Darnold responds from missed call, turnovers, leads Vikings to 21-13 win over Colts

“It seemed they were concerned about whether it was a facemask or not. That was not part of my argument,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said after the win. “I just thought there was contact to the head and neck area of the quarterback.”

Darnold responded from the early missed call and three turnovers with 290 yards passing and three second half touchdowns in a 21-13 win over the Colts. The Vikings snap a two-game skid, and improve to 6-2 on the season.

“For myself, I felt I could have held onto the football first and foremost on that. But the calls are what they are,” Darnold said. “It’s not my job to evaluate that or talk about that even. So that’s really all I’ll say about it.”

The big play

The Colts faced a 4th-and-2 at their own 40-yard line in the fourth quarter down 14-10, and the Vikings defense rose to the occasion. Harrison Smith and Stephon Gilmore combined for a pass break-up on Ashton Dulin for a turnover on downs with 5:24 to play.

Darnold delivers through some adversity

After throwing a bad interception and losing a fumble for a touchdown in the first half, Darnold delivered in the second half. He hit Jordan Addison on a 4-yard touchdown where Addison made a one-handed catch to tie the game 7-7 in the third quarter. Darnold hit Jalen Nailor for a 7-yard touchdown on the next drive to give the Vikings a 14-7 lead.

Darnold threw his second interception of the night trying to force a ball to Justin Jefferson. It turned into the Colts’ first offensive points of the night on a field goal.

When it mattered most, Darnold hit Josh Oliver on a 14-yard touchdown to give the Vikings a 21-10 lead with 2:05 to play. Kevin O’Connell stuck with his quarterback despite three turnovers, and Darnold delivered.

“My trust in Sam is something that I think is going to be a winning edge for our football team. To win a football game when you lose the turnover battle, that means your quarterback played well,” O’Connell said. “This guy can throw the football. My confidence in him is genuine, it’s real, is a winning edge for us moving forward.”

Will Reichard’s streak ends at 34

Rookie kicker Will Reichard came into Sunday night a perfect 34-for-34 on the season between field goals and extra points. He finally missed from 53 yards out in the first half, which also means he’ll be getting a new haircut next week. To compound matters, he clanked one off the right upright at the end of the first half from 31 yards out, which should be a chip shot for the rookie.

What’s next

The Vikings hit the road to face the Jacksonville Jaguars next Sunday.