Sam Darnold earns NFC Offensive Player of the Week with career-best showing vs. Falcons

Kyle Brown KSTP
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) looks to pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold took home NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors for his dominant performance Sunday in a 42-21 rout of the Atlanta Falcons.

Darnold completed 22 passes in 28 attempts (78.6% completion rate) and threw for 347 yards and five touchdowns — both career highs. He also posted a near-perfect 157.9 passer rating, good for a Vikings franchise record.

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Darnold now has 11 games this season with a passer rating of 100.0 or better, surpassing the previous single-season Vikings record of 10 jointly held by Daunte Culpepper (2000) and Brett Favre (2009).

This is the first time Darnold has won Offensive Player of the Week since Week 6 of the 2019 season, when he was quarterback of the New York Jets. However, he earned NFC Offensive Player of the Month in September.

In 13 starts this season, Darnold has compiled 3,299 passing yards and 28 passing touchdowns on 264 completions. He also has one rushing touchdown.