Minnesota Vikings Redemption Season For Sam Darnold And Brian Flores Hits High Gear

PublishedSeptember 22, 2024 4:41 PM EDT|UpdatedSeptember 22, 2024 4:44 PM EDT

For one play on Sunday, the whole amazing, stunning, attention-grabbing redemption story with the Minnesota Vikings seemed to be falling apart with Sam Darnold down on the turf and trainers huddled around him.

For one play, all the Vikings have done these first two weeks of this NFL season seemed to have collapsed – as had the Minnesota quarterback.

MINNEAPOLIS - Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (33) catches a pass from quarterback Sam Darnold (14) against the Houston Texans in the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sept. 22, 2024. Photo: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

Sam Darnold Storybook Year Continues

Except that is not how storybook endings are written. And the Vikings right now are living a storybook story.

So the quarterback who is authoring an amazing career renaissance went back to the sideline, got his sore ankles checked out, and grabbed his helmet to get back in the game.

Darnold was back one play later and by the time the game was over, the damage done was against opponent Houston.

Vikings 34.

Texans 7.

MINNEAPOLIS - Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) is sacked by Minnesota Vikings linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel (43) during the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sept. 22, 2024. Photo: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Darnold Not Playing Like Bridge QB

The Vikings got their 34 points behind 4 TD passes from Darnold. They have allowed only 30 points in three games.

You know what that makes the Vikings, other than one of few undefeated teams remaining in the league? The NFL's best redemption story.

They have a quarterback, you'll recall, that was a tremendous draft bust with the New York Jets. And was a tremendous trade bust with the Carolina Panthers. And was just an afterthought when he went to the Rams last year.

Darnold, the quarterback brought in to bridge the gulf between his expected mediocrity (at best) and the start to J.J. McCarthy's career is setting his career in a different direction.

Darnold Among NFL TD Leaders

Darnold, with 8 TDs and zero interceptions this year, is a star now. He's the guy everyone expected when he was selected No. 3 overall in the 2018 draft.

And, no, that doesn't mean Darnold will carry himself at this pace the entire rest of the season. But the folks who say he cannot are the same people who said he'd be his old self failure to start the season.

So what do they know?

All we know is Darnold is the most stirring redemption story on the surprising Vikings. But he's not the only one.

MINNEAPOLIS - Defensive coordinator Brian Flores of the Minnesota Vikings looks on before the game against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium on December 31, 2023. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

Flores Redemption Also In Spotlight

Consider Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores:

Flores has been more widely recognized as the former Dolphins head coach who accepted the job in 2019 knowing team leadership wanted him to tank. And then he refused to tank once he had the gig.

He's better known as the coach who didn't believe in quarterback Tua Tagovailoa – about which Tagovailoa earlier this year was clear and Flores had no response for-- and eventually wore out his welcome in Miami.

And he's more widely remembered as the coach who sued the NFL, the Dolphins and multiple other NFL teams, alleging discrimination. He is still fighting the league for the right to be heard in court rather than behind closed doors in arbitration.

But after this game and increasingly going forward, Flores is going to be thought of as the Shanahan scheme and coaching tree kryptonite.

DENVER - Former Denver Broncos head coach and Ring of Fame induction of Mike Shanahan during the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Empower Field at Mile High on Oct. 17, 2021. Photo: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Flores Has Shanahan Tree Figured Out

The Shanahan scheme and coaching tree has become prolific in recent years. It started with daddy Mike Shanahan in Denver and then with the Washington Redskins. The Denver staff included Gary Kubiak. That Redskins staff included Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan and Mike McDaniel.

And those guys became head coaches and extended the coaching tree to include Matt LeFleur, Klint Kubiak, Zac Taylor and Bobby Slowik.

Flores, meanwhile, a Bill Belichick disciple, has decided his major coaching goal is to shut down what has become the NFL's most prolific offensive system.

He's been very good at it.

Flores was the defensive coordinator when the Patriots shut down the Rams in Super Bowl in LIII.

Later, he coached the Dolphins when his team again shut down the Rams, beat Shanahan's 49ers, and beat Taylor and the Bengals.

MINNEAPOLIS - Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) is rushed by Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith (22) during the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sept. 22, 2024. Photo: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Flores Defense Stifles Texans

During Sunday's telecast, outstanding analyst Charles Davis related how Flores told him his goal is to figure out a way to overcome the Shanahan offense that threatens to take over the league.

That included the unit that Slowik, the Texans offensive coordinator, has put on the field last year and this with C.J. Stroud at quarterback.

Stroud entered Sunday's game having not thrown an interception in 266 consecutive pass attempts. The Texans were among the NFL's most efficient offenses before this game.

But this game, Stroud threw two interceptions. He finished the game with a poor 68.6 passer rating. And the Texans were limited to their lowest point production of the season.

It was a great showing by the Flores defense. It was an amazing day for Darnold.

The redemption story in Minnesota continues.