field goals in their final six drives in a 30–20 loss to the LA Rams.

“We just couldn’t hang on and weren’t on the field enough,” O’Connell said via the team’s official website. “I mean again 50 plays, if it’s a game like this and their offense is making a few plays and sustaining drives and eating a lot of clock, then it can feel like a very short game to you as a foul when you either score or go backwards, either self-inflicted or sack, so we just have to try to find a way to mitigate that.”

The Vikings gained 386 to 276 yards, allowed more first downs (26 to 17) and went 2 of 4 in the red zone, while the Rams converted all three trips into touchdowns.

Just like in the loss to Detroit, the Vikings started to stub their toe after the opening salvo. That “self-inflicted” word was the main refrain again.

“I feel like these last two losses were just self-inflicted,” receiver Justin Jefferson said. “Not making certain plays that we need is definitely something that hurts us in the long run.”

Minnesota was penalized nine times: five times gave the Rams offense a new set of downs, and several were of the offense’s pre-snap variety.

The Vikings defense struggled to pressure Matthew Stafford, not sacking the quarterback once and earning only four plays with QB pressure. The Vikings have allowed more than 30 points in back-to-back games, after not allowing 30 points in any game during their 5-0 start.

Sam Darnold was also sacked three times, including one deep in the fourth quarter, forcing a punt that allowed the Rams to eat away most of the clock. The final sack came on a safety in which Rams Byron Young took down the QB in the end zone but got his hands on the facemask.

Referee Tra Blake said in a pool report that he and referee Carl Paganelli – the two officials closest to the play – did not have a clear idea of ​​the possible penalty that could have pushed the Vikings down eight points with 1:36 remaining.

“The quarterback was looking the other way than me, so I didn’t look closely. I didn’t look and I didn’t see the face mask being pulled,” Blake said, via the Associated Press. “The referee had players between him and the quarterback, so he didn’t get a view of it. He was also blocked. So that was the problem, we didn’t see it, so we couldn’t call it. We could.” I don’t see it.”

Facemask calls cannot be immediately replayed.

Darnold didn’t blame the Vikings’ loss on the non-call.

“The face mask – it is what it is,” Darnold said. “I thought we could have done a lot to not put ourselves in the situation we were in. We just have to keep playing better and not put ourselves in that situation.”

With a few extra days off before their Sunday night Week 9 matchup with the Indianapolis Colts, the Vikings will be looking for answers as to why they can’t keep up their fast starts.

“We just have to stay on people’s necks,” Jefferson said. “Just go out there and execute every play for 60 minutes. That’s what it comes down to – who wants more at the end of the day? … No team is just a sad team, and we’re just going to walk over (them). That’s not going to happen to happen.”