The Minnesota Vikings came out and beat the New York Giants to start the season . Week 1 had Minnesota coming in as favorites. They beat the San Francisco 49ers as underdogs and now find themselves atop the NFC North. Pretty much nobody saw this coming.
A statement win on Sunday for the Minnesota Vikings
Sam Darnold played a great game a week ago against the New York Giants. The problem is that they are expected to be a doormat this season. Sam Darnold played a great game on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers. They are not expected to be a doormat. No one expected the Minnesota Vikings to pose a legitimate threat this year , but they all considered them in the vein of what Darnold has been in his previous stops. Head coach Kevin O’Connell is done hearing about that.
“I don’t really have a lot of interest in talking about the past with Sam Darnold. I think we all need to just start being totally present and when he plays well like he has, we just talk about a guy playing the position at a high level and we move on. The consistency of it is what we’re all going to be looking for. I think Sam is doing the right thing each and every week to prepare. Clearly his teammates are confident in his physical ability and his preparation, and let’s just keep seeing what it looks like. I have a lot of confidence in what that will look like.”
Kevin O’Connell on Sam Darnold
Right now what it looks like is a quarterback who has his team atop the division standings. Although the Vikings have yet to play any of their direct competition, the 2-0 start has them in a good place. Detroit has been seen as the best team in the North, but they haven’t looked great in either of the first two weeks.
Related: What We Learned About the Minnesota Vikings in Their Huge Week Two Victory Over the 49ers
Maybe Minnesota doesn’t stay there, but they’ve at least given themselves an opportunity to make some noise in the early going.
Can Minnesota keep it going?
The Minnesota Vikings have a tough schedule out of the gate . That did include a tough game against the 49ers too, however. Things don’t get easier with the Houston Texans coming to town. Minnesota will again be underdogs in that contest. DeMeco Ryans has his squad off to a 2-0 start as well.
Another victory for the Vikings could help to start a more significant belief in their season. The reality is that Sam Darnold has been viewed in the light of who he was , or the situations that he was in. Kevin O’Connell and Brian Flores are proving they are a recipe for success. Minnesota’s head coach and defensive coordinator may be the best pairing across the entire league.
If the Vikings can concoct another gameplan that has them emerging victorious for a third straight week, it will be hard not to take them seriously. O’Connell has yet to win a Coach of the Year award, but this could be his best opportunity to do so. The Vikings are starting a veteran journeyman at quarterback, and the rookie isn’t waiting in the wings. A turnaround from 2023’s 7-10 season would unquestionably be a welcomed result.
Related: Brock Purdy Confirms: Vikings’ Defensive Scheme under Brian Flores.. “Man, it’s Crazy”
It isn’t earth-shattering to suggest that Minnesota won’t run the table and go 17-0. That doesn’t mean they can’t be the 2024 version of the same Texans team that comes to town on Sunday.
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