Sam Darnold took the Vikings by the horns on Sunday, returning to lead an impressive 28-6 win over the Giants in his Minnesota debut. He also finally established some good memories at MetLife Stadium, where he played his first three NFL seasons for the Jets.
Nearly five years to the day when ESPN captured a mic’d up Darnold telling Jets coaches he was seeing ghosts in a 23-3 loss to Cleveland, Darnold didn’t take the credit but instead pointed to key plays made by his defense and special teams.
“It was a good win,” Darnold told FOX’s Megan Olivi on the field following the game. “It’s the first win. Like I said, we just need to keep our head down and keep getting our work in, which we will, obviously, because we’ve got a lot to clean up.”
There was nothing to clean up early in the second quarter when Darnold completed a 44-yard pass to Justin Jefferson. The play broke open a tight game and Darnold ended the drive with a 3-yard touchdown toss to Jefferson on fourth down, giving Minnesota a 14-3 lead.
Double-covered on the long reception, Jefferson said Minnesota’s longest of the day was critical because it built trust with Darnold. Jefferson said Darnold should get used to seeing multiple defenders on his best receiver.
“That’s going to happen a majority of the time this season,” said Jefferson, per ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert. “He’s got to understand, even when I’m doubled, I’m still open and I’m going to make that play.”
The win was significant for Minnesota, a team that endured a lot of adversity this offseason, including the loss of first-round draft choice J.J. McCarthy. Head coach Kevin O’Connell told his players after the game they were more prepared and better conditioned than the Giants.
Now, the Vikings return to prepare for a Week 2 showdown with San Francisco next Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium.