Souhan: Sam Darnold's big moment — the biggest of his life, perhaps — sets everything up for Vikings

SEATTLE – Sam Darnold was a man besieged. Surrounded by large, screaming men, his arms pinned to his sides, he couldn't move, and breathing was becoming a problem.

He had played impeccably all afternoon despite defenders enveloping him like the perpetual Seattle mist, scrambling and spinning in the pocket, firing passes that defied geometry, if not physics. And now, in the gloaming, he was taking a beating.

"I think I slobbered on him," Dalton Risner said.

Risner plays guard for the Vikings, and he was among those slapping Darnold on the helmet and back, because Darnold had just made the play of the season, if not Darnold's entire life.

The Vikings trailed the Seattle Seahawks by four points late in the fourth quarter. They took the ball on their 30, then Darnold went to work. Twelve yards to Justin Jefferson. A scramble for 9. A facemask penalty led to a first down at the Seattle 39 with 3:58 remaining.

Darnold dropped back, felt pressure and rushed forward. Jefferson spun and went deep. Darnold, without breaking stride, hit him with the winning touchdown pass in the Vikings' 27-24 victory, and then his offensive linemen surrounded him, looking like bears ripping bark off a tree.

"I mean, dear gosh, I've been a part of a lot of football teams, and it's just unbelievable, whether it's Justin Jefferson or him, just for us to be able to make plays like that in crunch time in an environment like that," Risner said. "Doesn't surprise me, but it's just freaking fun to be a part of. We were just saying, 'Dude, way to make a freaking play.'"

The numbers justified the emotions. Against a quality defense in a roaring stadium in the rain, with the first seed in the NFC playoffs within reach, Darnold completed 22 of 35 passes for 246 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions and a 112.3 passer rating.

Earlier Sunday, the Eagles lost at Washington and Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts left the game because of a concussion. With the Packers coming to U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday, and the season finale scheduled for Detroit, Darnold and the Vikings can earn the first seed and division title with two victories.

With that last touchdown pass and this game, Darnold has positioned the team, and himself, for big things. This wasn't Darnold playing point guard; this was Darnold making the big shot with the game on the line.

In the locker room after the game, Jefferson was comparing this team not to the 13-win team of 2022 but to his LSU national champions. "This is the same type of vibe," he said.

Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell called this "Sam's offense," and noted that Darnold dealt well with O'Connell's headset failing, forcing Darnold to call a play without help as the play clock ran down.

Veteran running back Aaron Jones described Darnold in the huddle before the winning drive as "poised, very poised. No flinch. He came into the huddle and said, 'Hey, guys, it's gonna be loud in here. … He gives you confidence, so there's never a doubt in our mind that we're gonna get this done."

Darnold's best throw of the day might have been the first touchdown to Jefferson, who was barely open yet found the ball in his arms at the back of the end zone. That throw required as much confidence and trust as it did accuracy. "Lots of practice," Darnold said.

Since Darnold's three-interception performance at Jacksonville, he has thrown 15 touchdown passes and one interception — and the interception was a what-the-heck fourth-down toss against Chicago.

The Vikings have a succession plan. That's why they signed Darnold to a one-year deal and planned to replace him with J.J. McCarthy.

Darnold is threatening to erase that plan, if he can survive the celebrations.

"I saw the touchdown, and I saw Sam, and I just grabbed ahold, slobbering, and I don't even know what I told him," Risner said. "I think I just kept saying, 'You did it, Sammy.'"