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The Minnesota Vikings are facing a particularly complicated situation at the quarterback position this year. Their experienced quarterback, Kirk Cousins, has moved on to join the Atlanta Falcons, and their promising first-round draft pick for 2024, J.J. McCarthy, will be sidelined for the season due to a knee injury.
This unfortunate combination of circumstances means that head coach Kevin O’Connell will likely have to rely on the services of Sam Darnold, a veteran player, as the starting quarterback for the upcoming season, which is concerning.Minnesota Vikings playoff chances Darnold, who previously played for the USC Trojans, has a mixed record of 21 wins and 35 losses as a starting quarterback in the NFL, having played for teams like the New York Jets, Carolina Panthers, and San Francisco 49ers.
Following the announcement that McCarthy would miss the entirety of the 2024-25 NFL season after undergoing surgery for a torn meniscus in his right knee, it is understandable that Vikings fans might be feeling uncertain about the upcoming season. We at deereplanet.com sought to gauge the sentiments of Vikings supporters regarding Darnold taking the reins as quarterback this season. On August 19, we conducted a poll with Reddit users from r/minnesotavikings to find out how they feel about him stepping up.
🏈Keep track of Sam Darnold's MVP odds throughout the season.
Sentiment |
Percentage of Votes |
Positive |
73.5% |
Negative |
26.5% |
Check out our newMinnesota Vikings betting guide Stay informed on Sam Darnold's journey and the Vikings’ season performance leading up to the regular season's kickoff.
Over the course of six seasons in the NFL, Darnold has accumulated more than 12,000 passing yards in 56 starts. However, as a former third overall draft pick, his statistic of 63 touchdown passes closely parallels his 56 career interceptions, which doesn’t inspire much confidence among Vikings fans for the season ahead. McCarthy, picked tenth overall in the draft, could have potentially taken the starting role had he remained healthy.
For more insights about the competition for the starting quarterback position within the Minnesota Vikings, check out our feature onVikings Week 1 QB Starter Odds, to discover who else might be in the running aside from Darnold.
Despite the team's challenging situation and Darnold's uneven history in the league, a sense of optimism seems to be prevailing among Minnesota's football fans. According to our Reddit survey, a notable 73.5% of respondents shared positive feelings about Darnold being named as the starter for Week 1.
In stark contrast, only 26.5% of participants expressed negative sentiments regarding Darnold. Given Minnesota’s proximity to Canada, the team is expected to attract significant attention this season. Our survey reflects a general sense of optimism surrounding the start of football season in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, even though challenges are apparent.Ontario sports betting Now, the responsibility lies with offensive strategists O’Connell and Darnold to make their plans come to fruition in Minneapolis, starting with the Vikings' opening game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on September 8.
Initial betting lines indicate that Darnold's return to a starting role in the NFL may kick off on a positive note. Minnesota has been labeled as a slight favorite, with a one-point edge over New York for the September 8 encounter in the first week of the regular season.
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USA Today photo by Brad Rempel
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