Kevin O'Connell, the QB coaches and backups have Darnold playing at a high level. Can he bounce back from the Week 18 debacle in Detroit?

After leading the Minnesota Vikings to a 27-25 win over the Green Bay Packers last week, Darnold was mobbed in the locker room by his teammates and lifted up onto their shoulders. The clip quickly went viral on social media as a sign of the support that Minneosta’s players have for their quarterback.

As the Vikings immediately started the process of turning the page following a 31-9 loss to the Detroit Lions, Kevin O’Connell made his way toward the 50-yard line to shake hands with his counterpart Dan Campbell.

Despite his struggles in Week 18, the free agency market for Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold remains highly competitive.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold is in line for a significant raise after his Pro Bowl-caliber season.

Pardon us. Coming through. Sorry to interrupt the pitch-fork party’s tarring and feathering of the quarterback y’all loved five days ago when he was 14-2 but … This, believe it or not, is a story about someone other than Sam Darnold who needs to play better against the Rams in the playoffs on Monday night.

And yet, even after resting their starters to effectively throw away the third seed in Week 18, Sean McVay and the Rams aren't taking their foe for granted, as on Monday, the Super Bowl-winning head coach told reporters just how impressed he's been with Sam Darnold in Kevin O'Connell's offensive scheme.

The Vikings had a chance on Sunday night to beat the Lions, but they failed on multiple occasions to get the win in a 31-9 loss. Now that the playoffs are here, it's winner take a