The Vikings’ hot start still leaves one big question surrounding Sam Darnold’s future

I will admit defeat. I was wrong every step of the way. The Minnesota Vikings are not only good, they are also one of the last two undefeated teams in the NFL. The other team happens to be the two-time defending Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, and even they didn’t play much football to begin with. The Vikings are going full throttle so far this year.

I want to give a lot of credit to General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah for identifying and finding the right quarterback for the Vikings in Sam Darnold this year and likely next year. He looked like USC’s former No. 3 pick before the flightless New York Jets nearly ruined him. It’s a testament to how great offensive-minded head coach Kevin O’Connell is. This works well!

However, there is just one thing Vikings fans need to be wary of when it comes to Darnold moving forward. One of Rich Eisen’s most jaw-dropping statistics heading into Week 5 of the 2024 NFL season is that the Vikings trailed by exactly three minutes and 26 seconds. Every other team in the league is at least 26 minutes behind. The New York Giants were the team that led the Vikings…

To bring it home: We know Darnold can win by one, but how well does he play from behind?

Darnold and the Vikings are playing with a lot of confidence, but everything has gone smoothly so far.

There is a double-edged sword here. Although I have to admit that Darnold seems like a good guy who has been through so much in his professional career, he has a strong tendency to naturally play recklessly when the game gets away from him. Considering that the Vikings haven’t been a franchise that handles adversity well in nearly five decades, that’s a problem.

The good news is that there is always time to change course. As long as the Vikings have O’Connell as their head coach and empower him as such, they will be able to compete with anyone. I think it’s a great idea to get as many wins as possible before the rest of the league finds out how good you are. I remember a Vikings team from a decade ago that started 5-0 and missed the playoffs…

Overall, we won’t know if Darnold is a truly rehabilitated quarterback until we see it. In the first four weeks of the season he is showing that he can play with great confidence despite the wind in his sails. Unfortunately, football is a game about getting hurt and overcoming adversity. This time I think Darnold is made for it. I just wonder if he will be a catalyst for change in Minnesota.

It feels like a playoff team right now, but I don’t know what the ceiling even is beyond that.