Years from now, people will forget what Sam Darnold told Tom Rinaldi after the game, and they’ll forget that he threw three touchdowns and recorded a career-best 377 passing yards to beat the Packers in a thriller, 27-25, on Sunday. But no one in that Vikings postgame locker room will forget the way they felt when Darnold entered the room.
“Phenomenal moment in the locker room after the game when he finally made it in there,” said head coach Kevin O’Connell, whose quarterback became the first starter in NFL history to win 14 games in his first season with a team. “It was really cool. I’m just so proud of him.
”There’s so many things that lead into moments like this for Sam since he became a Minnesota Viking. Just to see how he’s ultimately been able to maximize everything about his opportunity. Our football team loves him for it, and I’ve had an absolute blast coaching him and just so proud of him.”
The win at least temporarily vaults Minnesota to the No. 1 seed in the NFC and sets up Game 272 on the NFL schedule, the Sunday Night Football finale at Ford Field between the Vikings (14-2) and Lions, who put their 13-2 record on the line Monday at San Francisco. Regardless of Detroit’s game with the 49ers, next week’s winner gets homefield advantage in the NFC playoffs and the conference’s only first-round bye.
Minutes before the Vikings carried him around their locker room and showered their quarterback with celebratory bottled water, he showered them with praise.
“It’s unbelievable, first and foremost,” Darnold told Rinaldi on FOX before heading inside. “It’s the guys in that locker room and the coaching staff. Obviously, it’s all of us that make it work and, again, just so proud of the guys in that locker room.”
That locker room includes the three players who caught touchdown passes on Sunday, Jordan Addison, Jalen Nailor and Cam Akers. While Justin Jefferson led the aerial attack with eight receptions for 92 yards, Addison’s diving touchdown allowed the Vikings to pull away early in the second half.
And if not for Darnold’s remarkable journey, Akers would be in more headlines. The fifth-year running back entered the league with the Rams in 2020, when O’Connell served on Sean McVay’s staff. Having changed teams three times, Akers rejoined the Vikings in an Oct. 16 trade. And on Sunday, he not only caught a 9-yard touchdown that gave the Vikings a 27-10 lead, he also made a difficult 6-yard reception that converted a third down in a thrilling finish and allowed Minnesota to run out the clock on Green Bay (11-5).
“What a play by Cam Akers,” O’Connell added. “To say what that guy has been through, I hope fans understand just how significant what he’s been through has been and how he wanted to be a Minnesota Viking. And he made the play when we absolutely needed it, in addition to catching the touchdown on that screen.”
Green Bay must regroup because a third meeting with the Vikings, Lions or both might be in the Packers’ playoff future. They’re guaranteed either the sixth or seventh seed, depending on Week 18 results and will travel to either Philadelphia, Tampa Bay or Los Angeles in the first round of the postseason.
The Packers will secure the No. 6 slot with a home win over the Bears on Sunday combined with a Washington loss to Dallas. Otherwise, they’ll get a rematch of their Brazil loss to the Eagles. The Packers are 0-5 combined this season against Philadelphia, Detroit and Minnesota — including two losses to the Vikings by four total points. Green Bay is 11-0 against the rest of the league.
For more information on the Vikings and Packers, visit the Minnesota and Green Bay team pages at ProFootballPost.com.
Discover more from Pro Football Post
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.