Surprise NFL MVP candidate Sam Darnold leads the unbeaten Minnesota Vikings into London to take on the New York Jets and Aaron Rodgers for the second international game this year. Minnesota has been a bit of a surprise this season with their journeyman signal caller leading the NFL in touchdown passes and passer rating heading into Week 4. It’s certainly unexpected from the 2018 first-round draft pick who’d been cast off by these same Jets after the 2020 season and early-career struggles.
The Jets were hoping to have some stability at quarterback, at least for the next couple of years, when Aaron Rodgers got to the Big Apple before last season, but the Achilles tear that kept him out of all but four plays in 2023, and a middling start to this season — Rodgers is in the middle of the pack in touchdowns, yards and passer rating for the 2-2 Jets — may be cause for some early concern. That could turn around with a win over Minnesota to get Gang Green over .500 in the first of three straight weeks that the NFL will be in London.