Not a lot of people expected Sam Darnold to have the season he is having with the Minnesota Vikings when the team signed him to a one-year, $10 million deal. That contract now looks like a huge bargain just based on what Darnold has accomplished thus far in his first season with the NFC North franchise.
On Sunday, Darnold added to his growing first-year resume with the Vikings, leading Minnesota to a 27-25 win over the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
Thanks to his huge performance against the Packers, Darnold got Tom Brady's LFG Player of the Game award. Brady also spoke with Darnold following the Vikings win, with the seven-time Super Bowl champion giving the former USC Trojans star his flowers.
We have all the confidence in the world,” Darnold told Brady about Minnesota's ever-expanding confidence. “First and foremost, just playing as a team. Our defense, doing their thing. Our special teams, doing their thing. And as an offense, we try to execute to the best of our ability. I felt like we did that at times today.
Darnold also hilariously tried to bait Brady into cursing on live TV when he asked the former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers about what “LFG” means.
“Hey, what's LFG stand for?” asked Darnold.
“It's uh, let's bleep go,” Brady responded.
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Sam Darnold is the gift that keeps on giving for the Vikings
Darnold put together a strong performance to earn the nod of Brady. Against the Packers, Darnold passed for 377 yards and three touchdowns on 33-of-43 pass completions. He threw an interception and got sacked for a loss of five yards but Darnold's overall body of work versus Green Bay can't be understated.
The Packers made a huge run in the fourth where they outscored Minnesota, 15-0, but Darnold's touchdown pass to Cam Akers near the end of the third period proved to be the game-winning score for the Vikings, who improved to 14-2 overall in the 2024 NFL season and grabbed solo share of the top spot in the NFC North division.
On the season, Darnold has already amassed career-highs of 4,153 passing yards and 35 touchdowns against only 12 interceptions. He had never passed for more than 3,024 yards in a season before he arrived in Minnesota.
Up ahead for Darnold and the Vikings is a crucial Week 18 showdown against the Detroit Lions for the NFC North division title.
