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Minnesota Vikings' Sam Darnold Sets NFL Record With Career Performance vs. Green Bay

The Minnesota Vikings improved to 14-2 after a 27-25 victory over the Green Bay Packers. Former USC Trojans quarterback Sam Darnold had an exceptional showing, throwing for three touchdowns, 33/43 passing, and a career-best 377 passing yards. 

Kyron Samuels

Dec 29, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) walks off the field after the game against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
Dec 29, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) walks off the field after the game against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images / Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
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The Minnesota Vikings held on late for a franchise-defining 27-25 victory over the Green Bay Packers to improve to 14-2 on the season and set up a winner-take-all scenario against the Detroit Lions next week. Former USC Trojans quarterback Sam Darnold had an exceptional showing, throwing for three touchdowns, 33/43 passing, and a career-best 377 passing yards. 

With the win, Sam Darnold became the first quarterback in NFL history to record 14 wins in his first season with a team, according to Minnesota Vikings PR. Darnold also has 13 games this season with a passer rating above 100.  That's the second most in NFL history. Aaron Rodgers, who had 14 such games in 2020, is the only quarterback to have more in a single season. Darnold can equal the record next week against the Detroit Lions.

“Lotta water bottles. I think I blacked out. When Aaron Jones grabbed me, I didn’t know what to do with my hands, Ricky Bobby style.” said Sam Darnold of the postgame locker room celebration with his teammates. 

With his 35th touchdown pass of the season, quarterback Sam Darnold tied Brett Favre (2009) for the most passing touchdowns by a quarterback in his first season as a Minnesota Viking. Also, with three passing touchdowns on the day and 35 on the season, Darnold is now tied with Kirk Cousins (2020) for the second-most passing touchdowns in a season in franchise history, trailing only Daunte Culpepper, who had 39 touchdown passes in 2004. 

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“I can't explain how proud I am of the guys in the locker room. I've just been taking it one day at a time that's what I've been doing since April. It's as simple as that, and we'll continue to have that mindset going forward. This year has been unbelievable. First and foremost, it's the guys in this locker room, the coaching staff, it's all of us that make it work. Again, I'm just so proud of the guys in that locker room.” Darnold said in the FOX postgame field interview. 

Darnold has recorded the fourth-most touchdown passes by a team player in his first season. Matthew Stafford, 41, in 2021, Tom Brady, 40, in 2020, and Peyton Manning, 37, in 2012, are the only quarterbacks to have thrown for more. This season, Sam Darnold’s 35 passing touchdowns surpassed Brett Favre’s 33 in 2009 and Vinny Testaverde’s 33 in 1996. 

Next week, the Vikings travel to Detroit to take on the Lions. The winner of that game will take the NFC North division title, the No. 1 seed in the NFC, home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, and potentially the Coach of the Year tiebreaker as well. Everything is on the line, as the loser will likely drop to the fifth seed. 

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Kyron Samuels
KYRON SAMUELS

Kyron Samuels is a former college and professional football player now a writer, analyst, & digital host. Kyron is a writer for USC Trojans on SI and contributes to Oregon Ducks on SI. A graduate and letterman at Jacksonville State University, Samuels was a three-year starter, two-time all-conference, and won three consecutive conference titles. After a four-year professional stint between the AFL & XFL, Samuels retired from football. In 2022, Samuels was inducted into the Fairhope Athletic Hall of Fame. Post-playing career, Samuels has become a credentialed sports media member covering the NFL, UFL, USFL, & college football. The NFL Combine, Reese’s Senior Bowl, & East-West Shrine Bowl are amongst the events Kyron has covered. As a guest and host, Samuels has been featured on ESPNRadio, FoxSportsRadio, & IHeartRadio. Outside of sports media, Samuels works as a scouting consultant and has experience coaching at the collegiate level.

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