Sam Darnold gets revenge on his former team by leading the Vikings to victory over the Jets in London

CNN
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Sam Darnold got revenge on the team that drafted him when he led the Minnesota Vikings to victory over the New York Jets at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Sunday.

Darnold, drafted by the Jets with the third overall pick in 2018, threw for 179 yards and an interception on a day where the Vikings' defense was the standout performer.

On a difficult afternoon for the 40-year-old, they intercepted New York quarterback Aaron Rodgers three times, including a game-winning pick by Stephon Gilmore in the final minute.

The result means the Vikings continue their undefeated 5-0 start to the season, while the Jets fall to 2-3 after their second straight loss.

Often games in London are a general celebration of the NFL fan base, with nearly all 32 jerseys represented by fans in attendance.

However, that wasn't the case at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday – the 37th^Th NFL game in London – most of the stadium is decorated purple as a tribute to the “home team”.

And that dedication was rewarded by the Minnesota players, holding Rodgers and the Jets to a three-and-out victory on the first drive before Darnold and Justin Jefferson almost single-handedly scored a field goal drive, with their connection the Ball pushed downfield beforehand A sack by Will McDonald stopped the drive.

However, this positive momentum was suddenly thwarted just a few minutes later.

First, Darnold — one of the early-season favorites for the NFL MVP award — was hit hard by a Jets defender, leaving the quarterback on the ground. Darnold managed to get off the field under his own power and missed a snap while recovering.

He returned a snap later with disastrous results when his attempted pitch to running back Ty Chandler bounced onto the turf before being recovered by a Jets defender.

The error gave the Jets excellent field position, but they were about to fall into their own offensive misfortune. Rodgers' usually flawless pass attempt was intercepted by Minnesota's Andrew Van Ginkel, and the linebacker returned it 63 yards for a touchdown.

The pick-six sparked wild cheers from the Vikings-strong crowd in London.

And things got even worse for New York on the next drive when Rodgers was taken out of the game again, this time by Cam Bynum. This was the first time since 2022 that he threw two interceptions in a game.

The Vikings were the team on the rise and continued to increase their lead midway through the second quarter.

Through a combination of hard running, timely throws from Darnold and a variety of penalties by the Jets' defenders, Minnesota managed a 14-play, 53-yard drive that lasted four minutes and 48 seconds and included a two-yard touchdown run from CJ Ham made the final score 17-0 in their favor.

As the first half neared its end, the Jets finally got on the scoreboard when Rodgers connected with Allen Lazard for a 14-yard score to bring something positive into halftime.

And in a slower third quarter in which both teams traded punts, the Jets were able to narrow the deficit with a 32-yard field goal from Greg Zuerlein.

When it began to rain at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, what was happening on the pitch failed to brighten the day. So fans turned to their own fun in the form of stacking cups, sing-alongs and kiss cams.

Will Reichard's second field goal of the day restored Minnesota's 10-point lead and with the Jets struggling for regular offense, a win seemed likely.

But that smooth flow took a turn when Darnold's pass was intercepted by Brandin Echols, putting New York in good field position. And they converted soon after, Rodgers finding Garrett Wilson, who was able to rush into the end zone, cutting the lead to three with just over six minutes left.

Reichard's third field goal made it a six-point game, giving Rodgers a chance to be the hero: he drove in the final minutes to score a touchdown and win.

Things were looking good for New York as they moved the ball down the field. But it came to a sudden end when Rodgers threw his third interception of the day, this time against former Defensive Player of the Year Gilmore, securing the win for the Vikings.