EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Dalnold celebrated his return to the NFL starting lineup Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
Darnold’s most recent touchdown pass came on a 21-yard dart to receiver Jalen Nailor to give the Vikings a 21-3 lead over the New York Giants early in the third quarter.
The play started with receiver Justin Jefferson in the backfield, who later signaled to go flat. With the Giants focused on Jefferson, Darnold faked his way to him and found Naylor wide open along the right sideline. In the second quarter, Darnold threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Jefferson on fourth down.
In the second half, I took a swing.@jalennailor
📺: @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/W1Rznq8oEj
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) September 8, 2024
The No. 3 pick in the 2018 draft, Darnold signed a one-year deal with the Vikings after spending last season as the backup for the San Francisco 49ers. He was originally signed as a short-term starter, but he filled in for the season when rookie JJ McCarthy suffered a season-ending knee injury in the preseason.
On Sunday, Darnold completed his first 12 passes since the start of the game, his longest streak since the start of a game, and he completed 15 of his first 17 passes for 181 yards and two scores.
Linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel continued his big play in his Vikings debut, intercepting a pass from Daniel Jones and running it 10 yards for a touchdown to give the Vikings a 28-6 lead.
.@Andrew VanGinkel Are you kidding me?!?!
📺: @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/XFx58RvTIt
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) September 8, 2024
Van Ginkel, a free agent traded from the Miami Dolphins to reunite with defensive coordinator Brian Flores, lurked on the left side of the pass rush and caught a pass from Jones.
Andrew Van Ginkel intercepted Daniel Jones in 1.16 seconds, the fastest interception since Week 13 of 2023, when Van Ginkel intercepted Sam Howell in 1.26 seconds.
Van Ginkel became the first player to record two interceptions in the past two seasons.#MIN vs NYG | @Vikings pic.twitter.com/vSQyjapeJq
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) September 8, 2024
