The Minnesota Vikings have been one of the most surprising teams in the NFL over the past two weeks. Vikings fans everywhere were devastated when rookie quarterback JJ McCarthy was sidelined for the year with a meniscus injury. That thrust backup Sam Darnold into the spotlight where he has been surprisingly excellent.
Darnold spoke about his experiences in Minnesota and how his mindset allowed him to succeed with the Vikings in two games.
“I’ve learned a lot,” Darnold said, according to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. “I’ve had experiences where bad things have happened. And I think the more you play football, the more you understand that you can’t control everything and things are going to happen during the game.”
The Vikings know this better than almost any other team in the NFL. Minnesota has had a rough offseason marked by a lot of roster changes and a few off-field tragedies. It’s nice to have a QB who can take the hits when they come.
“But you have to understand that you have to keep your head down and keep working and fighting throughout these games,” Darnold continued. “Because at the end of the day, it’s not about what happened in the past or the previous play, it’s about the next one.”
It’s the perfect attitude for someone like Darnold, especially because it fits where the Vikings stand as a franchise.
Maybe Darnold and the Vikings were just a match made in heaven.
Vikings WR Justin Jefferson addresses injury concerns with three-word statement
Darnold’s job was made much easier by the fact that he was thrown to superstar Justin Jefferson.
Jefferson is dealing with a quadriceps injury, which has led to some uncertainty this week as to whether he will be active against the Texans in Week 3.
Jefferson gave a brief and ardent answer This should motivate Vikings fans.
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“I asked Justin Jefferson if he would play Sunday against the Texans,” Seifert said. “Yeah, sure.” [Jefferson said]”He says his quadriceps feels “great” and he’s working daily with the medical staff to make sure he feels “fantastic” by Sunday.”
Jefferson was limited to training on Thursday but he seems likely to play a crucial game against the Texans.
“Jefferson maintained his activity level from Wednesday’s session as he nurses a bruised right quadriceps muscle he suffered late in the third quarter of Sunday’s win over the 49ers,” the outlet reported. “Both the receiver and coach Kevin O’Connell expressed optimism that the injury is not serious, but Jefferson has just one more session this week to prove his health before the weekend. Ultimately, Jefferson appears destined to be designated for Sunday’s game against the Texans.”
Vikings fans will be happy to have their best player on the field if Jefferson is truly active against the Texans on Sunday.
