Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold faced the ghosts of his past in London, barely overcoming a lackluster performance against his former team, the New York Jets, in a 23-17 victory. The win helped the Vikings remain unbeaten heading into their Week 6 bye, but it wasn’t pretty.
Darnold, 27, looked like the young, inconsistent quarterback from his days in New York. For the first time this season, he threw more incompletions (17) than completions (14) and was held without a touchdown. His 179 passing yards and a 50.3 quarterback rating were both season-lows, as Minnesota’s offense struggled to find its rhythm.
Despite the offensive woes, kicker Will Reichard played hero, converting three vital field goals that secured the win. While the defense held strong and helped keep the Jets at bay, Darnold’s performance left plenty of questions heading into the Vikings’ bye week.
Head Coach Kevin O’Connell Takes the Blame for Offensive Struggles
It was an ugly game for the Vikings’ offense from start to finish. Pre-snap penalties and poor execution plagued the team throughout the matchup, something head coach Kevin O’Connell was quick to address after the game.
“It was not good enough, to our standard, on offense,” O’Connell said, according to Sports Illustrated. “Way too many pre-snap penalties, way too many things that we really talked about. It starts with me as the play caller, and I’ve got to make sure that I find a way to continue chasing improvement because there were some things offensively that just can’t happen in the big scheme of 17 games over a season.”
While O’Connell took responsibility, he also praised his team for battling through adversity to get the win. “Proud of our team for how we battled… Being 5-0, our offense has had a lot to do with that, but there’s going to be days where we’ve gotta figure it out and we’ve gotta do a better job, and that starts with me,” he added. “Tons of challenges out in front of us and I can’t wait to attack them with my guys.”
Darnold Comes Through When It Matters Most
Despite his struggles for most of the game, Darnold delivered in the clutch when the Vikings needed it most. With the game tied at 17 late in the fourth quarter, Darnold led Minnesota on a critical drive, setting up Reichard’s game-winning field goal with under two minutes to play.
While it wasn’t the dominant performance Vikings fans had hoped for, Darnold showed resilience in the face of adversity—something that has defined his time in Minnesota since arriving this offseason.
As the Vikings head into their bye week at 5-0, the focus will be on addressing their offensive inconsistencies. Darnold will look to put this rough outing behind him and return to form as Minnesota eyes a deep postseason run. But for now, the Vikings remain unbeaten, even as they work through their struggles.
It wasn’t pretty, but a win is a win, and Darnold’s ability to overcome a poor performance when it mattered most might be just what this team needs as they continue to chase their championship aspirations.
