The last time the Minnesota Vikings opened their season with a double-digit road victory, Sam Darnold was beginning his senior year at San Clemente High School in California.

A decade and a day later, Darnold suited up as the Vikings starting quarterback and guided Minnesota to a dominant 28-6 victory over the Giants on Sunday in New York.

Darnold, now entering his seventh NFL season with his fourth different team, has started seasons strong throughout his career.

In four career Week 1 games (three starts) with a new team, Darnold holds a perfect 4-0 record. In his very first NFL start in 2018, Darnold finished 16-of-21 passing for 198 yards, two touchdowns and an interception with a 116.8 passer rating, leading the New York Jets to a 48-17 victory at Detroit.

In Week 1 of the 2021 season, as a member of the Carolina Panthers, Darnold completed 24 of his 35 pass attempts for 279 yards and a score with a 102.0 passer rating. The Panthers held off the Jets in a 19-14 victory.

On Sunday, in the stadium Darnold called home for his first three NFL seasons, he couldn’t have started any better. The 27-year-old QB completed his first 12 passes in a row, tying Hall of Famer and former Vikings and Giants quarterback Fran Tarkenton for the second-longest streak to begin a game in team history. Former Viking and current Falcon Kirk Cousins set the franchise record with 17 consecutive completions to open a 2022 game against Chicago.

Darnold recorded only five incompletions (19-of-24) the entire afternoon and threw for 208 yards, two touchdowns and an interception while posting a passer rating of 113.2. He also led Minnesota on a 99-yard scoring drive, the team's longest since 2008.

It wasn't just Darnold that carried the Vikings to victory, though. Minnesota's defense – highlighted by Andrew Van Ginkel’s pick six and Harrison Smith’s 35th career interception as a Viking – set a powerful tone, as well.

Minnesota's win gave the team a big boost in this week's Power Rankings, with the highest jump being nine spots. Here's a look at where the Vikings rank going into Week 2:

No. 20 (up 3 spots): Eric Edholm, NFL.com

The last time Sam Darnold took the field in Week 1 for a new franchise, he led a stirring upset of his former Jets squad for the Panthers in 2021. Sunday marked a similar triumph on familiar turf, as Darnold turned in a remarkably clean performance against the Giants on his old home field. Even taking into account his interception, which came on a throw delivered while he was getting hit, Darnold was very poised and in control throughout. And how good does that Aaron Jones, Sr., pickup look? He scored the first touchdown to get the Vikings going and then helped close out the Giants by averaging 8.4 yards per run after halftime. The defense welcomed the new pressure sources (Andrew Van Ginkel, Jonathan Greenard, Dallas Turner and Jihad Ward), and the team appeared to strike oil with holdover Pat Jones II, who had his first career two-sack game after logging just five sacks in his first 42 NFL games. It was a terrific start for the intriguing Vikings, but the schedule gets pretty serious (vs. 49ers, vs. Texans, at Packers) over the next several games.

No. 21 (up 4 spots): NFL Staff, Bleacher Report

"Sam Darnold, for a guy in a new system to start 12-for-12 and be incredibly poised throughout the day, it was a huge performance for us to be able to build off," Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell said.

It's entirely possible that Sunday's blowout had as much to do with the Giants being terrible as Minnesota being better than expected. But it's still a best-case scenario to start the season, and it won't take that long to find out just how good these Vikings really are — over the next two weeks, the San Francisco 49ers and Houston Texans visit U.S. Bank Stadium.

"Sam Darnold's 2024 season may play out like Baker Mayfield's 2023 campaign — minus the playoff berth," [Bleacher Report NFL's Maurice] Moton said. "Nonetheless, Darnold looks ready to shed the bust label associated with his name since he flamed out with the New York Jets and became a journeyman quarterback. Perhaps Darnold found the right spot for a career rebirth. He has a star wide receiver, Justin Jefferson, and O'Connell, who's an established play-caller, can put him in the best situations for efficient performances.

"Aside from a throw that fell short on an interception because Dexter Lawrence II hit his arm, Darnold had a clean season opener and looked like a quality starting quarterback," Moton added. "With J.J. McCarthy on season-ending Injured Reserve, Darnold has the Minnesota stage to himself under center and a chance to extend his career as starter."

No. 18 (up 7 spots): Pete Prisco, CBS Sports

Sam Darnold impressed in leading the Vikings over the Giants. The defense also came up big. This team might be better than expected.

No. 23 (up 1 spot): Nate Davis, USA Today

Playing at MetLife Stadium, QB Sam Darnold connected on his first 12 passes in Sunday's win over the Giants. Safe to say New Yorkers did not recognize the former first-round Jets washout.

No. 14 (up 9 spots): Josh Kendall, The Athletic

The Vikings let Kirk Cousins leave for Atlanta, then lost rookie J.J. McCarthy to a season-ending injury. Now it's the Sam Darnold Show, and the first episode wasn't that bad. Darnold finished 19-of-24 passing for 208 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Eight Vikings caught passes, and Aaron Jones rushed for 94 yards. Four Minnesota defenders, including rookie Dallas Turner, had at least one sack.

No. 18 (up 5 spots): Conor Orr, Sports Illustrated

[Head Coach] Kevin O'Connell and [Defensive Coordinator] Brian Flores continue to set themselves apart as one of the great play-caller tandems in the NFL. From both sides, Week 1 was a masterful performance that absolutely clipped the Giants early and squeezed the home team into impossible situations, long passing downs and general hopelessness after just a half of football. Sam Darnold didn't throw an incomplete pass until near halftime. He doesn't look anything like the player the Jets and Panthers were sure had no long-term prospects. Imagine that.

No. 19 (up 6 spots): Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News

The Vikings got Sam Darnold to come through in New York, spreading the ball well around to Justin Jefferson and others. But the story was Andrew Van Ginkel and the new-look, big-play defense of [Defensive Coordinator] Brian Flores getting aggressive at the Giants.

No. 20 (up 6 spots): Frank Schwab, Yahoo! Sports

We'll see if Week 1 was more about Sam Darnold taking a first step in a career revival or the Giants being awful on defense. What we do know is Darnold had one of the best games of his career. Given the positive environment around him, he might have a good season.