Around this time last year, Sam Darnold and Joe Flacco were both watching NFL games, but from different perspectives.
Darnold watched from the sidelines inside Levi's Stadium, serving as a backup to 49ers QB Brock Purdy. Flacco, meanwhile, observed them from his couch at home.
Two veteran quarterbacks, both waiting for their next opportunity. Now, the pair will share the spotlight, as Darnold's Vikings (5-2) host Flacco's Colts (4-4) on Sunday Night Football at U.S. Bank Stadium.
After not signing with a team prior to the 2023 season, Flacco returned to the NFL stage when he was signed to the Cleveland Browns practice squad three days before Thanksgiving. A week later, the former Super Bowl MVP made his first start with Cleveland, and he proceeded to set the football world ablaze.
In five starts with the Browns, Flacco completed 123 of his 204 pass attempts (60.3 percent) for 1,616 yards and 13 touchdowns, along with eight interceptions. Cleveland went 4-1 with Flacco during that stretch and finished with an 11-6 record before falling to Houston in the Wild Card round of the AFC Playoffs. Flacco was later named the 2023 NFL Comeback Player of the Year by The Associated Press during the NFL Honors ceremony that year.
The 39-year-old Flacco signed with the Colts during the offseason and was recently named the team's starter going forward after Indianapolis Head Coach Shane Steichen announced on Tuesday that second-year pro Anthony Richardson would be benched.
Flacco has played in three games (two starts) for the Colts this season, completing 65.7 percent of his passes (71-of-108) for 716 yards, seven touchdowns and an interception.
The 27-year-old Darnold, meanwhile, has experienced a resurgence of his own in Minnesota. Through his first seven games as a Viking, Darnold has completed 67.2 percent of his passes (127-of-189) – a career-high – for 1,610 yards, 14 touchdowns and five interceptions.
In the spirit of Halloween, that's eerily similar to Flacco's time in Cleveland.
The Vikings and Colts have met 27 times, including once in the postseason, with Indianapolis holding an 18-8-1 advantage in the all-time series. All eight of Minnesota's wins against the Colts have come at home, including five consecutive meetings spanning from 1969 to 1997.
The most recent matchup came in Week 15 of the 2022 season – a game Vikings fans will remember forever and Colts fans would rather forget.
Minnesota fell behind 33-0 at halftime before fighting back, outscoring Indianapolis 36-3 in the second half to force overtime. In OT, Greg Joseph booted a game-winning 40-yard field goal, helping the Vikings not only win 39-36 and clinch the NFC North division, but also complete the largest comeback in NFL history.
Let's see who the experts are picking to win the game:
Vikings 28, Colts 24 – Pete Prisco, CBS Sports
The Vikings are home after losing to the Rams on the road, while the Colts are playing a second straight road game. Joe Flacco will take over as the starter for the Colts, which is probably the right thing in the short term. How he handles the Vikings pressure looks will be the key here. I think Jonathan Taylor will keep them in the game, but the Vikings win it with a late score.
Vikings 30, Colts 24 – Staff, Bleacher Report
On Tuesday, the Indianapolis Colts declared quarterback Joe Flacco their starter over second-year pro Anthony Richardson. With that switch, oddsmakers shifted this line 1.5 points to the Colts side, indicating Indianapolis' upgrade at quarterback.
Richardson has thrown four touchdowns and seven interceptions while only completing 44.4 percent of his passes this season. Flacco should lead a more efficient passing attack. In three games, he's thrown for seven touchdowns and just one interception while completing 65.7 percent of his passes.
On Sunday evening, Flacco will face the Minnesota Vikings' 30th-ranked pass defense, which has allowed six touchdown passes over the last two weeks.
Our panel expects offensive fireworks in this game, though [Bleacher Report NFL analyst Brent] Sobleski has the Vikings covering the spread.
"The Colts are making a short-sighted decision to start Flacco over Richardson," Sobleski said. "That isn't a defense of Richardson's play. The 22-year-old is a project who needs to play through his growing pains. Instead, they're turning to a 39-year-old known commodity who isn't part of the Colts long-term future.
"Flacco has predominantly played in three games this season. He wasn't particularly good during that stretch. The veteran threw for fewer than 190 yards in the two games that Indianapolis won," Sobleski added. "Frankly, the Vikings are still a much better team than the Colts despite suffering two straight losses. This line feels like oddsmakers are trying to entice those who expect the Colts to receive a major boost from Flacco while also looking at Minnesota's recent stretch of play. To quote Admiral Ackbar, 'It's a trap.' "
Vikings 27, Colts 19 – Bill Bender, Sporting News
Are the Vikings in a free-fall after a 5-0 start? That is an over-exaggeration. The Colts are 1-3 on the road this season. Look for Minnesota to bounce back here when the connection between Sam Darnold and Justin Jefferson is restored. Jefferson has scored TDs in three of four home games.
Vikings 27, Colts 20 – Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News
Sam Darnold can attack another secondary that cannot stop Justin Jefferson or any of Minnesota's downfield receivers.
6 of 6 experts pick the Vikings, The MMQB
9 of 10 experts (1 of 11 total had not submitted) pick the Vikings, ESPN
4 of 8 experts pick the Vikings, Bleacher Report
7 of 7 experts pick the Vikings, The Athletic
