The final seconds had mercifully ticked off the clock on Sunday night at Ford Field in Detroit.
As the Vikings immediately started the process of turning the page following a 31-9 loss to the Lions, Kevin O’Connell made his way toward the 50-yard line to shake hands with his counterpart Dan Campbell.
The exchange was caught on camera. A brief hug between O’Connell and Campbell with both of them more or less acknowledging the possibility that they might see each other again in a couple of weeks.
Yes, if the Vikings find a way to beat the Rams next weekend at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, it could set up a rematch with the Lions in the divisional round of the playoffs.
There’s no doubt Sam Darnold is hoping for a shot at redemption after his putrid performance in primetime. In the biggest game of his career — the Vikings needed a win over the Lions to secure the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoff bracket — Darnold appeared overwhelmed by the moment.
His erratic play was jarring considering how good Darnold had been during the Vikings’ 14-2 run into that game. He completed only 18 of 41 passes for 166 yards and no touchdowns. Not only did he miss throws he usually makes in his sleep, he started to look visibly rattled as the game progressed.
As he reflected on the game less than 24 hours later, O’Connell lamented a handful of plays that were there to be made, especially in the red zone — where the Vikings went 0 for 4 while failing to score a touchdown.
“We had opportunities to go out there and score,” Justin Jefferson said. “We just didn’t do a good enough job.”
There were a pair of misses to Jefferson on which Darnold misfired with his top receiver running wide open in the end zone. There also were a pair of misses to Jordan Addison, where Darnold simply progressed too quickly when he should have hung in and let it rip.
After taking accountability for his actions after for the game, Darnold tried his best to move forward, vowing to watch the tape and get better from it.
“I missed some throws and we lost to a really good team,” Darnold said. “We have an opportunity to go to the playoffs and play another really good team.”
Though his recent struggles were enough for some of the fan base to jump off the bandwagon, Darnold still has the ability to write his story with the Vikings. Just because he struggled against the Lions doesn’t mean he has to struggle against the Rams
“I’m really excited to get to work with him this week,” O’Connell said. “My confidence level that we can get right back on track is as high as it can be.”
It should be. The resilience that Darnold has shown since being selected with the No. 3 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft is proof he is more than capable of overcoming this latest misstep.
On a macro level, Darnold was labeled a bust in the early stages of his career, and rather than crumble in the face of adversity, he put his head down and went to work. The result was him steadily changing the narrative after signing with the Vikings.
On a micro level, Darnold had a horrific game against the Jaguars a couple of months ago, and rather than crumble in the face of adversity, he put his head down and went to work. The result was a stretch of solid play that proved he has what it takes to be a franchise quarterback.
The next chance for Darnold to prove himself will come next weekend when the Vikings travel to take on the Rams in the playoffs. He’s always found a way to respond when his back is against the wall, and this time should be no different.
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