Three offensive players had grades that exceeded 80. Of players that took at least half of the offensive snaps (71 total), three had grades below 60, which is considered average on PFF’s scale of 1-100.

Only one player exceeded that threshold on defense, and only two players who played at least half the snap counts had grades higher than 70. Four players, including three starters, were graded below 60.

Minnesota Vikings highest-graded offensive players (min. 35 snaps)

Key PFF Stat: 4.38 yards per route run by Addison; 3.56 by Hockenson

Related: Kevin O’Connell Fans Flames on Daniel Jones to Minnesota Vikings Rumors

Just a beautiful throw by Sam Darnold pic.twitter.com/q8u2gg2UAt

— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) November 25, 2024

Vikings lowest-graded offensive players

Key PFF Stat: 11 of 12 quarterback pressures were allowed by these three players.

Highest-graded defensive players (min. 38 snaps)

Related: Former Vikings Cornerback Claimed by Panthers

Key PFF Stat: Greenard and Smith had five “stops” each, accounting for 10 of the defense’s 27 total stops. PFF categorizes “stops” as tackles that constitute an offensive “failure.”

Here is the all 22 angle of Caleb’s sack in OT. He absolutely cannot take that there but I hate this call. A 3 man route concept against drop 8 that only works one side of the field. The Vikings caught them here. Caleb can’t extend to other side bc no one is there. Still needs to… pic.twitter.com/0BBAkCZOns

— Bears Blog Boy (@TommyK_NFLDraft) November 25, 2024

Lowest-graded defensive players

Key PFF Stat: Two total “stops” between Cashman and Grugier-Hill. Cashman entered the game with at least two stops in every game he played this season.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Injury Update: Latest News on Darnold, Robinson and Pace Jr 

Other notable grades and stats

• Despite only catching two passes for 27 yards, PFF was kind to Justin Jefferson. His 67.1 grade ranked sixth among qualifying players on offense.
• DT Jonathan Bullard notched five stops on 31 snaps. Much has been made about the Vikings lacking a dominating presence on the interior defensive line, but Bullard has been a force against the run this year. He finished with a grade of 74.2.
• The Vikings’ run game found most of its success running outside. The Vikings ran off the left and right ends (outside the tight end) 11 times, picking up 85 yards. Their other 15 runs picked up 41 yards.

Sam Darnold then engineered a 10-play, 68-yard drive that set up a 29-yard game-winning field goal by John Parker Romo. Although the defense and special teams were sloppy over the final ten minutes of gameplay, Darnold had perhaps his best game as a Viking.

He was 22-of-34 passing for 330 yards, two touchdowns, and no turnovers. No quarterback has thrown for more yards against the Bears this season, who entered the game with the ninth-ranked pass defense in the league.

Sam Darnold proved himself (again) in Chicago

The former No. 3 overall pick out of USC did this despite Justin Jefferson’s minimal statistical impact. The Bears held him to two receptions for 27 yards, but his impact was still felt. Jefferson drew a 35-yard pass interference call in the second quarter that put the ball at the Bears’ 6-yard line.

Two plays later, Jefferson ran a route toward the corner of the endzone, pulling the cornerback up to him and leaving wideout Jalen Nailor open underneath. Darnold threw to Nailor whose five-yard touchdown put the team up 14-7.

SAM DARNOLD 5 YARD TOUCHDOWN PASS TO JAILEN NAILOR #skol pic.twitter.com/09vx8vExlM

— SuperHawkeyeFan (@superhawkeyefan) November 24, 2024

With special attention paid to Jefferson, Sam Darnold targeted Jordan Addison nine times. Addison caught eight passes for 162 yards, a career-high, and one touchdown. No catch was more critical than a 13-yard strike to Addison on 3rd-and-10 on the game-winning drive.

Related: What We Learned About the Minnesota Vikings in Nail-biting OT Win Over the Chicago Bears

Not only did it extend the drive, but the Vikings had the ball at their own 21-yard line. A punt could have given the Bears the ball 20 yards away from a game-winning field goal. Addison wasn’t the sole beneficiary of Chicago’s gameplan to take Jefferson out of the game.

Injured Darnold found other Minnesota Vikings playmakers vs Bears

Sam Darnold threw nine passes to tight end T.J. Hockenson, completing seven for 114 yards. They connected on a 29-yard pass on the final drive that got the ball to the Bears’ 9-yard line. Two plays later, Parker Romo kicked the winning field goal.

Sam Darnold throws to a WIDE OPEN TJ Hockenson to set the Vikings up for a game-winning field goal. pic.twitter.com/9ylGIV0qKf

— Arye Pulli (@AryePulli) November 24, 2024

The overtime performance came after Darnold left the game in the middle of the fourth quarter, after he suffered a foot injury that cost him two plays. According to The Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling, Kevin O’Connell asked Darnold if he was above a 6 on a scale of 1-10.

Darnold game him a thumbs up. O’Connell then asked if he was above an 8, and Sam Darnold once again gave a thumbs up. “And then I think [Darnold] said, ‘Stop asking,'” O’Connell said. Although the game-winning drive covered 68 yards, Darnold threw for 90 yards.

Related: Minnesota Vikings are a Favorite to Land QB Daniel Jones

Sacks and penalties had the Vikings facing downs and distances of 2nd-and-17, 1st-and-15, and 1st-and-20. Darnold helped overcome all of these. This was far from the cleanest overall team performance of the season.

But Sam Darnold had his best performance of the season one week after he had one of his best games against the Titans. Let’s see if his hot streak continues next week against the Cardinals.