Sam Darnold of the Minnesota Vikings absolutely blew everyone away.

Multiple storylines were present following the contest, but it was Darnold that drew all of the reactions. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell called Darnold a surprise and noted him having the hottest start of any Week 1 quarterback. Barnwell wasn’t the only one who had this initial opinion of Darnold. Naturally, J.J. McCarthy, a teammate, was impressed by the seasoned chef. Darnold had the highest passing grade of the week according to Pro Football Focus, which also evaluated the performance statistically.