Vikings give Darnold a warm welcome to the NFL
Going up against an NFL defense is already difficult enough for most rookie quarterbacks. But having to face a Mike Zimmer defense is an even tougher task for a young signal-caller trying to make a name for himself in the league.
In their last five matchups against rookie quarterbacks, the Vikings are 4-1. The first-year signal-callers in those games completed an average of just 58.1 percent of their passes for 184 yards.
Last week, Josh Rosen of the Arizona Cardinals was actually the first rookie quarterback to throw for over 200 yards against Minnesota since Zimmer was hired in 2014.
On Sunday, the Vikings will be taking on the Jets and their rookie signal-caller, Sam Darnold. Despite having some impressive moments so far this season, Darnold has struggled against teams with talented defenses in 2018.
Success against rookie quarterbacks under Zimmer will continue along for the Vikings this week as they will hold Darnold to under 200 passing yards and force him to throw two costly interceptions.