Four quarters were chosen in the top 10 picks of the NFL draft in 2018: Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield (No. 1, Browns), USC's Sam Darnold (No. 3, Jets), Wyoming's Josh Allen (No. 7, Bills) and UCLA Services Josh Rosen (No. 10, Cardinals).

The Vikings have a 1-1 record against the group, with a 27-17 victory over Rosen and Arizona on Sunday and a 27-6 loss against Allen and Buffalo in the third week.

Sunday, they will have a shot at Darnold, the most polite of the four quarterbacks. The Jets are 3-3, winning two straight wins over the Broncos (34-16) and Colts (42-34).

Coach Mike Zimmer He was asked what he thought of the challenges his team will face in East Rutherford, N.J.

"They are very aggressive on the defensive side and have a lot of turnovers. We can not turn the ball around, "he said. Offensively, they give you a lot of variations. They run the run-pass option and offer you a lot of different options, a lot of no-return formations, the quarterback is talented, they have fast receivers and they run for [130.3] yards per game. We will have to do a good job in the running. "

Darnold threw for 1,346 yards (20th in the NFL), nine touchdowns and seven interceptions, while completing 59.8% of his passes. Last week, he made his best game as a professional: he rushed 280 yards and completed 24 of his 30 assists with two touchdowns and one interception to beat the Colts.

His passer rating of 83.7 is the highest in the rookie class.

The Vikings side has struggled this season, dropping 267 passing yards (19th in the NFL), but Zimmer thinks the group is ready.

"It has improved a bit," he said. "We worked very hard in some areas. The third tries were not really a problem, it's the first and second tries, that's what we did. We work harder and harder with them. "

And while Zimmer does not say his team ended up defeating the Cardinals last week, he thought the match was a step in the right direction.

"It's a week, so we've done good things in this game and hope to continue doing more," he said. "We ran the ball effectively, we had great runs and it was good that we played well in defense."

Infraction intensified

Zimmer Vikings' teams have never been better ranked in total offense than for total defense, but so far this season, the offense is ranked 10th in the league in yards per game (391.2), while the defense is 16th in allowed lanes per game (359.7).

Zimmer said that he thought the offensive line was beginning to gel as a group.

"I love them, these guys are all tough guys," Zimmer said. "I think[tackle[tackle[tacle[tackleBrian] O & # 39; Neill Feel better,[center[center[centre[centerTap] Elflein begins to really take off,[keep[guard[garde[guardAt M] Compton played well last week,[keep[guard[garde[guardMike] Remmers, you know, continues to learn the job but continues to improve.

O # Neill intervenes

O'Neill, Pitt's second-round draft pick, played his first full match as an offensive lineman starting last week with 71 shots on the right tackle.

How did he feel about his performance?

"Whenever you get so many clichés, you'll want to clean up a lot of detail and fundamentals, but you know, we always focus on how we can improve," O'Neill said. "I try to focus on things that I can improve and there are certainly a lot of them."

The veteran linemen helped him make the transition to the NFL, he said.

"I've learned a lot and a lot more than the mentality and approach to getting to work every day, how much they take it seriously and how detailed their work is." Just how to be a professional, "he said.

Fleck talks to Spielman

JD Spielman, the second year of Nebraska and son of the director general of the Vikings Rick Spielman, will face the Gophers this Saturday. He became one of the most productive receivers of college football, even as the Cornhuskers struggled to break the 0-6 record.

The Eden Prairie graduate had 13 receptions for 117 yards and two touchdowns in her first three games, but has since taken off.

In a 42-28 defeat at Purdue on September 29, he had 10 receptions for 135 yards and two goals. The following week, he burned Wisconsin in a 41-24 loss for 209 yards (23.2 yards per shot) and another score. Last week, in a 34-31 overtime loss to Northwestern, he collected eight receptions for 76 yards and one point.

Coach Gophers P.J. Fleck said that when planning the game against the Cornhuskers, Spielman is at the top of the list.

"I know he's from the state of Minnesota and that he's a special football player.They are lucky to have him because he's very dynamic." and that he's doing a lot of things, "said Fleck. "He can beat you in so many ways.

"He can dissect a hedge area himself. He can beat you in the man blanket. They put it in the backfield to hide it. They do a lot of things to make sure they get the ball. "

And Fleck is not fooled by the Cornhuskers record, which says their team is much better than this one.

"They could be 5-1, 4-2, and probably even ranked now," he said. "They lost some games in strange situations, weird type. If I told you how they lost the game, you will not believe me. They have a terrific first quarter[[[[Adrian Martinez]who is dynamic in the race and the pass. They have three lockers that can really play. They have a very good offensive line, tight ends and very physical setbacks. In defense, they play a 3-4, aggressive, they go to the ball. And on special teams, they create field battles for you. "

jottings

• Senior Gophers Jordan Murphy has been named to the Karl Malone Prize Preparatory Watchlist for the best university basketball forward. Also on the list was the former star of DeLaSalle Reid Travis, now playing Kentucky after his transfer from Stanford.

• Pro Football Focus announced the composition of its mid-season Big Ten team only and that Gophers was senior Blake Cashman as one of three linebackers. "Cashman is second among Big Ten linebackers with 26 saves as he has also been successful as a linebacker."

• Former Timberwolves striker Nemanja Bjelica started for the Kings in a 123-117 loss to the Jazz on Wednesday and scored 18 points on an 8-12 shot, with eight rebounds, two assists and one steal. Ex-wolf leader Ricky Rubio played 22 minutes but had only one point and four assists for the Jazz.