The Minnesota Vikings went into the 2024 season with a lot of hype around their starting quarterback. The franchise had just drafted J.J. McCarthy in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Minnesota signed Sam Darnold in free agency, but McCarthy was the heir apparent to Kirk Cousins, who left for the Atlanta Falcons in free agency. The expectation was that Darnold would be the starter until McCarthy was ready, but the focus was purely on the rookie and his development.
McCarthy tore his ACL in the preseason and was ruled out for the season. At that point, the decision about Darnold was no longer up in the air, and it was decided that Darnold would be the starter. Let's take a look at how his Minnesota debut is going as the Vikings take on the Giants in Week 1.
Sam Darnold stats today
These stats will be updated throughout the Vikings vs. Giants Week 1 game.
| Stat | Total |
| Pass Attempts | 24 |
| Pass Completions | 19 |
| Passing Yards | 208 |
| Touchdowns | 2 |
| Interceptions | 1 |
It's worth noting that Darnold started the game with a perfect 12/12 passing. The Vikings won the game 28-6.
Sam Darnold highlights
Darnold hit Jalen Nailor for a nice 21-yard score in the third quarter.
SAM DARNOLD TO A WIDE OPEN JALEN NAILOR TOUCHDOWN VIKINGS #skol
— PrimeLewis23 (@PrimeLewis23) September 8, 2024
pic.twitter.com/WdRFh3joIb
While some may be a little wary of Darnold under center, the quarterback should get a boost in expectations because he still gets to pass to Justin Jefferson. This is a tandem to watch, and they got connected early.
Moneyball.
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) September 8, 2024
Sam Darnold x @JJettas2
📺: @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/gNnifylb6X
Darnold struggled in his tenure with the New York Jets and the Carolina Panthers, and served as the backup to Brock Purdy last season with the San Francisco 49ers. He may have learned from the accurate Purdy and put together an impressive drive early in Sunday's game.
That was an eye-opening drive for the Vikings offense, which went 99 yards on 11 plays and scored on a 6-yard pass to Justin Jefferson on 4th down.
— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) September 8, 2024
Sam Darnold is now 10-10-136-1 and the bandwagon is about to leave the station.
Vikings 14, Giants 3. 6:55 Q2
