Sam Darnold Proved He’s a Legit QB1 vs Cardinals
For most of Sunday’s matchup against the Arizona Cardinals (6-6), the Minnesota Vikings (10-2) appeared to be heading for their first loss since October. The offense only mustered 79 yards in the first half. They were even booed off the field, when a five-play drive netted minus-5 yards in the third quarter.
Quarterback Sam Darnold was constantly under pressure and failed to get the ball to his playmakers. What’s worse is that the Cardinals responded with a touchdown, creating a 19-6 deficit.
Sam Darnold heated up with the Minnesota Vikings offense late
The pedestrian Vikings offense flipped a switch the next drive. Darnold found Justin Jefferson twice for 19 yards. He capped the drive by finding tight end Johnny Mundt wide-open in the front left corner of the endzone to cut the lead to 19-13.
Related: What We Learned About the Minnesota Vikings in Crazy Comeback Win vs Cardinals
Darnold carried this momentum with him the rest of the way. A nine-play, 55-yard drive got into the redzone but stalled when running back Aaron Jones dropped a pass in the endzone. The Cardinals’ next drive ended in a field goal to create a 22-16 deficit with 3:20 left in the game. This gave Darnold and the offense a chance to take their first lead of the afternoon.
The Vikings marched 70 yards in eight plays. Darnold hit Jefferson for a 12-yard gain on 4th-and-5 to get to the Cardinals’ 21-yard line and keep the drive alive. Three plays later, he found Jones for a five-yard touchdown to give the Vikings a 23-22 lead. It was Darnold’s first career go-ahead touchdown in the final two minutes of the 4th quarter or overtime.
He made sure to catch that one, Darnold to jones for the lead #skol pic.twitter.com/aDregh3CLh
— Alex Micheletti (@AlexMicheletti) December 1, 2024
This was the kind of game that no one believed the 2018 No. 3 overall pick was capable of when Minnesota signed him in March. He wasn’t riding the coattails of the defense, who allowed 406 yards of offense, including 154 yards. The Vikings’ run game didn’t do much to take pressure off him; they only gained 68 yards on the ground, including 22 from Darnold himself. Jones had two fumbles. Even the pass protection was shaky, allowing five sacks.
Sam Darnold continues building on a solid season
This was Darnold’s moment. The former third-overall pick showed that he didn’t need to be relegated to a game manager to be successful. The offense, defense, and crowd were lifeless for most of the game. But Darnold brought them back to life and spearheaded the team’s fifth straight victory.
Related: KOC Reveals Why Ed Ingram was a Healthy Scratch for Vikings vs Cardinals
The 27-year-old former USC phenom finished 21-of-31 for 235 yards and two touchdowns, his third straight game with no turnovers and efficient play. His 111.6 passer rating was his league-leading tenth game eclipsing 100-plus this season. If you didn’t know anything about Sam Darnold’s NFL career before coming to Minnesota, you’d think that he is playing like an MVP candidate. He now has 23 touchdowns and 2,952 yards through 12 games.
PRECISION throw by #Vikings QB Sam Darnold to WR Justin Jefferson 🔥 pic.twitter.com/XE1559hflY
— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) December 1, 2024
Perhaps most importantly, he is becoming one of the main reasons this team is 10-2. Last week, he threw for a season-high 330 yards and two touchdowns against the Chicago Bears. But his most impressive work came on the game-winning drive in overtime. Although the drive covered 68 yards, Sam Darnold threw for 90, overcoming sacks and penalties that put the Vikings in long down-and-distances.
Darnold vs Cousins lies ahead
The Vikings will face their former quarterback, Kirk Cousins, next week when the Atlanta Falcons come to town. The former Minnesota QB had his worst game as a Falcon, in week 13, tossing four interceptions vs ZERO touchdowns vs the Chargers. Some fans and pundits will use the game as the deciding factor in whether or not the Vikings made the right decision to move on from Cousins.
Related: Kirk Cousins Went on an Interception Spree vs Chargers
But Sam Darnold’s performance, especially over the past three weeks, has shown that the Vikings not only made the right decision to move on from Cousins, but it also indicates that Sam Darnold can be more than just a fun redemption story. He is showing the league that he is capable of being a legitimate quarterback this year and beyond.
"There's no other place I'd rather play. Just so grateful to be a Viking."
— NFL on FOX Podcast (@NFLonFOXPod) December 1, 2024
Sam Darnold after the biggest comeback of his career with the @Vikings #SKOL pic.twitter.com/3v3WYC4quB
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