Sam Darnold Shines on Statement Sunday Across the NFL | 4 Downs

The Vikings and Ravens roll, Jayden Daniels arrives, and Catastrophe for Kansas City

Monday is the final day of September but we may be in the midst of an endless Samtember in Minnesota.

Sam Darnold continues to deliver on the promise that convinced the New York Jets to select him No. 3 overall in 2018, finally playing like a top-five selection, while finally both benefitting from and maximizing a supporting cast headlined by dynamic receivers Justin Jefferson, and in his return Sunday afternoon, Jordan Addison.

Darnold entered Sunday leading the league with eight touchdown passes through three weeks, only to add three more as the Vikings ran out to a 28-0 over the NFC North rival Green Bay Packers at Lambeau, before holding on for dear life and a 31-29 nail-biter.

That’s right, through 16 quarters this season, Darnold has tossed 13 touchdown passes with only three interceptions.

“We have heard that Kevin O’Connell is the quarterback whisperer,” CBS Sports Analyst and former Vikings wide receiver Nate Burleson told me Sunday. “Which he is proving with his relationship with Sam Darnold.

“One of the most important things a head coach says to a quarterback in the situation Sam is in would be to spread the ball around, even though Justin Jefferson is an elite talent. Sam targeting nine different receivers today is the ultimate ‘pick your poison’ scenario for opposing defenses.”

Even with Darnold slinging the ball all over the yard, Minnesota found out pretty quickly that Jordan Love and the Packers would not go quietly into the Wisconsin afternoon.

After a fast start by the Vikings, Green Bay came roaring back as Minnesota allowed 22 unanswered to the Packers with Love finishing the day with four passing touchdowns.

But, even as Minnesota’s offense careened back to earth, running back Aaron Jones showed he can be a stabilizing force.

Jones, who was released by the Packers this offseason when Green Bay opted to sign former rushing champion Josh Jacobs, ran angry all afternoon in his Lambeau return while running roughshod over his former team for 93 yards and adding 46 receiving yards.

Jones showed he and the ground game could provide consistency when the offense struggled, as it did for much of the third quarter on Sunday. During that stretch, Packers safety Xavier McKinney pulled down is fourth interception in as many weeks and Darnold also lost a fumble.

Was Cinderella Sam’s carriage turning back into a pumpkin? Not so fast.

Despite a tumultuous second half on Sunday, Darnold continues to leave early-career struggles further in the rearview mirror.

By game’s end, Darnold completed 20 of 28 passes for 275 yards, with three touchdowns and one interception, and, most importantly, he kept the Vikings unbeaten.

Surviving Sunday and emerging from Green bay with a victory was affirmation that the now 4-0 Vikings are a force to be reckoned with in the NFC North and a legitimate threat in the NFC.

The Vikings have slayed the San Francisco 49ers, Houston Texans, and now the Packers over the past three weeks.

How many teams thus far have a stronger resumè?

Minnesota, though, was far from the only team to make a statement Sunday.

Washington planted its flag atop the NFC East. Denver proved they could win with a playbook borrowed from the 1935 NFL season. And, Houston held off the Jaguars to maintain their perch atop the AFC South.

Meanwhile, as Darnold put on his passing clinic, 1,386 miles directly south from Lambeau Field, Baker Mayfield, the quarterback chosen two picks before Darnold six years ago powered a bounce back performance for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Tampa continues to look like best in class in the NFC South, vanquishing the Philadelphia Eagles for the second time in nine months, 33-16 after ending Philly’s 2023 campaign in the divisional round back in January.

Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Mayfield and Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen ran circles around Vic Fangio and the Eagles’ defense while Vita Vea had a monster performance in his return from injury.

Eight different Buccaneers caught passes from Mayfield, led by Mike Evans’ eight catches for 94 yards and a score, Chris Godwin continued his dominant start to the season with six catches for 69 yards while creating clearance in the back of the end zone for Trey Palmer’s touchdown catch.

“Our quarterback is hot right now,” a fired up Tampa Bay Buccaneers executive texted me Sunday. “The offensive line is finally healthy, and the coaches had a great game plan today.”

Amid the stifling 105-degree Tampa heat, Mayfield’s Buccaneers offense was an explosive play factory with the quarterback completing passes of 30, 28, 22, 21, 16, and 15 yards against an Eagles’ secondary that appears as overmatched as ever.

The shorthanded Eagles offered little resistance as serious concerns about Jalen Hurts' pocket presence emerged. Hurts was sacked six times and fumbled twice while playing without All-Pro right tackle Lane Johnson (concussion) and wide receivers A.J. Brown (hamstring) and DeVonta Smith (concussion).

Hurts now has seven turnovers through four games this season and 27 dating back to last season.

Still, for Tampa, out-gaining the Eagles 445 yards to 227 — at one point holding a first-half advantage of 255 yards to 0 showcased how dominant the Bucs can be.

In the NFC, the needle is pointing skyward in Minnesota and Tampa and tilting in the right direction in Washington after statement wins to close the book on September.

All three teams led by quarterbacks chosen in the top-three picks of their respective NFL Draft classes, all leading teams with the necessary balance for the success of the season’s first month to be sustainable.

Here are key takeaways and awards from Week 4 of the NFL season.

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First Down: Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison Sparking Vikings

The Vikings through four weeks boast a +57 point differential, identical to Minnesota’s 4-0 start back in 1998, a season that came a 38-yard Gary Anderson missed field goal shy of a Super Bowl berth.

That Vikings team was led by Randall Cunningham experiencing a late-career renaissance thanks in large part to a prolific receiving trio of Hall of Famers Cris Carter, Randy Moss, and elite pass-catcher Jake Reed.

Sound familiar?

Now 26 years down the road from that magical Vikings team, Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison are starting to look like the kind of receivers Darnold can throw the ball to a spot and they can go get it for a big play.

Sunday, Darnold dropped the ball down a proverbial chimney to Jefferson, who made a one handed catch despite the ball nearly hitting Packers defensive back Keisean Nixon in the back, in the end zone.

Not to be outshined, Addison added two touchdown receptions in his return from an ankle injury.

Minnesota’s electrifying and dynamic receiving duo combined for nine catches for 157 yards and two of the Vikings’ touchdowns.

Jake Reed believes Jefferson and Addison’s ceiling is as lofty as it gets.

“They complement each other with their play and both run great routes,” Reed told me Sunday night. “They both get in and out of their breaks really fast.

“What they can do after they get the ball in their hands is downright electrifying. They can take a five-yard catch and turn it into an 80-90 yard gain. And, you can’t double-team and bracket both at the same time, because you leave someone else open like their third receiver or the tight end. I feel like the Vikings have a really balanced offense this season.”