Key takeaways from Vikings’ rout of Giants: Sam Darnold shines, N.Y. offense sputters and more

NFL Week 1 scores and live updates: Schedule, news, analysis, inactives, observations from Sunday’s games

Sam Darnold led the Minnesota Vikings to a convincing 28-6 Week 1 win over the New York Giants on Sunday, going 19-of-24 passing for 208 yards, and two touchdowns.

Darnold provided exactly what the Vikings hoped he would in his debut. He threw passes in rhythm. He placed the ball accurately. And he only turned the ball over once, which was mostly a byproduct of defensive pressure that collided with his arm.

Coach Kevin O’Connell entered Sunday’s matchup with the Giants talking about one priority for Darnold: Keeping him within the guardrails of play intent. Meaning, make the throws available, and don’t drift too far away from what’s supposed to happen to try to create something out of nothing.

Darnold drilled Justin Jefferson on a beautiful 44-yard deep ball on a corner route. He anticipated windows twice and connected with wide receiver Jordan Addison. He checked the ball down on lengthy downs and distances and mostly kept the ball out of harm’s way.

Brian Flores’s defense became Minnesota’s identity in 2023. The unit will need to be the Vikings’ rock if it is to compete against a gauntlet over the next six weeks. Minnesota will face the San Francisco 49ers, Houston Texans, Green Bay Packers, New York Jets, Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams over their next stretch.

Which is to say: A lot of elite quarterbacks and skill players. New York does not have that in quarterback Daniel Jones.

It was an ugly season debut for Jones. He finished 22-of-42 passing for 186 yards with two interceptions. However, coach Brian Daboll said after the game he isn’t thinking about making a change at quarterback. That’s “not on my mind,” he said. The coach added the blame for the ugly loss starts with him.

The Giants signed former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Drew Lock in free agency. If New York’s offense continues to struggle, it’s possible it could turn to him.

Wide receiver Malik Nabers impressed in his debut, amassing five catches for 66 yards. Other than that, The Giants’ offense was abysmal. Jones threw two interceptions, including one to Vikings edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel who read Jones’ eyes and returned the screen attempt for a touchdown.

Jones only completed a smidge over 50 percent of his passes, while New York running back Devin Singletary ran for 37 yards on 10 carries. Minnesota’s coverage and pass rush groups were stout. They hit Jones 10 times. They sacked him four times. They also had five pass deflections.

Jones and the Giants’ offensive line were overmatched from the outset, and it showed.

Required reading

(Photo: Mitchell Leff / Getty Images)