The Potential Sam Darnold Accomplishment that Eluded Kirk Cousins

NFL: Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings
Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

For six seasons, Kirk Cousins was the top passer in Minnesota (minus some missed time due to his Achilles in 2023). Cousins’ stats were always impressive but team success was modest, all things considered.

The half dozen seasons led to just a single, lonely playoff win.

Currently, the Minnesota Vikings are looking like one of the NFL’s better teams (the current two-game losing streak takes the wind out of the sails a bit), in no small part due to the play from Sam Darnold. The journeyman passer looks comfortable in his new home, producing at an above-average level even though he’s commanding a modest $10 million salary. Any chance Darnold can push the Vikings far into the postseason?

Sam Darnold, Kirk Cousins, & The 2024 Vikings

At 5-2, the Vikings are still in a nice spot in the NFC.

Complicating matters is the mere fact of residing in the NFC North. The Detroit Lions emerged victorious in Week 7 by a score of 31-29. Behind the Lions are the 5-2 Packers and then the 4-2 Bears. Put simply, there’s no bad team in the division, making the road ahead a challenging one.

NFL: Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings
Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

The likeliest outcome for Minnesota is a Wild Card spot in the final tournament. Yes, the division is still very much a possibility, but claiming that crown will require them to overcome Detroit (no small feat).

Assume, then, that the Vikings finish somewhere around 12-5 or 11-6. Generally speaking, that’s a record that can often translate to winning the division, but it’s likely to fall short in 2024. Minnesota would thus head on the road for their playoff tilt(s).

Thankfully, the Vikings look like a relatively complete team, so wherever they end up would probably be a winnable game. In fact, there’s a distinct possibility that the team they take on is … Cousins’ Falcons. Atlanta sits atop the NFC South with a modest 4-3 record, tied with the suddenly injury-plagued Bucs. How exciting would it be if Atlanta finished 4th while Minnesota came in at 5th?

NFL: Atlanta Falcons OTA
Jun 3, 2024; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) shown in action on the field during Falcons OTA at the Falcons Training facility. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Sam Darnold would have the chance to go toe-to-toe (sort of) with Kirk Cousins, the predecessor passer who commanded so much guaranteed cash. Pulling off just that single win alone would result in matching what Cousins did across a half dozen seasons: securing a playoff win for the Vikings.

Of course, we’re a long way off from any of these eventualities calcifying into reality. The NFL season isn’t yet at its halfway point. All we have are the early-to-middle moments of a season to go off of, enough to make some guesses with gusto without being able to arrive at ironclad answers.

Next up for Minnesota will be the Indianapolis Colts, a game that has been flexed into Sunday Night Football. Minnesota needs to take care of business in that Colts game as well as in the games that follow — such as the Week 14 date with the Falcons — to even get the chance of Mr. Darnold doing something special.

NFL: Minnesota Vikings at New York Giants
Sep 8, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) rolls out to pass against the New York Giants during the second half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images

Make no mistake, though: Sam Darnold is doing a good job of leading these Minnesota Vikings. There have been mistakes, yes, but he’s operating at a reasonably high level, offering good value considering the salary he commands.

Darnold, 27, is going to look to keep playing well as he gets his team back on track following the mini-bye that follows Thursday Night Football by venturing back into U.S. Bank Stadium for a 7:20 p.m. kickoff with the Colts. Win that one and Minnesota will be cruising along with a 6-2 record.

Editor’s Note: Information from Over the Cap helped with this piece.


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K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter, as a co-host for Notes from the North, and as the proprietor at The Vikings Gazette, a humble Vikings Substack.