Sam Darnold’s Rollercoaster Season Ends in Disappointment
GLENDALE, Arizona — The NFL is a league of highs and lows, and few players have experienced that more acutely this season than Sam Darnold. Just a few weeks ago, Darnold was riding high, leading the Minnesota Vikings to a stellar 14-win season. But as the playoffs rolled around, the dream quickly turned into a nightmare. The Vikings’ 27-9 wild-card-round loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night was a stark reminder of the unforgiving nature of postseason football.
In the aftermath of the game, Darnold was candid about the disappointment. “Obviously,” he said, “at the end of the day, all that matters when you have a good season is, ‘What do you do in the playoffs?’ We didn’t get it done today, and that’s all that matters.”
It’s a tough pill to swallow for a quarterback who seemed to have found new life in Minnesota. After signing a one-year contract with the Vikings, Darnold threw for career highs of 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns. His performance was so inspiring that after a Week 17 victory over the Green Bay Packers, his teammates lifted him on their shoulders in celebration.
But the NFL is a “what have you done for me lately” league, and Darnold’s recent performances have left much to be desired. In the last two games against the Rams and the Detroit Lions, he threw a combined 23 off-target passes and was sacked 11 times, including a staggering nine sacks on Monday night alone.
As a result, Darnold’s future with the Vikings is now uncertain. Where he once seemed a lock for a new contract or at least a franchise tag, he now heads into free agency with his future as unsettled as ever. “I’ll have a lot of time after this to think about what the season entailed,” Darnold said. “But to be honest, I’m just thinking about today and what I could have done better.”
Even Justin Jefferson, the Vikings’ All-Pro wide receiver, acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding the team’s quarterback situation. He compared it to last season’s uncertainty with Kirk Cousins, although he had endorsed Cousins’ return. “I didn’t know who my quarterback was going to be [after last season], and I really didn’t care,” Jefferson said. “At the end of the day, I’ll always say that I’m confident in myself to perform the same way I’ve been performing.”
Darnold’s struggles were particularly evident in the sack department. His nine sacks tied an NFL postseason record, and the 82 yards lost on those sacks set a new postseason record. He held the ball for an average of 4.73 seconds on those plays, with eight of the sacks coming against a four-man rush.
“It’s up to me to be able to feel that and either step up, move, go run for a first down or just simply throw it away,” Darnold admitted. “I felt like there were a lot of sacks that I was responsible for, where I was just holding onto the football and taking sacks where I could have dirted it at someone’s feet or simply thrown it over someone’s head.”
When asked why he didn’t make those adjustments, Darnold said: “Just an in-the-moment decision, trying to get away and wasn’t able to get the ball out.”
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell offered some light critiques, noting that “there were some completions to be had.” He emphasized the importance of keeping the ball moving forward, saying, “Completions have negative effect on defenses. They just do. Those moments when you’re holding that ball, and your reaction is try to make a play.”
The decision on Darnold’s future will heavily involve O’Connell, who will need to decide whether to stick with Darnold, turn to 2024 draft pick J.J. McCarthy, or look for another veteran quarterback. O’Connell stressed the importance of considering Darnold’s entire body of work over the season. “What he was able to do this year, when not very many people thought he would be able to lead a team to 14 wins, which is rare,” O’Connell said. “The way he came in, committed himself to just a daily process to be the best version of himself. It did not work out in the end.”
As the Vikings face a pivotal offseason, the question remains: What will they do at quarterback? For now, all eyes are on O’Connell and the decisions that will shape the team’s future.
Originally Written by: Kevin Seifert
