The Minnesota Vikings have been the most surprising team of the 2024-25 NFL season.
They have a chance to lock up the No. 1 seed in the NFC on Sunday when they take on the Detroit Lions to see which team makes it to 15-2.
The stakes are high, but the Vikings are ready for it because former NFL head coach Jon Gruden recently broke down why the team has made it to this point and why the Vikings are a force to be reckoned with in the playoffs.
Gruden posted a video breakdown on X and said, “The biggest reason the Minnesota Vikings are 14-2 this year is because of their quarterback, Sam Darnold.”
How did Sam Darnold lead the Minnesota Vikings to a 14-2 record?
This is how we got here. pic.twitter.com/uYf6d0SgcI
— Jon Gruden (@BarstoolGruden) January 3, 2025
Gruden praised Darnold for reinventing himself, breaking down his next-level production and consistency by noting that he is the fourth quarterback in NFL history to post 12 games with a QB rating over 100 and multiple touchdowns.
He also mentioned that the Vikings are 9-1 in one-score games due to his prowess under pressure.
Darnold is also the first quarterback to win 14 games in their first year with a new team, and Gruden thinks he is the best story in the NFL this year.
Darnold and his Vikings are on a nine-game winning streak heading into this Lions game.
They have a chance to do the unthinkable: secure the top seed in the NFC, a feat nobody thought they had a chance at accomplishing before the year.
Gruden isn’t the only person gushing over Darnold this year, and it will be interesting to see how Darnold cashes in this offseason and if the Vikings will keep him in town long-term.
NEXT: Former Player Predicts Winner Of Vikings, Lions Game
