Seven days separated two visuals that could not have been more in contrast if you hung a portrait of Quasimodo next to the Mona Lisa. There was Sam Darnold, after defeating the Packers, hoisted atop teammates' shoulders,

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?

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.

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.

Detroit’s defense sent a ton of six- or seven-man pressures and played mostly man coverage. Can the Rams replicate that in the playoffs?

During the first few seasons of his NFL career, former USC QB Sam Darnold went viral for all of the wrong reasons. There was his first ever NFL pass being a pick six. There was the graphic of him being out with mononucleosis.

Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold was feted by his teammates in the postgame locker room in recognition of his clutch passing on the final clinching drive against the Packers.

Darnold played poorly on Sunday night against the Lions. His resilience will determine the Vikings' postseason fate in the coming weeks.

Sam Darnold was on an unbelievable run with the Minnesota Vikings this season. He led them to a 14-2 record going into the final NFL regular season game and even stirred up conversations about the Vikings keeping him long term and trading J.