That’s where the Vikings struggled at times Sunday. Jones lost the ball at the Bears 1 after he was stripped by former teammate Jonathan Owens, costing the Vikings an early chance to take the lead and neutralize the crowd. After Jordan Addison’s 69-yard catch brought the Vikings to the Bears 8 in the third quarter, they turned to Romo for a 40-yard field goal after a missed assignment led to a 5-yard loss on a Jones run and Darnold was sacked on second down. Brandon Powell’s offensive pass interference penalty nullified a 40-yard touchdown to Jefferson that would have restored a two-TD lead in the fourth quarter; Darnold had to throw for 90 yards on the overtime drive to overcome the sack he took while hunting a big play and two penalties.
But the quarterback finished his first 300-yard game of the season with his work on the overtime drive. On the road this season, he has a 68% completion rate, is averaging 256.7 yards per game and has posted a 102.9 passer rating, while being sacked less frequently than at U.S. Bank Stadium.
“He just stays right here,” guard Dalton Risner said, holding his hand out flat. “He doesn’t go up here, or down here. He just says, ‘Fellas, let’s roll. Let’s go get this first down. Let’s go get this game.’ It’s fun playing for him. He’s a dog.”
Darnold helped the Vikings ace their three-game road trip. They’ll face the Cardinals in a possible playoff preview, returning to U.S. Bank Stadium with a 9-2 record because of what they did away from home.
“When they hit the field they’re going to be jacked to be back in front of our fans,” O’Connell said. “We know it’ll be an unbelievable atmosphere. We’ve got to give them something to be excited about.”