Inside The Vikings

Sam Darnold for MVP? Vikings' 3-0 start has captured nation's attention

The NFL world is taking notice of what Darnold and the Vikings have done through three weeks.

Will Ragatz

Sep 22, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (33) catches a pass from quarterback Sam Darnold (14) against the Houston Texans in the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Sep 22, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (33) catches a pass from quarterback Sam Darnold (14) against the Houston Texans in the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. / Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
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As Sam Darnold ran back onto the field after an injury scare caused him to miss one play, the crowd at U.S. Bank Stadium roared with approval. Chants of "MVP, MVP, MVP" even broke out for a few seconds.

We're just three weeks into a long NFL season, but the country is starting to notice what Darnold and the Vikings are doing in 2024. Their 34-7 win over the Texans on Sunday, led by four more touchdown passes from Darnold and another dominant defensive performance, moved them to 3-0 and cemented them as legitimate contenders.

Again, it's very early. But right now, the Vikings are the talk of the league and their ex-draft bust quarterback is suddenly in MVP conversations.

"Last couple of weeks, I've been saying 'I don't know how long this Sam Darnold thing is going to last,'" said FS1's Colin Cowherd. "But I do now. Until February 9th. That's the date of the Super Bowl. Yeah, I said it."

Darnold's four TD passes against Houston give him eight this season, which is the most he's ever had in a three-game span in his career. He leads the NFL in that department.

"There's room for improvement, which is great for us," Darnold said after the game.

The Vikings came into this season as a complete unknown. With Darnold replacing Kirk Cousins, external expectations were very low. Their preseason Vegas win total was just 6.5. It takes a few weeks to change that kind of perception. After Week 1, it was "oh they played the Giants." After last week's win over the 49ers, it was "can they do it again?" Now that they've done this three weeks in a row, with a +55 point differential, the doubters are starting to disappear.

The key thing is that there's been nothing about this three-week run that looks fluky or unsustainable. Darnold is confident and poised and playing extremely well under Kevin O'Connell's tutelage. And at some point, this offense will get Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson back. The Vikings' defense, led by Brian Flores, is loaded with veteran talent that is operating at an unbelievably high level. They just held two of the best offenses they'll face all year to 24 total points over the last two weeks.

So soak it in, Vikings fans. The buzz will only grow over the course of this next week. And then the Vikings will head to Green Bay and try to do it all again.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

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