As the Minnesota Vikings got ready for the draft earlier this year, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and coach Kevin O’Connell talked a lot about creating a good environment for a young quarterback to succeed.
When they aimed for J.J. McCarthy in the first round, the Vikings felt they had the right culture, offensive players, and playbook for the 10th overall pick to thrive, even if he needed time to grow.
However, they were actually setting things up for Sam Darnold.
The seventh-year veteran, who had tough times with the New York Jets and the Carolina Panthers, joined the Vikings this season as a solid option to support McCarthy and take some pressure off him.
With McCarthy now on injured reserve due to knee surgery, Darnold’s role has changed quickly.
Now, with Darnold on his first four-game winning streak as a starting quarterback and leading the league in passer rating and passing touchdowns, the Vikings (4-0) are one of only two teams still undefeated. The other team is the two-time defending Super Bowl champions, Kansas City.
“You guys can feel it, the juice and the energy in here. The momentum in football is a serious thing,” O’Connell said after the Vikings held on for a 31-29 victory at Green Bay last week. “Just leaning into your quarterback. My confidence level in him is really high.”
Darnold and the Vikings are getting ready for another tough game on Sunday, this time in London against the team that picked him third overall in 2018. The Jets look very different now, but the emotions of playing against your former team are always present in the NFL.
