Waking up on the morning of October 22, 2019 must have been an absolutely miserable experience for New York Jets fans.
One night earlier, all they could do was watch Jets quarterback Sam Darnold throw four interceptions and lose a fumble during a 33-0 loss to the New England Patriots on “Monday Night Football.”
And if that wasn’t enough, Darnold was caught saying, “I see ghosts” while on the mic during the game.
OH.
It’s been nearly five years since that iconic sound, and now it looks like we might be the ones seeing something paranormal.
Darnold is really good at football now. Really good. He was absolutely focused on the game Sunday, completing 17 of 28 passes for 181 yards and four touchdowns as the Minnesota Vikings defeated the Houston Texans 34-7 in Minneapolis.
Being caught saying “I see ghosts” on prime time because an NFL quarterback should have ended his career instantly. But Darnold persisted, to a point, and became a veteran, spending time with the Carolina Panthers and the San Francisco 49ers after his days in New York.
He then signed with Minnesota, taking over the starting role when No. 10 overall pick JJ McCarthy suffered a season-ending knee injury.
Darnold, 27, was strong, throwing for 657 yards and eight touchdowns to help the Vikings start the season 3-0. He was intercepted twice.
Minnesota isn’t in top form either, as second-year wide receiver Jordan Addison has missed the last two games with an ankle injury. He played just 28 snaps in Week 1.
Yet Darnold was there on Sunday, throwing four touchdown passes against a Houston team that reached the playoffs last season and should have no problem getting back there this time.
If time travel is real, someone should visit the disgruntled 2019 Jets fan and tell him that, heading into the Week 3 edition of “Monday Night Football” of the 2024 season, Darnold leads the NFL in passing. That’s about as believable as Darnold’s claims that ghosts were bothering him on the field.
Not that Darnold needed it, but he had a phenomenal defense backing him up through the first three games of the season. Entering Monday, the Vikings ranked second in the entire league in scoring defense with just 10.0 points allowed per game.
However, a big challenge looms on Oct. 6: Darnold faces the Jets, and as long as tempers don’t turn with New York out of East Rutherford, New Jersey, he should be able to help Minnesota at least be competitive.
We shouldn’t take Sunday’s performance against the Texans for granted. After all, we’re still talking about Sam Darnold. Two good games and one great game shouldn’t erase six years of mediocrity from our memories. Things could change at any moment.
But for now, enjoy it all. It’s probably just a matter of time before those ghosts return.
