Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold didn’t let an ESPN cameraman get a rise out of him after a line of questioning that came after practice following a 3-0 start to the season.
Darnold and the Vikings proved their hot start was no fluke by dismantling the AFC contender Houston Texans 34-7 in Week 3. Becoming the fourth quarterback in franchise history to win three straight games to start a season, Darnold has resurfaced in the national spotlight since his days playing on struggling New York Jets and Carolina Panthers teams.
After a September 26 practice, scripted questions from what Fox 9 News’ Jeff Wald said was an ESPN cameraman referenced doubts heading into the season about Darnold’s ability.
The Vikings quarterback addressed the question respectfully, but when asked for a message to “those doubters,” Darnold did not give the cameras an emotional response.
The exchange, which Wald called “awkward,” was odd given that ESPN’s Vikings beat reporter, Kevin Seifert, instead of the camera operator, didn’t ask the question directly.
Here’s the exchange:
Many people doubted your ability to lead this team and be a successful quarterback in Minnesota. What would you attribute this resurgence in Minnesota to?
Sam Darnold: I think it’s just about right when I got in here, just making sure I take it one day at a time and just to continue to trust the process. From when I got here in the spring to when I went home for a few weeks and continuing to study and continuing to learn the offense and learn the system and learn how [head coach Kevin O’Connell] wants to call games. It was just all the reps combined and really going from there.
What would you say to those doubters?
SD: Um, I don’t have anything for those guys. Let’s move on from there.
Darnold’s response didn’t make for good TV, but it shows he focused solely on what’s happening in Minnesota.
AWKWARD: @Vikings QB Sam Darnold got 2 scripted questions from an @ESPN camera man and it was pretty awkward 😳
“Um, I don’t have anything for those guys. Let’s move on from there.”
🎥: @JeffWaldFox9
Vikings Coach Kevin O’Connell Gets Emotional About Sam Darnold
GettyVikings head coach Kevin O’Connell speaks to quarterback Sam Darnold
Following a Week 2 win over the San Francisco 49ers, who Darnold was a backup for last season, O’Connell was choked up when addressing Darnold’s doubters.
“The amount of work that goes into that position on your quarterback journey when everybody decides that you cannot play — we always believed in him,” O’Connell said in his postgame news conference.
“It felt awesome to watch him go do that thing. I’m really proud of Sam Darnold.”
Coach O’Connell’s thoughts on Sam Darnold’s performance today
Pretenders No More: Vikings Must Prove They Can Stay Atop NFL
GettyVikings coach Kevin O’Connell
The Vikings have climbed to the top of national power rankings through three weeks but must now prove they can maintain that success.
The climb is easier when teams have a reason to overlook you, say, because of your quarterback.
But with Darnold leading the league with eight touchdowns and boasting the second-highest passer rating (117.3), every team is going to give the Vikings their best shot moving forward.
O’Connell and Brian Flores have outclassed every coaching staff they’ve faced so far this season, but winning on the whiteboard is a difficult task for 17 games a season. The Vikings have trailed just 3 minutes, 26 seconds this entire season.
The Vikings have handled the little adversity they’ve seen so far this season, but how Darnold responds to playing from behind, needing a game-winning drive, will be the true test of this team’s mettle.
Trevor Squire is a sports journalist covering the NFL and NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Timberwolves and Milwaukee Bucks. Trevor studied journalism at the University of Minnesota — Twin Cities, making stops at the Star Tribune and the St. Paul Pioneer Press. You can reach him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @trevordsquire. More about Trevor Squire
