Christian Darrisaw is making the jump from very good to elite.

Former NFL offensive lineman Brian Baldinger, host of "Baldy's Breakdowns" on X, gushed, "That's exactly what he was on Sunday," after Darrisaw was terrific in pass protection and run blocking at the Giants.

"Darrisaw was outstanding all game long against some pass-rushers that are supposed to get to the quarterback," said Baldinger, narrating plays where Darrisaw stoned Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux.

Thibodeaux is the incumbent Giants edge player who posted a team-high 11.5 sacks in 2023. Burns, a two-time Pro Bowl pick, was obtained in a trade and is responsible for 20.5 sacks over the past two years.

They were touted as an early tough test for Darrisaw and the Vikings offensive line.

But not according to the stat sheet – or the tape. Burns and Thibodeaux combined for two pressures. Darrisaw anchored Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold's blind side, surrendering a single quarterback hit on 26 pressure opportunities according to Pro Football Focus, creating the "perfect cradle of love."

Baldinger credited Darrisaw and the group's protection in helping Darnold complete his first 12 throws.

The quarterback finished his first start in purple 19-of-24 passing with 208 yards passing, two touchdowns and one interception on a pass that was affected in the pocket by Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. Darnold tossed both touchdowns against the blitz and had a 158.3 passer rating when New York sent one or more extra rushers.

On one play, Darrisaw neutralized Burns' long-arm pass rush and erased him from the action. On another occasion, the Vikings left tackle buried Thibodeaux and sat on his victim "like [WWE] Monday Night RAW."

"That's awesome!" Baldinger emphasized. "That's just beautiful music!"

Baldinger dissected the blocking on a well-timed slant route to receiver Justin Jefferson on fourth-and-2 from the Giants 3-yard line, Darnold's first TD pass in the 28-6 win. Baldinger froze the film with Darrisaw and the Vikings o-line on the screen winning five 1-on-1 matchups (tight end Johnny Mundt executed his block off-screen). It capped a 99-yard trek for Minnesota, its longest scoring drive since Nov. 30, 2008.

Later, Darrisaw turned Thibodeaux's inside-rip move into a giant collision, whamming the third-year player into New York's Elijah Chatman, who was successfully being blocked anyway by Blake Brandel.

Thibodeaux's frustration was apparent as soon as the third quarter started, when he was flagged for a facemask on a third-and-16 rush against Darrisaw. "He's got nowhere to go!" Baldinger shouted.

Darrisaw's outstanding game, which also featured powerful run blocking (PFF awarded him an 80.9 run-blocking grade), nicely sets the table for his anticipated leap from very good to elite this season.

He and the Vikings offensive line will face an accomplished 49ers defensive line in Week 2.

'New Beginning' for Vikings

ESPN recapped an entertaining Week 1 of the NFL season with takeaways and questions for each team. For Minnesota that meant asking, "Is this the real Sam Darnold?" and looking closer at Andrew Van Ginkel.

Kevin Seifert echoed what many voices have said since Darnold returned to MetLife Stadium and picked apart New York's secondary on an assortment of three-level throws.

Before his arm was hit on a fourth-quarter pass, causing an interception, he had a passer rating of 142 — which would have been a career high. No conclusions should be drawn off one start, but Darnold did everything the Vikings could have hoped for, most notably throwing a pinpoint 44-yard pass to receiver Justin Jefferson and keeping his cool against an active Giants pass rush. It was the kind of game that should remind everyone why Darnold was the No. 3 pick of the 2018 draft.

On wondering whether Van Ginkel's breakout performance is worth buying or selling, Seifert voted for the former. Van Ginkel excelled at diagnosing looks at the line of scrimmage and impacting key downs.

In case you missed it, he delivered an OMG moment in his Vikings debut.

The linebacker didn't get much attention among a flurry of free agent signings this spring, but Sunday showed how valuable he can be to Brian Flores' defense. He recorded a sack and a pick six, sniffing out QB Daniel Jones' short pass while gearing down his pass rush accordingly. It was no surprise to those who have seen him make similar plays in training camp.

Van Ginkel was touted Monday as a "ballplayer" by veteran teammate Harrison Smith. In football lingo, the simplest of descriptions sometimes carry the most significance. "He's fun to play with," Smith said.

In two words, Seifert described Minnesota's runaway victory on the East Coast as a New Beginning.

The 22-point win was the Vikings largest margin of victory since coach Kevin O'Connell was hired to start the 2022 season. They have won 20 games over that stretch, but 17 of them have been by one score.

New Orleans is the lone club with a better point differential after it leveled Carolina 47-10.