Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell fully trusts his quarterback.

It was evident Sunday against San Francisco, with O'Connell giving Sam Darnold the freedom to let it rip from the paint of Minnesota's end zone, as well as aggressively rebound from an interception late in the first half to lead the Vikings to an important field goal.

Those are two instances of the coach-quarterback trust that's been so helpful to Minnesota's 2-0 start.

Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic delved Monday into the duo's dynamism on the field.

Krawczynski recapped the franchise's second-longest touchdown pass and the 2-minute drill that reclaimed very important momentum going into the locker room. He also commended Darnold's steering on a 14-play, 62-yard drive that led to Will Reichard's third field goal, chewing 6:46 off the clock in the final frame.

Krawczynski applied valuable context to Darnold wonderfully operating O'Connell's system.

Since the moment Darnold arrived in Minnesota, he has been working to put the disappointing start to his career in the past. Even after the Vikings traded up to draft J.J. McCarthy in the first round, Darnold continued to go about his business. He is on a one-year, $10 million deal. He understands how his career could be riding on this season, and now he understands just how much support he has in purple.

Darnold has the right pieces around him: the NFL's best receiver, Justin Jefferson; an imposing offensive line that demonstrated its potential against a reputable 49ers front seven; special supporting playmakers from Aaron Jones, Sr., to the likes of Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson, who'll eventually return to the fold.

"Sam has been making a whole bunch of great decisions," Jefferson said. "We've just got to keep trusting in him. … We have guys around him to help him out a little bit, give him a little less pressure."

Above all, there's a coach who calls plays with conviction his quarterback will make the right decision.

One of O'Connell's most important traits is his ability to instill confidence in his players. There is an earnestness in the way he delivers a message that inspires those who play for him. It was right there as he stood at the podium in his postgame news conference, a hint of defiance in his voice as he talked about his quarterback.

"The amount of work that goes into that position on your quarterback journey when everybody decides that you cannot play, we always believed in him, and it felt awesome to watch him go do that thing," O'Connell said Sunday afternoon. "I'm really proud of Sam Darnold."

Sunday's unsung hero: Brandon Powell

Jefferson's dazzling 97-yard touchdown is last Sunday's play that pops.

Nailor's speed and effort to block the end of the play epitomized the win, and his reception into Niners territory with 7:41 left in the game allowed the Vikings to soon thereafter take a critical 23-14 lead.

To no one's fault, some other key offensive plays are underappreciated, including Brandon Powell's 11-yard reception on third-and-7 only three snaps before Darnold connected with Nailor up the seam.

Mark Craig with the Star Tribune set the scene and highlighted Powell’s unsung deeds.

The Vikings were leading 20-7 and Jones was about to cross the goal line to make it a runaway romp when 49ers linebacker Fred Warner punched the ball loose at the goal line to change the game. The 49ers answered with a 99-yard touchdown drive to close to within 20-14.

Three plays later, the Vikings faced third-and-7 from their 33 with 8:59 left in the game.

They were without Hockenson, who is on Injured Reserve. They were without No. 2 receiver Addison, who was inactive with two bum ankles. And they were without all-world receiver Justin Jefferson, who had suffered a thigh contusion in the third quarter.

That positioned Nailor, Powell and Trishton Jackson to execute out of a tight bunch formation to the right side.

Jackson was the point man in the middle once Nailor motioned pre-snap to the outside. Powell was closest to the quarterback and weaved out to the flat in front of a confused San Francisco secondary.

"The 49ers totally screwed that whole play up," Powell said. "They didn't know who was going where."

Powell made his first catch of the year at the sticks, turned his compass north and tacked on a few yards.

And he wasn't done.

Powell delivered again on third-and-2 minutes later. This time bending his route over the short middle of the field and creating separation in a 1-on-1 battle against defensive back Isaac Yiadom. Powell stopped, looked at Darnold and brought in a 5-yard pass with Warner also in the vicinity. Another clutch catch.

Powell was praised after Week 1 for his impactful blocking in the running game. He proved in Week 2 that his 29-324-1 receiving line in 2023 wasn't a fluke – that he's capable of big catches and helping ice wins.

He played 59% of the offensive snaps against the 49ers. The box score whispers that he caught only two passes for 16 yards. But the context and magnitude of those catches, especially the first one, screams loud and clear. The former Florida Gator, who entered the league as an undrafted free agent with Detroit seven seasons ago, might just be putting down some sturdier roots in Minnesota.

"Every time I get in the game and they call my number, make a play," Powell commented on his mentality. "That's what I've been doing since college. And I've taken it to the League, too."