Sunday’s NFL International Series matchup between the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings could be a special day for each franchise’s quarterback. Both Sam Darnold – with a strong performance – and Aaron Rodgers are on the verge of making NFL history.
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Darnold’s hot start as the Vikings’ signal-caller has been one of the league’s best stories. In each of his first four games with Minnesota, Darnold has thrown two touchdown passes and posted a passer rating of 100 or better. If he’s able to replicate that success versus the Jets, he’ll become the fifth quarterback ever to open a season with five such showings.
What quarterbacks are on that list already, you ask? A who’s who of talented passers: Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Russell Wilson. Brady is the only player to do so twice.
The other man on that list? Aaron Rodgers. Back in 2011, Rodgers opened his first MVP season with a league-record 12 consecutive two-touchdown, 100-plus passer rating performances.
Rodgers isn’t chasing the same mark as Darnold this year, but he is closing in on an impressive distinction himself.
With 96 passing yards against the Vikings, Rodgers will eclipse 60,000 passing yards in his career. Every quarterback in front of him (seen below) is either in the NFL Hall of Fame or will likely be headed there once they become eligible.
- Tom Brady (89,214)
- Drew Brees (80,358)
- Peyton Manning (71,940)
- Brett Favre (71,838)
- Ben Roethlisberger (64,088)
- Philip Rivers (63,440)
- Matt Ryan (62,792)
- Dan Marino (61,361)
Ryan was the most recent quarterback to join the 60,000 passing yards club, doing so in Week 1 of the 2022 season.
New York and Minnesota rarely play one another
The Jets have been around since 1960. The Vikings began playing in 1961. Despite their mutual 60-plus years of existence, Sunday’s contest will be just the 13th between them all time.
This lack of competition is due to their different conference affiliations. Interconference games are much more common now than they were in the early days of the Super Bowl Era, but still only guaranteed to occur every four seasons. The Jets and Vikings once went nearly 12 calendar years (Dec. 26, 1982 – Nov. 20, 1994) without facing off.
New York is 8-4 against Minnesota but has struggled versus them in recent times. The Jets have lost three straight meetings to the Vikings, and haven’t beaten them since 2010, when Brett Favre was donning the purple and gold.
As a member of the Green Bay Packers, Rodgers went 17-11-1 versus Minnesota. He dominated them, too, recording 7,157 yards and 57 touchdowns with just eight interceptions.
If Rodgers emerges victorious today, he’ll break a tie with Favre for the most wins by any quarterback over the Vikings. In what may be his last entanglement with them, Minnesota fans are surely hoping they’ll be able to overcome his aura and remain the NFC’s only undefeated team heading into their Week 6 bye.
