Vikings Coach Puts Sam Darnold, Offense on Notice After Struggles vs. Jets

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold caught the ghosts of his past in London.

The 27-year-old quarterback looked like his younger self against his former team, struggling in a 23-17 win over the New York Jets where kicker Will Reichard was called on to convert three field goals that were vital to the Vikings remaining unbeaten entering the Week 6 bye.

For the first time this season, Darnold threw more incompletions (17) than completions (14) and was held without a touchdown. His 179 passing yards and 50.3 quarterback rating were both season-lows.

It was an ugly game for the entire offense, including Darnold, but head coach Kevin O’Connell took the brunt of the blame and challenged the group entering their week off.

“It was not good enough, to our standard, on offense,” O’Connell said, per Sports Illustrated. “Way too many pre-snap penalties, way too many things that we really talked about. It starts with me as the play caller, and I’ve got to make sure that I find a way to continue chasing improvement because there were some things offensively that just can’t happen in the big scheme of 17 games over a season.

“Proud of our team for how we battled. … Being 5-0, our offense has had a lot to do with that, but there’s going to be days where we’ve gotta figure it out and we’ve gotta do a better job, and that starts with me,” O’Connell added. “Tons of challenges out in front of us and I can’t wait to attack them with my guys.”

Sam Darnold Overcomes Poor Performance to Dagger Jets in 4th Quarter

While Darnold struggled for the majority of the game for the first time this season, he did come through when the Vikings needed him.

Darnold connected with Justin Jefferson for 25 yards and tight end Johnny Mundt for 20 yards to set up Minnesota’s final field goal with three minutes remaining in the game.

A touchdown would have put the game away for good as the onus was placed on the Vikings defense to stop Aaron Rodgers from completing a 17-point comeback effort. Cornerback Stephon Gilmore intercepted Rodgers in the final minute of action to seal the win.

Minnesota showed it can still get the job done with Darnold having an off day. Much like his coach, he’s not dwelling on the past and focusing on the future entering the bye.

“There’s so much room for improvement,” Darnold said in a postgame news conference. “There were definitely opportunities there that I missed.

Vikings Run Game Without Aaron Jones the Culprit of Offensive Woes

There was a clear difference in the Vikings’ offense’s effectiveness when Aaron Jones left the game with a hip injury in the second quarter.

Backup Ty Chandler managed just 30 rushing yards on 14 carries, averaging 2.1 yards per attempt.

In the second half, the offense averaged just 4.7 plays per drive and possessed the ball for just 11 minutes.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Jones will undergo an MRI on Monday, October 7, to assess his injury.

O’Connell appeared optimistic it won’t be a long-term injury for the veteran running back.