Oct 2, 2022; London, United Kingdom; Minnesota Vikings fans react in the second half .Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports.
Last weekend, onlookers tried to hype Aaron Jones’ return to Lambeau Field as a “revenge game” for the Minnesota Vikings running back, but it was all smiles and love from Love to Green Bay.
Fast forward to Week 5, and Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold shot down any similar sentiment regarding his showdown with the New York Jets on Sunday.
The Jets drafted Darnold with the third overall pick in 2018, and by 2021, that organization offloaded him to the Carolina Panthers. Darnold didn’t pan out in New York, but he’s thriving now as a member of the Vikings.
But for a revenge game, Darnold simply doesn’t see it that way. “I had a lot of opportunities in New York, and I always felt like I could’ve played better there,” Darnold said this week.
In Minnesota, Darnold leads the NFL in touchdown passes through four weeks and ranks third per EPA+CPOE, an efficiency metric measuring expected wins added.
“I’m not really thinking about that, to be honest. A lot of new faces over there. Still know a few players. I’m sure before the game, maybe after the game, seeing some of the people that I’ve built really good relationships with, that’s always the fun part about this league, being able to see people that you’ve worked with in the past,” Darnold continued.
In Week 3, after Darnold delivered a 3-touchdown performance at home versus the Houston Texans, Darnold-for-MVP chatter poked out of the NFL media machine but still remained a fringe theory. However, following the Vikings’ win over the Green Bay Packers on the road — accompanied by 3 more touchdown passes — Darnold as an MVP candidate is legitimate.
Darnold concluded about the nothingburger revenge angle in London: “That’ll be good to see those guys, but other than that, pretty new defense since I’ve been there and a lot of new players.”
With a Week 5 showdown for Minnesota against the New York Jets looming, these are the league’s MVP frontrunners:
The reclamation quarterback also mentioned his ardor for head coach Kevin O’Connell and the Vikings organization after Week 4: “I love playing for Kevin. He’s been everything to me. He’s helped me so much in my short time here. I’m glad I made the decision to come here. He’s definitely a special coach.”
But don’t talk to him about any “revenge game” angles; he doesn’t see Vikings-Jets like that.
Minnesota is favored to beat New York by about two or three points this weekend.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.