Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell is a maestro, and Sam Darnold is his ideal backup instrument
It's not uncommon for Minnesota Vikings head coach and offensive play designer Kevin O'Connell to build an emergency quarterback system on the fly out of spit and packaging materials. In 2023, O'Connell used Kirk Cousins for the first half of the season and everything was going well. But Cousins ruptured his Achilles tendon in Week […]
Vikings’ Sam Darnold has dominant MetLife outing vs. Giants
Sam Darnold didn't see any ghosts when he returned to MetLife Stadium. Instead, all he saw this time was open receivers and a swath of green grass in front of them with free reign to run on. The former Jets flop, in his first game as the Vikings' starting quarterback, sliced through the Giants' defense […]
Giants’ Greg Van Roten rooting for ‘good friend’ Sam Darnold but not this week
For the past six years, playing against the Vikings meant preparing to face Kirk Cousins. Not anymore. For the first time since 2018, the Vikings have a new starting quarterback in purple uniform. The Giants will see Sam Darnold in a different uniform on Sunday in his first regular-season game with his new team. Greg […]
Giants not taking Vikings QB Sam Darnold lightly in Week 1
A familiar face who's spent time around here will be standing in the way of potential success and joy for the Giants' season opener on Sunday at MetLife Stadium. Sam Darnold. Don't laugh. Sam Darnold goes through a drill during a joint training camp practice with the Cleveland Browns at the Cross Country Mortgage Campus […]
Brian Daboll gets what-might-have-been reminder in Sam Darnold to start Giants season
If things had gone a little differently in the 2018 NFL Draft, Brian Daboll might have been mentoring Sam Darnold. Could Darnold have achieved anything approaching the success Josh Allen enjoyed over six seasons with a stable Bills team, as could Daboll have been promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach with the Giants? Or […]
Justin Jefferson not worried about Sam Darnold after J.J. McCarthy injury
Justin Jefferson believes in Sam Darnold. Darnold will be the Vikings’ starter for the time being after first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy underwent season-ending knee surgery this week to repair a torn meniscus. Jefferson, who played with several quarterbacks last season after Kirk Cousins was sidelined with a torn Achilles, sounded optimistic about his connection […]
J.J. McCarthy out for 2024 season, Vikings turn to Sam Darnold
On Wednesday, the injury news for Vikings quarterback JJ McCarthy just got worse. The team announced that McCarthy, who won a national championship at Michigan and was the 10th overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft, will miss the season after undergoing meniscus surgery. It was previously reported that he would undergo surgery, but the […]