The Minnesota Vikings were in control of this game from start to finish. Quarterback Sam Darnold started the game with 12 consecutive completions and the defense only gave up two field goals. The final score was 28-6 and it did not feel like a fair match for most of the 60 minutes they played.
Five Takeaways From Week 1
1. Sam Darnold Is capable Of Success With This Offense
Sam Darnold looked like a renewed man by the way he played against the New York Giants on his former home field. He started the day with 12 consecutive completions and only made a couple of bad decisions/throws. Even the interception that he threw was not entirely his fault because the Giants’ Dexter Lawrence II hit his arm.
Overall, this was a very impressive outing for a guy who has struggled to stay in a starting QB position since he was drafted third overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. He did not rack up the yards but did not need to either. He finished the game with 201 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception for a QB rating of 113.2.
2. Aaron Jones Has Changed The Look Of Running Game
Aaron Jones was back to his quick and shifty old self as he got 94 yards on 14 carries, along with one touchdown. He had several long runs. Most of his runs displayed a good second effort where it looked like he was stopped but he continued for several yards after contact. Ty Chandler did not look great but he did have a couple of nice catches coming out of the backfield. Having the threat of a legitimate run game helped to open up the passing game a bit as well.
3. Pat Jones III Put On A Defensive Clinic
Pat Jones III looked great as he sacked Daniel Jones two times in this game. The Vikings’ defense as a whole was stout and only allowed two field goals to go along with 240 yards of total offense. The defense combined for a total of five sacks and 12 QB hits on the day. New York’s offense could not sustain long drives all day due to sacks and self-inflicted wounds from penalties.
4. Vikings Defense Forced Four Turnovers
Minnesota’s defense looked great in its first full regular season game of the 2024-25 NFL season. They got pressure on Jones all day long, which attributed to him finishing the game with 22 completions on 42 attempts, 186 yards, no touchdowns, and two picks.
The Vikings made Jones look like a fraud with his $40 million yearly salary. Linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel was able to corral an interception and bring it into the endzone for a pick-six while Safety Harrison Smith picked Jones off in the endzone for a touchback. They also forced two turnover-on-downs which adds up to the four total turnovers.
5. Vikings Looked Prepared In All Stages
Kicker Will Reichard was able to make all four of his extra points and Punter Ryan Wright had 3-of-4 solid punts. Darnold was on a roll with the offense, and Smith led this defense to an impressive display of dominance.
Wrap Up
It would be foolish to assume that the Vikings will be able to play this way every week of the season. However, for right now they are tied for the division lead with the Chicago Bears as the Detroit Lions play on Sunday Night Football against the LA Rams.
The team was able to stay relatively healthy while still losing Wide Receiver Jordan Addison in the third quarter due to reaggravating an ankle injury that he had struggled with through most of training camp and the preseason. Hopefully, he will be able to return to play soon and the Vikings can keep things rolling against the San Francisco 49ers in their Week 2 matchup.
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