Sam Darnold Ties Favre's Record as Vikings Lead Packers 20-3

Dec 29, 2024, 10:40 PM

Sam Darnold led the Minnesota Vikings to a commanding 20-3 lead over the Green Bay Packers, throwing for 257 yards and two touchdowns by the third quarter with a passer rating of 124.6. Darnold connected with wide receiver Jalen Nailor on a 31-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter, giving the Vikings their first lead at 7-3 with 11:52 remaining. Nailor finished with five receptions for 81 yards and a touchdown. This marked Darnold’s ninth deep touchdown pass of the season, tying him for most in the NFL on passes of 20 or more air yards. By halftime, Darnold had accumulated 184 passing yards, his most in a first half this season. He later found rookie Jordan Addison for an 18-yard touchdown in the third quarter, extending the Vikings' lead to 20-3. With this performance, Darnold reached 33 passing touchdowns on the season, tying Brett Favre's 2009 franchise record for most touchdowns by a quarterback in their first season with the Vikings, and totaling a career-high 4,033 passing yards. His 33 touchdowns are also tied for fourth-most in a single season in Vikings history. The Vikings are capitalizing on Darnold’s strong play, as he currently leads the league in completions (26), passing yards (968), and Expected Points Added (+49.0) on deep passes this season.