Sam Darnold, in his VIkings debut, had one of the best games of his career by going 19 of 24 for 208 yards and two touchdowns against the Giants.
Kevin Seifert is a staff writer who covers the Minnesota Vikings and the NFL at ESPN. Kevin has covered the NFL for over 20 years, joining ESPN in 2008. He was previously a beat reporter for the Minneapolis Star Tribune and Washington Times. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia. You can follow him via Twitter @SeifertESPN.
In his Vikings debut, Darnold produced one of the best games of his career by connecting on his first 12 throws and finishing with 19 completions in 24 attempts for 208 yards and two touchdowns. Were it not for a third-quarter interception caused by a hit as he threw, his passer rating would have been a career-high 130.6.External uncertainty about Darnold's aptitude as a full-time starter is largely why the Vikings are a consensus pick to finish last in the NFC North.
Jefferson has been exhorting Darnold to be confident throughout training camp, to trust not only his arm and his reads but also in Jefferson himself. The pair demonstrated their progress on a second-and-10 play from the Vikings' 10-yard line midway through the second quarter. Despite two Giants defenders chasing Jefferson down the field, Darnold lofted a long pass -- one that O'Connell said was"remarkable" -- toward the left sideline.
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