As the Minnesota Vikings had been getting ready for the draft earlier this 12 months with a eager eye on the prospects for his or her subsequent franchise participant, normal supervisor Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and coach Kevin O’Connell spoke typically of the significance of immersing a younger quarterback in an setting conducive to success.
When they focused J.J. McCarthy within the first spherical, the Vikings had been assured that they introduced the tradition, the offensive gamers and the playbook for the tenth total decide to finally thrive, even when he wanted time to develop.
As it seems, they had been busy making the place good for Sam Darnold.
The seventh-year veteran who struggled by way of stints with the New York Jets and the Carolina Panthers joined the Vikings this season as a serviceable bridge to McCarthy who might deflect stress from the rookie and lengthen his runway to taking the reins. With McCarthy on injured reserve whereas recovering from knee surgical procedure, the stopgap label on Darnold rapidly has peeled off.
With Darnold on his first four-game profitable streak as an NFL starter and main the league in passer ranking and passing touchdowns, the Vikings (4-0) are considered one of simply two undefeated groups left. The different is two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City.
“You guys can feel it, the juice and the energy in here. The momentum in football is a serious thing,” O’Connell mentioned after the Vikings used a dominant first half to carry on for a 31-29 victory at Green Bay final week. “Just leaning into your quarterback. My confidence level in him is really high.”
Darnold and the Vikings are getting ready for one more difficult check on Sunday, this time in London in opposition to the crew that drafted him third total in 2018. The Jets look lots completely different now, after all, however there’s no hiding from the feelings-about-facing-your-former-team storyline within the NFL.
“I had a lot of opportunities in New York,” Darnold mentioned diplomatically, “and I always felt like I could’ve played better there.”
The early returns on this season counsel the Jets had been the explanation that Darnold began his profession so poorly, with a 13-25 document because the starter from 2018-20. The Panthers didn’t do something from 2021-22 to disprove that idea, both. But Darnold, who was introduced Thursday because the NFC’s Offensive Player of the Month award winner, has three-quarters of the schedule left to proceed to show his value as a profitable starter.
“I think he’s doing a great job, man,” mentioned Jets defensive lineman Quinnen Williams, his teammate in 2019-20. “He’s playing out of his mind right now.”
Aaron Rodgers, a most acquainted foe
The Vikings went 11-17-1 in opposition to Aaron Rodgers when he performed for the Packers, their NFC North nemesis, permitting 57 landing passes with simply eight interceptions in these 29 video games. He’s carrying a unique shade of inexperienced and there’s much more grey in his beard, however these laser throws and shrewd choices nonetheless look the identical.
“As special of a thrower of a football as maybe we’ve seen, and he’s a super computer back there,” O’Connell mentioned. “Totally big field vision, sees everything, and has the ability to check and get to whatever he wants to get to. It’s going to be a heck of a challenge.”
The 40-year-old Rodgers, who wants 74 yards to go Dan Marino for seventh place on the all-time record for normal season and postseason passing, has an enormous fan in Vikings working again Aaron Jones, his teammate in Green Bay for six years.
“He would advocate for me to see the field, whether it be in meetings or in the middle of the game, so I’m so thankful for Aaron Rodgers and what he’s done for me in my career,” Jones mentioned. “It was kind of eye-opening that he was speaking up for me. At the time, I was a rookie and he was a future Hall of Famer, so it was just like, ‘Wow, this is Aaron Rodgers speaking up for me.’”
An Adams-Rodgers reunion?
The Jets have been talked about as a commerce vacation spot for dissatisfied Las Vegas Raiders vast receiver Davante Adams, who spent the primary eight years of his profession in Green Bay with Rodgers, however the Jets had been naturally disinclined this week to take a position a couple of theoretical transaction.
“We’ll always look at everything,” coach Robert Saleh mentioned, talking usually phrases. “But at the same time, we’re locked in on the guys that are here, and those are the guys we’re going to focus on.”
Bringing the noise
This is technically a house recreation for the Vikings, who’ll must forgo their raucous setting below the roof at U.S. Bank Stadium and the benefit that offers their protection amid the din. Their followers journey effectively, however Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is open air and certain to have loads of Jets followers, too.
Defensive coordinator Brian Flores smiled as he dodged a query from a reporter about whether or not he was dissatisfied the Vikings gained’t get Rodgers in Minnesota.
“I wouldn’t say I’m going to punt, but I’m very happy to go to London and have that experience,” Flores mentioned.
Cleaning up
The Jets dedicated 15 penalties final week in opposition to Denver, with 13 accepted. Five had been false-start calls, elevating the query about whether or not the cadence of Rodgers’ pre-snap calls has brought on issues for his offensive linemen. Saleh insisted that Rodgers’ cadence is a profit to the Jets within the chess match in opposition to opposing defenses and so they’ll at all times “push the envelope” with the way in which they use it.
“We’re confident about our plan to attack that, and we’ve just got to clean it up,” middle Joe Tippmann mentioned of the pre-snap penalties. “We’ve got to be better. We can’t beat ourselves before the play even starts.”
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