Vikings QB Sam Darnold’s ‘particular’ efficiency vs. Falcons thrusts him into MVP dialogue

MINNEAPOLIS — Inside some third-floor management room Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium, somebody was pushing all the proper buttons.

First, they confirmed a quarterback statistics leaderboard on the large video board. Sam Darnold’s identify hovered on the prime. The crowd roared.

Next, the display transitioned to receiving statistics. Jordan Addison’s and Justin Jefferson’s names topped the record, and by the point the followers observed, the stadium was booming.

The Vikings have been effectively on their technique to their eleventh victory of the season, a 42-21 win over the Atlanta Falcons. But earlier than the clock hit zero and gamers on each sidelines funneled onto the sphere for the postgame pleasantries, a celebration was constructing. The operator toggled between the 2 leaderboards — Darnold’s manufacturing and the receiving statistics. Then, because the place pumped with vitality, the digicam panned to Darnold.

He stalked the sideline, hollered at teammates and aggressively twirled a towel. Earplugs felt obligatory given the followers’ reactions.

“I really feel like I couldn’t simply sit there stoic, straight-faced,” Darnold stated afterward. “I really feel like I needed to present somewhat emotion for the followers. Gave them what they needed.”

It felt just like the highlight homing in on the star of the present — and that star taking a bow. Rather than a easy ovation for Darnold’s 22-for-28, 347-yard, five-touchdown outing, the group chanted, “MVP! MVP! MVP!”

GO DEEPER

Darnold’s 5 TDs lead Vikings to 42-21 win over Cousins’ Falcons: Takeaways

Debating his case in depth is a dialogue for an additional day, however his current play ought to no less than put him within the dialogue. In his final 4 video games, Darnold has thrown 11 landing passes with out an interception. On the season, he has the third-highest passer score within the NFL behind Lamar Jackson and Jared Goff.

His 3,299 passing yards rank fifth within the NFL. His completion proportion is seventh-best. And his 28 passing touchdowns slot him third. Darnold’s five-touchdown day was the primary for a Vikings quarterback in 20 years. Three-time Pro Bowler Daunte Culpepper completed the feat in October 2004.

Hence the aggressive towel-waving, which caught teammates off-guard to the purpose that they have been laughing and marveling on the response.

“I simply felt the excitement,” Darnold stated.

Whoever was controlling the video board didn’t need that buzz to die down, so the feed minimize over to Jefferson, who grinned so large you would see his tooth. It nearly sounds foolish to counsel a participant who had caught 68 passes for 1,038 yards earlier than Sunday’s recreation had been having a irritating season, however that’s the reality.

Recent opponents had gone to nice lengths to restrict his manufacturing, forcing the ball elsewhere. Before Sunday, he had not notched a 100-yard receiving recreation in additional than a month. He had not hauled in a landing cross since Week 7 in the course of October. Both info annoyed him, and despite the fact that the Vikings didn’t goal him till late within the second quarter Sunday, he remained engaged.

The reward? A seven-catch, 132-yard, two-touchdown afternoon. Jefferson motioned like a yo-yo earlier than his first landing, climbing as much as the second stage and snatching a cross with outstretched arms.

His second rating was what coach Kevin O’Connell referred to as probably the most spectacular Darnold second of the day. Falcons security Justin Simmons looped round on a blitz, flushing Darnold from the pocket. Darnold sidestepped him, moved up within the pocket and prolonged the play towards the proper sideline. He had room to scramble if he needed to, however the different intrigued him. Downfield, Jefferson had settled in an open patch of grass. Spotting Jefferson, Darnold launched the cross 45 yards downfield. The Falcons defensive again fell, and Jefferson waltzed into the top zone untouched.

On the Vikings sideline afterward, O’Connell held Darnold’s helmet and handed alongside his assist. What did he say to the quarterback?

“I’m not going to inform you what I informed him with regard to my opinion on what number of guys on this league could make that throw,” O’Connell stated.

Once Jefferson earned his face time, the digicam discovered Addison, who relaxed on the bench with a Vikings hat excessive atop his head. Addison was rightfully having fun with himself. He was Jefferson’s wingman in exactly the best way the group envisioned when it drafted him in 2023.

Addison added eight catches for 133 receiving yards and three touchdowns, doing his injury in a number of the way. He tracked a fluttering Darnold throw out of the sky and transported it to the top zone. He separated in one-on-one protection and grabbed passes with defenders draped over him down the sphere. He ran out cuts and in cuts and return routes. He euro-stepped with Jefferson. They did the Griddy collectively.

And now he was taking all of it in because the 67,008 in attendance belted “Mr. Brightside.” Down on the sideline, among the Vikings gamers and coaches have been wanting up into the group and on the video screens, questioning who could be highlighted subsequent. The operator went again to Jefferson, who turned towards the digicam and pointed. Then it motioned up towards the followers, who have been clapping, cheering and ingesting to a workforce that has surpassed even probably the most optimistic of expectations.

“Looking round, all people was having a great time,” Vikings proper sort out Brian O’Neill stated. “It was one of many coolest end-of-game environments.”

Afterward, the topic most talked about was not former Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins, now of the Falcons, who threw for 344 yards and two interceptions in his return to Minnesota, however the man who bought a chance due to Cousins’ departure: Darnold.

O’Neill joked, “If I used to be a quarterback and I threw for 5 touchdowns, I’d in all probability rise up and wave a towel, too. … A big day for him.”

As he watched Darnold’s burst of emotion, Addison hollered, “Yeah, Sam, speak your s—!”

“When you have got a consequence like this, everybody’s going to speak concerning the consequence. I hope they do,” O’Connell stated. “But for me and Sam and our workforce, there’s not many guys within the locker room which are shocked concerning the efficiency he had as we speak.”

Darnold’s towel-waving felt like a launch of pent-up delight. Not a response to those that doubted him, however extra so validation of the assumption he has in himself.

He wouldn’t say this. His present of emotion was far sufficient out of character. But the followers’ becoming a member of in his pleasure is one thing particular by itself. It’s the sensation of being embraced by a city, a workforce and its followers, a sense he’s sought since he left USC six-plus years in the past.

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(Top picture: Matt Krohn / Imagn Images)