Sam Darnold is living a dream and re-entering MVP race for red-hot Vikings

Darnold had the game of his life on Sunday in Minnesota's sixth consecutive win.

Dec 8, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) celebrates running back Aaron Jones' (33) touchdown run against the Atlanta Falcons during the fourth quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The massive video boards at U.S. Bank Stadium displayed the numbers, with Sam Darnold sitting atop the list of Week 14's NFL passing leaders: 22 of 28, 347 yards, 5 touchdowns, 0 INTs, 157.9 rating. Then the screen showed the man himself. The clock was ticking down on the best game of Darnold's career, and he couldn't help but show the fans some emotion. So he waved a towel over his head and yelled some words of celebration.

Sam Darnold TURNIN UP with #Vikings fans 🔥 pic.twitter.com/VXKRFWBLtl

— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) December 8, 2024

"That was a lot of emotion for me," said the usually-reserved Darnold. "I was just excited, man. I feel like I couldn't just sit there, stoic, straight-faced. I feel like I had to show a little emotion for the fans and gave them what they wanted. That was a special moment for me."

The crowd, which was in a state of euphoria at that point, ate it all up as the Jumbotron showed Darnold and Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. The fans had just watched Darnold throw a career-high five touchdown passes — three to Addison and two to Jefferson — as their team pulled away in the fourth quarter of a 42-21 win over the Falcons. It was the sixth consecutive win for the Vikings, who improved to 11-2 for the first time since 2009.

For Darnold, this was the culmination of what has been a dream season so far. The former No. 3 overall pick was a draft bust with the Jets and not much better at his second stop with the Panthers. He spent last season as a backup with the 49ers, then signed with the Vikings this spring, just hoping to get an opportunity to prove himself and revive his career. He's done that in a big way — and perhaps more emphatically and impressively than anyone could've imagined before this season.

Darnold landed in the perfect situation in Minnesota, from the coaching staff and organizational culture to the players around him. He got some early MVP buzz when he threw 11 touchdowns in the first four games of the season. Then came some adversity: 6 TDs and 7 INTs over a five-game span that included a couple losses. The low point was a three-pick game in a narrow win over the Jaguars. But he just kept playing, and since then, he's thrown for 11 touchdowns without a single pick over the last four weeks.

Darnold is now up to 28 TDs and 10 INTs this year. His passer rating, which has been above 100 in 11 of 13 games, is at 108.1. But this game was the pinnacle of anything he's done, both this season and in his entire career. Five touchdown passes, three of them coming on consecutive drives in the second half that turned a 14-13 lead into a 35-21 lead. So he had to live up the moment a little bit when the cameras found him on the sideline.

"I just felt the buzz," Darnold said. "That was pure passion, pure joy. The way that we were able to finish that game out. Even our defense there at the end, getting that huge stop. It was a fun game to be a part of."

After a performance like this, Darnold certainly deserves to be back in the MVP discussion. He's playing at an incredibly high level for one of the best teams in the NFL. It's been quite the season for a player who was written off by just about everyone not too long ago.

"I'm just proud of him," Kevin O'Connell said. "Days like this are (the result of) so many hours upon hours of hard work ... everyone's gonna talk about the result, and I hope they do, but for me and Sam and our team, there's not very many guys in that locker room that are surprised about the performance that he had today."

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