Sam Darnold controversial non-facemask penalty in Vikings-Rams, explained by the officials

The Los Angeles Rams defeated the Minnesota Vikings by a final score of 30-20 on Thursday Night Football.

While a major headline might be the resurgence of the Rams, who improved to 3-4 in the win and looked like a very competitive football team with both Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua back in the lineup — quieting rumors that the team might trade Kupp ahead of the November 5 NFL Trade Deadline — perhaps the biggest story was a non-call on an apparent facemask penalty late in the game.

With the Vikings trailing 28-20 with under two minutes remaining, Minnesota quarterback Sam Darnold dropped to throw on a 2nd-and-10 play from the Vikings’ 5-yard line. As Darnold waiting in the pocket, deep in his own end zone, for a receiver to break free Rams pass rusher Byron Young dragged him down, grabbing Darnold’s face mask in the process:

A game-sealing safety on what should’ve been a facemask call against the Rams.

“They cannot review that. But he definitely got the facemask (of Sam Darnold). ” – Kirk Herbstreit

“Viking fans are going ‘What the hell?!'” – Al Michaels #NFL #TNF ️ pic.twitter.com/DbfLrhtXHr

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 25, 2024

You can even see Young peel away from the play holding his helmet, a sign he knew a penalty flag was coming.

However, it never came.

Here is another look at the play, from behind the referee in the end zone:

Referee thought Sam Darnold decided to just twist his own head off. No facemask. Just Darnold trying to go full Exorcist out there. Yikes. pic.twitter.com/ba7EDjodAQ

— Michael Hurley (@michaelFhurley) October 25, 2024

Vikings players and fans were incredulous at the non-call, and the officials did come together to discuss the play. However, the safety stood, and the Rams ran out the clock for the ten-point win

After the game NFL pool reporter Calvin Watkins spoke with referee Tra Blake, who outlined that none of the officials on the field saw the penalty:

“Well, on that play, the quarterback was facing the opposite direction from me so I did not have good look at it,” began Blake. “I did not have a look, and I did not see the facemask being pulled, obviously. The umpire had players between him and the quarterback, so he did not get a good look at it. He was blocked out as well. So that was the thing, we did not see it so we couldn’t call it. We couldn’t see it.”

Regarding the crew coming together to discuss the call, Blake noted that while they discussed the play as a crew, they “weren’t able to see it on the field so we weren’t able to make that call.”

Blake ended the discussion noting that a play like that is not reviewable.

Perhaps that might change in the future.