Kevin O'Connell: Sam Darnold is an 'igniter' for the Vikings

Darnold has impressed while helping guide the Vikings to a 5-0 start.

Oct 6, 2024; London, United Kingdom; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) throws the ball against the New York Jets in the first half at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Despite a shaky six quarters leading into the bye, Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell remains confident in quarterback Sam Darnold as the Vikings are one of just two undefeated teams left in the NFL.

In an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday, O'Connell said Darnold's success through the first five weeks of the season is based on confidence: the team's confidence in Darnold and Darnold's confidence in himself.

"You come into it with a bunch of confidence in Sam. I know our team had a bunch of confidence in Sam. Sam was really confident after a really good training camp but to have the success that he's had, in many ways being an igniter for our team with some big critical throws early on in games to help us generate some of the leads that we've had," O'Connell said. "Sam's making some critical throws to (recapture momentum in a game). Leading us down to get more points on the board and help secure victory for our team."

Darnold has thrown for 1,111 yards, 11 touchdown passes and just four interceptions, completing 63.5% of his passes, while helping guide the Vikings to an undefeated 5-0 start.

"I knew all along if we could get some guys open, Sam Darnold's going to hit them. Because he's talented. He can play quarterback in the NFL, I've always believed that. I'm just proud of him," O'Connell said. "He's kind of not really worried about anything other than just his role on our team. He's one of our captains. He works as hard as anybody to be ready to go. I'm not surprised when he goes out and has success."

While overall the Vikings' season has been impressive, notable slips happened the previous two games where the Vikings struggled to hold on to double-digit leads. O'Connell noted that Sunday's 23-17 win over the New York Jets, in which the Vikings produced just 253 total yards of offense, was not up to the team's standards.

"I think the Jets have a really good defense, really talented group. Two really good corners, Quinnen Williams in the middle. Fast speed all over that defense. We knew it was going to be a challenge," O'Connell said. "We did not perform at our standard, but we found a way to make enough plays to really compliment a defense that was doing a lot of really good things, like they've done all season long."

The shaky performance doesn't appear to have O'Connell too concerned as the team enters the bye week.

"I think we're a good football team. I think we've got really good players. I think I'm really blessed to have some really good coaches right alongside with me. I think we've had the right mindset from the very beginning," O'Connell said. "I can recall standing before the team in the first training camp team meeting and just letting those guys know I don't think I'm on my own in believing we've got a good chance of being a really good football team. ... I think we're going to come off this bye with the same mentality we've had from the jump, which is constantly chasing improvement."