As the Minnesota Vikings were preparing for the draft earlier this year with a keen eye on the prospects for their next franchise player, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and coach Kevin O'Connell spoke often of the importance of immersing a young quarterback in an environment conducive to success. When they targeted J.J.
McCarthy in the first round, the Vikings were confident that they presented the culture, the offensive players and the playbook for the 10th overall pick to ultimately thrive, even if he needed time to develop. As it turns out, they were busy making the place nice for Sam Darnold. The seventh-year veteran who struggled through stints with the New York Jets and the Carolina Panthers joined the Vikings this season as a serviceable bridge to McCarthy who could deflect pressure from the rookie and lengthen his runway to taking the reins.
With McCarthy on injured reserve while recovering from knee surgery, the stopgap label on Darnold quickly has peeled off. With Darnold on his first four-game winning streak as an NFL starter and leading the league in passer rating and passing touchdowns, the Vikings (4-0) are one of just two undefeated teams left. The other is two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City.
“You guys can feel it, the juice and the energy in here. The momentum in football is a serious thing,” O'Connell said after the Vikings used a dominant first half to hold on for a 31-29 victory at Green Bay last week. “Just leaning into your quart.