Getty Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell.
Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell has used the phrase “quarterback journey” throughout his preparation of Sam Darnold for the 2024 season as a means of pushing back against the prevailing narratives of the former No. 3 overall pick.
A former fourth-round quarterback selection by the New England Patriots, O’Connell is among the few people on this planet gifted enough to understand what all goes into playing the position at the highest level.
His emphasis on the quarterback journey is held hand-in-hand with the belief that teams often ruin quarterback prospects before they even get a chance to develop in the right situation.
Darnold is proving him right. The 27-year-old, on his fourth team in seven years, has led the Vikings to their first 2-0 start since 2016 following a 23-17 win over the reigning NFC champion San Francisco 49ers on September 16.
After the game, O’Connell got emotional when talking about Darnold, biting his bottom lip and taking a deep breath before standing up for his quarterback.
“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
Sam Darnold is Realizing Vikings Coach Kevin O’Connell’s Vision
GettyVikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) during a preseason matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders
When the Vikings moved on from Kirk Cousins and signed Darnold to a one-year, $10 million contract in March, the idea was for Darnold to compete with an inevitable first-round quarterback prospect for the starting job.
Serving as backup to 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy last year, Darnold was running out of chances after not overcoming poor situations with the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers.
After O’Connell named Darnold the QB1 entering training camp, the plan was for him to be the firewall from the the team having to start the rookie before he was ready.
J.J. McCarthy made a strong case for the starting job heading into the final two weeks of the preseason before undergoing meniscus surgery. But Darnold maintained a steady hold on the starting role as he learned the Vikings offense.
That’s exactly what the Vikings had hoped for as Darnold is also part of McCarthy’s quarterback journey. McCarthy may still be the quarterback of the future in Minnesota, but the Vikings never wanted to rush him into the starting role.
There was a fear that if Darnold did not hold up during a difficult start to the schedule the Vikings would be forced to turn to McCarthy prematurely.
It’s only just the beginning for Darnold and the Vikings, who face four 2023 playoff opponents in their next five games. But Darnold has proven he can stay within structure and make plays when needed.
Exactly what O’Connell hoped to get out of the once-reckless gunslinger who owns Pro Football Focus’ third-highest passing grade (83.7) through two weeks.
Vikings Soar in NFL Week 3 Power Rankings
GettyVikings coach Kevin O’Connell
The Vikings proved that their dominant 28-6 Week 1 win over the New York Giants was no fluke by upsetting the 49ers on Sunday — and NFL analysts have responded accordingly.
The Vikings jumped from 13 spots from No. 18 to No. 5 in CBS Sports’ Week 3 power rankings, the largest among all major outlets.
The Athletic and USA Today both ranked the Vikings No. 7 entering Week 3, while Sports Illustrated ranked them No. 9.
ESPN is lower on the Vikings but gave them respect, boosting them from No. 22 to No. 11. Yahoo Sports also ranked the Vikings at No. 11 this week.
Where Vikings Rank in Week 3 NFL Power Rankings
-ESPN: 11
-The Athletic: 7
-CBS Sports: 5
-Yahoo: 11
-Sports Illustrated: 9
-USA Today: 7
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Vikings’ Kevin O’Connell Gets Emotional After Sam Darnold’s Win Over 49ers