Scoggins: Vikings' Sam Darnold era could be a wild ride, but teammates see an 'absolute baller'

Sam Darnold was brilliant.

For a brief moment, Sam Darnold was exasperating.

As it stands, Sam Darnold is 2-0 as starting quarterback of the Vikings and throwing darts in crunch time. If you had that scenario on your bingo card, you're lying.

Buckle up, Vikings fans. This could be a wild ride.

On Sunday alone, Darnold threw a 97-yard touchdown pass, a momentum-killing interception in the red zone and a series of gut-check completions on a statement drive that iced a 23-17 victory over the defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers in the home opener.

"He's an absolute baller," fullback C.J. Ham said. "He's shown glimpses of it everywhere he's been. To be able to come in here now and be with this system, these coaches, this team, he's been great. He's a super talented dude."

Darnold's physical talent has never really been disputed. His inconsistency and penchant for turnovers at previous career stops have undermined his standing as a starting quarterback.

His performance against the 49ers touched both extremes, but the most important takeaway is that Darnold didn't allow one costly mistake to derail him or prevent his team from winning.

He was a cool customer when his team needed him the most.

"A true leader of the offense," receiver Jalen Nailor said.

Signs of the trust that Darnold has earned organizationally in short order were everywhere. Coach Kevin O'Connell allowed Darnold to throw a bomb to Justin Jefferson against double coverage while standing in his own end zone against a ferocious 49ers defense.

A coach doesn't even consider calling that play without total confidence in his quarterback.

Jefferson blew past the double team as Darnold launched the ball roughly 55 yards in the air, hitting his target in stride. Jefferson did the rest, weaving to the end zone for the longest touchdown catch in the NFL since 2022. A play cannot be executed any better than that.

"As pretty of a throw as I've seen," O'Connell said, "especially in those circumstances."

Then came the flip side. Leading 10-0 late in the second quarter, the Vikings moved into scoring range. They had control of the game, and another touchdown would have put the 49ers in a big hole.

Darnold threw over the middle and star linebacker Fred Warner intercepted the pass at the 10-yard line. The 49ers found new life with a touchdown drive that changed the game's complexion.

"I think I can be a little bit safer with the football in that situation," Darnold said.

His response is why the Vikings should feel especially encouraged. Darnold hustled the offense down the field in time to kick a field goal as the first half ended, extending the lead to 13-7.

Darnold's best moment came when things appeared the most chaotic. The 49ers had cut the lead to 20-14 in the fourth on a long drive.

Jefferson was not available after suffering a leg injury. The offense already was missing Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson because of injuries. Running back Aaron Jones was being evaluated in the medical tent.

The Vikings needed points to stem the tide, and they had to manage it without their best skill players and a quarterback playing in his second game with the team.

"He was keeping everybody nice and calm and composed," Nailor said.

Darnold's take?

"This might stink for you guys to hear this, but I don't say anything," he said. "Those guys know exactly what we need to do."

Darnold orchestrated a 14-play drive with precision. That included a trio of third-down completions to chew nearly seven minutes off the clock and set up a field goal that gave the Vikings a nine-point cushion with 3½ minutes left.

"You just looked in his eyes and you knew he was feeling good and was ready to roll," right tackle Brian O'Neill said.

No throw was prettier than Darnold's 26-yard completion to Nailor up the seam on third-and-8 with three defenders in the vicinity. Darnold made a split-second adjustment by placing the ball back shoulder where only Nailor could grab it.

"A big-boy throw from a big-boy quarterback," O'Neill said.

Two games, two victories, and this is how teammates are gushing about their new quarterback.

"I can't say anything but just watch," Ham said. "Everybody sees this is two weeks in a row that he's gone out there and made some of the best throws out of all the QBs who play in the league."