The Minnesota Vikings have been counted out all offseason due to their quarterback situation. Sam Darnold is a veteran, but has failed in multiple stops across the NFL. He has been given his best opportunity yet, and did the most with it on Sunday against the New York Giants .
Sam Darnold just rocked everyone’s world for the Minnesota Vikings
Sam Darnold started his first Minnesota Vikings game going 12-for-12 through the air. He led Kevin O’Connell’s team to a 28-6 victory over the New York Giants . Of course Brian Flores’ defense showed out as well.
Multiple storylines were present following the contest, but it was Darnold that drew all of the reactions. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell called Darnold a surprise and noted him having the hottest start of any Week 1 quarterback.
“If you’ve held onto your Darnold bags all these years, your time might have arrived. Once picked with the hopes he would torch bad defenses in the Meadowlands, Darnold returned to his old stamping grounds and laid waste to the Giants, starting his Vikings career by completing his first 12 passes in what would eventually be a 28-6 Minnesota victory .
What was most impressive about Darnold, though, was his anticipation and ability to throw into open spaces. He hit a seemingly covered Justin Jefferson for 44 yards on a pass that threw the star wideout open. His most impressive throw of the day might have been a 21-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Nailor , where he worked from one side of the field to the other and then back, resetting his feet each time, before lobbing a pass under duress to Minnesota’s third wideout for a score.
What we saw from him in Week 1, though, can only give him confidence as he begins what could be a career-redefining stretch of games.”
Bill Barnwell on Sam Darnold’s Week 1 start (ESPN)
Barnwell wasn’t alone in his impression of Darnold out of the gate. Of course teammate J.J. McCarthy was impressed by the veteran cooking. Pro Football Focus also put numbers to the performance and had Darnold grading out as the best passer of the week.
Related: What We Learned About the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1 Throttling of Giants
There probably haven’t been too many Darnold highlights shared by the official NFL X (formerly known as Twitter) account, but Sunday he made it.
Related: Win Over Giants Launches Vikings Up Major Power Rankings
The New York post called Darnold an “ex-Jets bust” while noting the performance against New York as the best of his career. CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin made Darnold one of his winners of the week.
“ In his first go-round as the Vikings’ quarterback, the ex-New York Jets castoff was smart and steady in a perfect game script under Kevin O’Connell, going 19 of 24 to coast past the New York Giants … in his old East Rutherford stomping grounds, no less. It won’t always be this easy, but Vikings fans will take victories when they can get them after losing J.J. McCarthy before his rookie year could begin. “
Cody Benjamin on Sam Darnold (CBS Sports)
There was also plenty of excitement when it comes to fan reactions as well. The only question now is how he will follow up the performance next week.
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