The Minnesota Vikings took on the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday and ignored the all-star cast at U.S. Bank Stadium, winning 23-17 to improve to 2-0 on the season.
The 49ers, currently 1-1, are coming off a standout performance on Monday Night Football against the New York Jets, with running back Jordan Mason playing an outstanding game in place of the injured Christian McCaffrey.
But it was the arm of Sam Darnold that created a frenzy in the room, as he delivered another stellar performance and is clearly ecstatic in Minnesota.
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Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold warms up before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at U.S. Bank Stadium. (Brad Rempel-Imagn Images)
Darnold, who threw two touchdown passes in a Week 1 win over the New York Giants, threw two more in the win, including one that the Vikings hadn't done since 2008.
Darnold connected with veteran receiver Justin Jefferson for a 97-yard touchdown before Jefferson left the game in the second half with a quadriceps injury. It was the team's longest scoring drive since 2008.
Vikings' Sam Darnold kicks off Week 2 with a 97-yard touchdown pass to Justin Jefferson against the 49ers
Darnold finished 17 of 26 for 268 yards and the other touchdown was scored by Jalen Naylor, which ultimately proved to be the game-winning score.
Meanwhile, on the sideline, Brock Purdy didn't have a bad game, completing 28 of 36 passes for 319 yards, but the 49ers couldn't make the most of their trips to the red zone, with Purdy only scoring one touchdown and Mason running for one.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy scrambles against the Minnesota Vikings during the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. (Brad Rempel-Imagn Images)
And with Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores running all sorts of blitzes to confuse Purdy in the pocket, the 49ers were only successful 2-of-10 on third-down conversions.
One of two turnovers the Vikings forced in the second half proved to be a game-changing blow: Purdy's only interception of the day was intercepted by Josh Metellus and returned to the San Francisco 10-yard line, which led to Darnold's pass to Naylor in the end zone for a 20-7 lead midway through the third quarter.
Looking more closely at the box score, Mason had another great game for San Francisco, totaling 100 yards on 20 carries, but the Vikings were ahead with 146 total yards overall. Ty Chandler led the team with 82 yards on 10 carries.
Jefferson may not have finished the game on the field for Minnesota, but his four catches led the game with 133 yards. Deebo Samuel Sr. led the 49ers in receiving yards with eight catches for 110 yards.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold throws a pass against the San Francisco 49ers during the first quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. (Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images)
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George Kittle had seven catches for 76 yards and was the only receiving touchdown.
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