Brian Flores, Sam Darnold Stomp Out Packers, Saquon Joins Elite Company | 4 Downs

The Minnesota Vikings continue to check every box.

Blowout wins scoring 30-plus points, Minnesota’s had seven of them. Need a fourth-quarter comeback? Sam Darnold has delivered three of those.

Sunday, though, might have been the Vikings’ most impressive win to date.

The Green Bay Packers arrived at US Bank Stadium as one of the hottest teams in the league but were stopped dead in their tracks in a 27-25 win that set the stage for a Week 18 showdown in Detroit for the No.1 seed in the NFC.

Inside this column, Eagles legend opens up on what’s powering Philadelphia’s defense after NFC East-clinching win, Joe Burrow’s heroics have the Bengals on the brink, an epic showdown between a pair of rookie quarterbacks with major playoff implications, and more.

Darnold was magnificent, completing 33-of-43 passes for a career-high 377 yards with three touchdowns, and one interception.

“Sam’s playing the position the right way,” an NFL coordinator told me Sunday night, has been the biggest driver of Darnold’s success.

It didn’t matter that the Packers all but triple-teamed Justin Jefferson, holding him to eight catches for 92 yards, but out of the end zone, or that Aaron Jones and the running game were a virtual nonfactor because the Vikings just figured out how to take down a surging division rival, anyway.

For as prolific as Minnesota’s offense has been and as efficient a campaign as Darnold has forged in his first season under head coach Kevin O’Connell, it was once again Brian Flores’ defense that put the Packers in a chokehold and that offers the biggest reason to believe this team can make a legitimate run at the Lombardi.

The Vikings’ defense has undergone a remarkable transformation this season. Ranked 31st in total defense in 2023, Minnesota now sits among the league's top 10 in several key categories, including sacks (46, sixth) and points allowed per game (18.9, fourth). And, Sunday’s effort was a microcosm of that improvement.

By holding the Packers to just 271 total yards and limiting Jordan Love to 6.1 yards per pass attempt, the Vikings showed how Flores' aggressive schemes can stonewall even a red-hot division rival.

Minnesota is averaging a league-high two takeaways per game this season, a testament to Flores’ ability to foster an aggressive and opportunistic mindset.

Green Bay had won five of their last six games entering Sunday but were almost completely stymied by Flores’ defensive scheme.

Whether it was Camryn Bynum forcing a fumble on Green Bay’s opening drive, or the Vikings’ front seven combining for three sacks and eight quarterback hits, Jordan Love never quite got into a rhythm.

It wasn’t until a 35-yard Tucker Kraft reception that the Packers even managed a play from scrimmage of more than 20 yards.

Meanwhile, Darnold surpassed a 100 passer rating for the 13th time this season as the Vikings improved to 8-1 in one-score games this year while inching closer to an improbable No.1 seed and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs.

With a chance to claim the NFC’s top seed next week in Detroit with a win over the Lions, the Vikings are no longer merely a feel-good story nor an afterthought—they’re legitimate Super Bowl contenders.

Here are key takeaways from some of the most important games of the season on the NFL’s penultimate regular-season weekend:

First Down: Eagles Defense Shines as Saquon Barkley Sprints Towards History

Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Nick Sirianni called a timeout with 10:49 remaining in Sunday’s game, even though the Eagles were leading the Dallas Cowboys 34-7.

Sirianni made a point to stop the action to allow and recognize history on a momentous afternoon in South Philadelphia.