Ex-Teammate Takes Shot at Sam Darnold
The Minnesota Vikings will have their home opener on Sunday, hosting the San Francisco 49ers. Perhaps the toughest test on the schedule, the defending NFC champions hope to break a Twin Cities curse, as they haven’t won in Minnesota since 1992. The Vikings want to add to their seven-game winning streak at home against San Francisco.
Ex-Teammate Takes Shot at Sam Darnold
Minnesota will once again be quarterbacked by Sam Darnold, a former third-overall pick who entered the league with high hopes. His career stalled with the Jets and the Panthers. Last year, Darnold signed with the 49ers, becoming Brock Purdy’s backup.
That stint helped him grow into a more mature player, and the experience in a system with some similarities to Kevin O’Connell’s scheme in Minnesota certainly benefits him now.
A former teammate, 49ers defender Deommodore Lenoir, has fond memories of the signal-caller, which is why he poked him on Thursday.
Asked about their matchup, the cornerback said: “I think I win that for sure. I believe I win because me and Sam, we had this connection. This connection where he likes to throw the ball to me. This week, I’m coming and he knows it.”
The 24-year-old has been a full-time starting cornerback for the 49ers since the 2022 season (he also started a couple of matchups in his rookie season in 2021). Lenoir caught three interceptions last year and four in his career, so catching passes from opposing quarterbacks isn’t too unusual for him.
He continued his comments by praising Minnesota’s QB1: “I know he’s a talented player, and he’s going to come ready to work. I know how he prepares; he gave us great looks when he played here with us, just taking over the scout team. He was throwing dimes, so I know it has to be tight, sticky coverage.”
Darnold also threw dimes in Week 1, finishing the season opener as the second-ranked quarterback in PFF grade and EPA+CPOE in the entire league. He looked comfortable within the offense, calm in the pocket, and trusted his teammates to make plays.
The 27-year-old threw one interception when his arm was hit by Dexter Lawrence, an annoying but acceptable turnover.
It is still extremely early, but Darnold has been put in a position to succeed for the first time in his professional career; having O’Connell calling the shots and Justin Jefferson downfield making plays is the dream of most quarterbacks. The offensive line has mostly kept him clean, besides the understandable struggles against Lawrence.
A career revival is possible, stepping into the footprints of Baker Mayfield and Geno Smith, who also escaped toxic situations for a QB and shined with different organizations.
Week 2 will be a tougher challenge against one of the top defenses in the NFL ‒ a group that held the New York Jets with Aaron Rodgers under center to only 19 points (six points came after Tyrod Taylor replaced Rodgers in garbage time).
Darnold hopes to build on his strong season opener.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt