Kevin O'Connell, the QB coaches and backups have Darnold playing at a high level. Can he bounce back from the Week 18 debacle in Detroit?

During the first few seasons of his NFL career, former USC QB Sam Darnold went viral for all of the wrong reasons. There was his first ever NFL pass being a pick six. There was the graphic of him being out with mononucleosis.

Despite his struggles in Week 18, the free agency market for Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold remains highly competitive.

Sam Darnold’s stock is at an all-time high. Now 14-2, the Minnesota Vikings will enter their Week 18 showdown with the Detroit Lions riding a nine-game winning streak. A win at Ford Field on Sunday Night Football will clinch both the NFC North division title and a first-round bye in the playoffs as the No.

Pardon us. Coming through. Sorry to interrupt the pitch-fork party’s tarring and feathering of the quarterback y’all loved five days ago when he was 14-2 but … This, believe it or not, is a story about someone other than Sam Darnold who needs to play better against the Rams in the playoffs on Monday night.

And yet, even after resting their starters to effectively throw away the third seed in Week 18, Sean McVay and the Rams aren't taking their foe for granted, as on Monday, the Super Bowl-winning head coach told reporters just how impressed he's been with Sam Darnold in Kevin O'Connell's offensive scheme.