Analysis

Darnold experienced significant struggles for the first time this season, as he combined to complete only nine of his 22 passes to Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. There were several potential explanations for the down performance, as the Jets are a tough defensive matchup and Darnold also suffered an apparent chest injury midway through the first quarter that caused him to miss one play. In addition, the Vikings jumped ahead early, causing the offense to limit its aggressiveness for much of the game. Darnold will have a chance to rest from any lingering soreness as Minnesota will head into a Week 6 bye.

Analysis

Darnold and the Vikings appeared well on their way to another impressive victory during a first half in which they jumped out to a 28-7 lead with help of the quarterback's pair of touchdown tosses to Jordan Addison (29 yards) and Justin Jefferson (14 yards). However, Darnold played a part in aiding Green Bay's comeback in the second half, tossing an interception at the Packers' two-yard line and then losing the handle on the ball during a sack at his own 24-yard line early in the fourth quarter. The latter mistake led to a Green Bay touchdown, but he was able to subsequently helm one more scoring drive that culminated in a field goal and essentially proved to be the difference in the game. Darnold will be striving to build on what was a season-high passing yardage total in a Week 5 matchup against the Jets in London next Sunday.

Analysis

Darnold emerged from Sunday's win against the Texans with a bone bruise in his left knee. When speaking to the media Wednesday, Darnold said he's taking the injury "one day at a time" and also had a sleeve to protect his left leg, according to Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com. With an uncapped session under his belt, Darnold seemingly is good to go for Sunday's contest at Green Bay, but whether or not he has wideout Jordan Addison (ankle) -- who was limited Wednesday -- at his disposal for the first time since Week 1 remains to be seen.

Analysis

Darnold underwent an MRI on Monday after he missed one play in the third quarter of Sunday's win over Houston, with tests revealing that the veteran quarterback didn't sustain any structural damage to his knee. It's also encouraging for the Vikings offense that the team isn't expressing real concern about Darnold's health heading into a key road divisional matchup against the Packers. Across three games this season, Darnold has thrown for a league-leading eight touchdowns with just two interceptions, despite Jordan Addison (ankle) missing both of the past two games and star tight end T.J. Hockenson (knee) still residing on the reserve/PUP list.

Analysis

Darnold downplayed the knee issue when he spoke to the media following Sunday's game, though he admitted he wasn't sure if the injury would limit his participation in practice during the upcoming week. After making a brief visit to the medical tent on the Vikings' sideline to have his knee checked out late in the third quarter, Darnold didn't look to be too hindered by his knee the rest of the way, as he proceeded to lead Minnesota to three scores (two field goals, one touchdown) on the ensuing three drives upon re-entering the game. At this point, the expectation is that Darnold will be ready to play next Sunday at Green Bay, but the upcoming MRI should provide more clarity on the extent of his injury and shed more light on whether he'll be in jeopardy of missing time.

Analysis

The 27-year-old quarterback didn't need to air it out too much in the big win, but Darnold was clinical in the red zone, with all four of his TDs coming from inside the 10-yard line. The four touchdowns tied his career high, matching his performance against Washington from Week 11 of the 2019 season when he was still a Jet. Darnold has an 8:2 TD:INT through three games to lead the Vikings to a 3-0 start, giving him plenty of momentum heading into a Week 4 clash with the Packers.

Analysis

Darnold wasn't quite as efficient as he'd been during a Week 1 win over the Giants in which he misfired on only five pass attempts, but considering he was missing Jordan Addison (ankle) from the onset of the game and then lost Justin Jefferson (quadriceps) late in the third quarter, the veteran signal-caller was effective overall. Well before the latter's exit from the game, however, the duo connected for a 97-yard touchdown pass that served as the highlight of the afternoon, and essentially, the difference in the game. Darnold did take his lumps against an aggressive 49ers defense that sacked him three times and hit him on an additional three occasions, jarring the ball loose twice. While Darnold and the Vikings were still able to escape with a high-quality victory, they will be hard-pressed to duplicate their success in a Week 3 home matchup against the Texans if neither Jefferson nor Addison are available for that contest.

Analysis

Returning to a MetLife Stadium field that was often a proverbial house of horrors for him during a difficult early career stint with the Jets, Darnold looked like a quarterback out for redemption over the course of a stellar Vikings debut. The veteran signal-caller connected with Justin Jefferson (three yards) and Jalen Nailor (21 yards) for his two touchdown passes, and his 12 consecutive completions to open the game tied franchise legend Fran Tarkenton's record in that category. Darnold had the perfect game environment to ease into his new role thanks in part to a dominant defensive performance by Minnesota, but the going figures to be a lot tougher in a Week 2 home showdown against the 49ers.

Analysis

O'Connell added that Matt Corral is likely to see snaps after Hall on Saturday, with Darnold's next start thus slated to occur Week 1 against the Giants on Sunday, Sept. 8. The veteran QB is slated to open the regular season as Minnesota's top signal-caller, with first-round rookie J.J. McCarthy having landed on IR last week due to a knee injury.