The Minnesota Vikings had just regained possession with a risky two-point lead over Green Bay, just before the two-minute warning. They badly needed to burn the clock and stop the momentum the Packers had built up in the final minutes.
Traditionally, teams run the ball in this situation. However, Coach Kevin O’Connell confidently called some passing plays, showing his trust in his system and, of course, in quarterback Sam Darnold.
The 27-25 win over Green Bay on Sunday proved O’Connell’s faith was well placed.
“I felt comfortable with Sam in those moments,” O’Connell said, referencing some of the runs he called earlier in the game and in similar situations this season that kept the Packers guessing. “I thought we’d get some edges and get Sam and his athleticism out on the perimeter.”
With 2:18 left, Darnold faked a handoff to Cam Akers while running toward the right end. Fullback C.J. Ham stepped forward as if to block but then cut left into the open flat. Darnold bootlegged to his left and completed a 13-yard pass to Ham for a first down.
Two plays later, on second-and-11, Darnold rolled right and made an on-the-run throw through traffic to Justin Jefferson, who made a tough catch despite tight coverage from Packers cornerback Carrington Valentine. That forced the Packers to use their second timeout.
On third-and-2, Darnold rolled out again, but this time he had to rush his throw with linebacker Isaiah McDuffie applying pressure. Akers reached out and grabbed the low throw just before it hit the ground, securing the first down and sealing Minnesota’s ninth consecutive win.
“I’m trying to make sure that he and I are playing this game as close-knit as we possibly can so we can be aggressive,” O’Connell said.
“He’s still going to be a great decision-maker, and he’s playing quarterback at a very, very high level and has been for the majority of the season. You can tell by the locker room. You can tell by the way I call plays.
I know for us to get to where we want to go, we’ve got to be aggressive, and we’ve got to play football in a way that allows us to have our whole offense at our disposal.”
Darnold finished the game with a career-high 377 yards on 33 completions out of 43 attempts, with three touchdowns and one interception.
“Whenever he does call a pass in that situation, I’m always prepared for it,” Darnold said, “and I feel like our guys did a really good job of executing that.”
