Sam Darnold Was Near-Perfect on Sunday
This is what the Minnesota Vikings needed to do.
Sam Darnold did everything that he needed to do. Kevin O’Connell’s squad was virtually perfect on Sunday against the New York Giants, and quarterback Sam Darnold was the catalyst.
Sam Darnold Was Near-Perfect on Sunday
Through the first half, Sam Darnold looked like he was playing against high-school talent. The Vikings veteran quarterback picked apart the defense, finding both Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Darnold was able to put the ball in the end zone, and he missed only a few passes.
Yes, the Giants may be the worst football team this year. Daniel Jones still looks awful and the defense was unable to stop the plethora of Vikings playmakers. That can all be true, but execution is still the name of the game. Darnold came out and got the job done against a lackluster opponent.
That performance substantiates some of the belief that was shown for Darnold in his new digs. For the first time, he has a real coach, and he has playmakers capable of elevating his performance. Now, he’ll have to do it when the odds are even more stacked against him.
Although the Vikings bested the San Francisco 49ers last season, they find themselves as underdogs when opening U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday. Kyle Shanahan’s team comes in as a potential Super Bowl contender, and the Vikings will have their hands full. Of course, Darnold was employed by San Francisco last season, but beating them would take his stock to an entirely new level.
No one has believed in Minnesota all offseason because of how they value Sam Darnold. Suppose Darnold can prove that circumstances have been the largest thing holding him back. In that case, the probability of Minnesota putting together a good season takes on an entirely different light. The 49ers will give him an immediate chance to prove that, and the Giants’ results allow for a confident quarterback under center.
The result on Sunday was good, but how Darnold performed and what O’Connell saw made this Vikings team especially intriguing when looking ahead to Week 2.
Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes weekly for Twins Daily. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.
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