Sam Darnold set to face Jets in midst of QB’s Vikings breakout

For the second straight week, a Jets quarterback failure will be on the opposing sideline.

Except this time, it will represent triumph and resurgence.

Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold, whom the Jets drafted with the No. 3 overall pick in 2018, will face his old side when the two teams clash in London on Sunday.

It comes just one week after Zach Wilson — whom the Jets drafted with the No. 2 overall pick in 2021 to replace Darnold — was present for their 10-9 loss to the Broncos at MetLife Stadium.

But Wilson, now the Broncos third-stringer after three disastrous seasons with the Jets, only served as the emergency quarterback and was not needed in the game.

Darnold, on the other hand, is playing as well as any quarterback in the NFL and has quickly emerged as one of the league’s biggest storylines this year.

“I think he’s doing a great job,” said defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, one of just a handful of holdovers from Darnold’s time with the Jets. “He’s playing out of his mind right now, he’s balling right now, he’s doing a lot of great things. I was here with him for a couple of years. Super excited to go against him, it’s gonna be a great challenge.”

Darnold has led the Vikings — who entered the season with low expectations — to a perfect 4-0 start, which includes wins over three playoff teams from last year.

He has completed 68.9 percent of his passes — which would represent a career best — for 932 yards, 11 touchdowns and three interceptions along with a 118.9 passer rating.

His touchdowns and passer rating are both best in the NFL.

Darnold, still just 27, became the first quarterback in Vikings history to post a passer rating above 100 in each of the team’s first four games.

He’s come quite a long way from seeing ghosts.

The Jets went 13-25 in games Darnold started.

He then spent two seasons as a part-time starter, part-time backup with the Panthers before serving as 49ers backup last year.

He signed a one-year deal worth $10 million with the Vikings this past offseason.

Viewed before the season as a one-year placeholder until first-round pick (No. 10 overall) J.J. McCarthy recovers from his torn meniscus and is ready to go next year, Darnold has shocked almost everyone, setting himself up for a big payday next offseason if he can sustain this level of play.

“Phenomenal,” superstar receiver Justin Jefferson said of Darnold after the Vikings’ 31-29 win over the Packers on Sunday. “He’s been great, he’s been leading us to these victories. We can’t do it without him and his leadership and his ability to just be poised.”

“I always believed in him,” second-year receiver Jordan Addison said after the game. “We saw this in [training] camp, so we already knew what was gonna happen. I feel like he’s just showing the world what he’s gonna do.”

“I don’t really have a lot of interest in talking about the past with Sam Darnold,” Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said last week, after the team’s 34-7 rout of the Texans. “I think we all need to just start being totally present and when he plays well like he has, we just talk about a guy playing the position at a high level and we move on.”

He was not yet on the team with Darnold, but Jets inside linebacker Quincy Williams has somewhat of a similar story to him.

Williams, though not nearly as high of an investment as a third-round pick, struggled with his first team, the Jaguars.

Jacksonville cut Williams after just two years, and the Jets subsequently claimed him off waivers.

He’s since emerged as a key part of one of the league’s best defenses and last year was named First Team All-Pro.

“If you’re one of those people who get that second chance and you take full advantage of it, that’s great,” Williams said Monday. “Some people [are like,] ‘It was the team’s fault’ and are not looking at themself in the mirror saying like, ‘All right, what can I do to get better and what can I do to provide for this next team that I’m on or what can I do to stand out on this team?’

“He’s one of those guys that said, ‘What can I do to stand out on this team and what can I do to better this team?’ So I’m excited for him, for real.”