Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said after Sunday’s 42-21 win over the Falcons that he didn’t see the game as validation for the team’s decision not to re-sign Kirk Cousins in the offseason, but it was hard not to make the result about the quarterbacks.
Cousins threw a pair of interceptions, including one in the fourth quarter that helped the Vikings go from being tied 21-21 to comfortable winners. The Vikings’ current starter Sam Darnold threw a career-high five touchdowns and no interceptions while also piling up a career-best 347 yards and he left the field waving a towel to a crowd chanting “MVP” to celebrate his performance.
Darnold said he felt “pure joy” in that moment and that led to him sharing a rarely seen part of his personality.
“That was a lot of emotion for me,” Darnold said at his postgame press conference. “I was just excited, man. I feel like I couldn’t just sit there just kind of stoic and straight-faced. I felt like I had to show a little bit of emotion for the fans and gave them what they wanted. That was a special moment for me.”
A report before Sunday’s game said Darnold and the Vikings have not had discussions on a new deal, so it remains to be seen if he’ll be one and done in Minnesota. His success this season assures that someone is going to give him the keys to their offense, though, and they’ll be hoping for more days like Sunday when they do.
