Viking Called Virus by Stephen A. Smith
Quarterback Kirk Cousins left in free agency to join the Atlanta Falcons after six years in the Twin Cities. His Falcons dropped the season opener, unlike the Vikings, who dominated the New York Giants. Kevin O’Connell’s unit played a team game; many different players contributed, and both the offense and the defense performed well.
Viking Called Virus by Stephen A. Smith
A driving force was new signal-caller Sam Darnold. The 27-year-old looked more comfortable than he ever had in his NFL career. Perhaps the theory that dropping him into a decent offense could unlock him was right.
One guy, however, wasn’t impressed by what he saw Darnold do, and that’s ESPN’s top personality, Stephen A. Smith. The analyst debated with former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky on his show First Take, and his comments about Minnesota’s QB1 weren’t flattering, calling him a virus.
“If you’re around some people with a cold enough, you’re going to get one. If you’re around some people with a virus, you’re going to get it. Contamination. You ever heard of that word? It happens,” Smith said Thursday about Darnold’s presence in the locker room.
Regardless of Smith’s views, Darnold had an outstanding Vikings debut and deserves credit. He completed 19 of 24 passes for 208 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception, and his game looked even better than that.
The analytics agree. Darnold ranks second in the NFL in EPA/Play+CPOE and in PFF grade. In the adjusted EPA/Play list, he is at the top.
Smith continued: “When you’re around certain situations, ultimately, you become a byproduct of that. That’s what I am saying of Sam Darnold. I’m telling you, you’re very hopeful and I can appreciate that. But you’re sitting up there, talking to us like we’re supposed to expect the high level of production from this brother. I’m not doing that. I got to see it to believe it. That’s all I’m saying.”
Indeed, a reason for pessimism is Darnold’s NFL resume, with three different teams and just slightly more touchdowns than interceptions.
Smith carried on: “At some point, your resume has to matter. Now, we saw him complete 14 of his first 15 passes from a clean pocket last week. We get all of that. That was against the New York Giants. Let’s see how he’s going to look when Nick Bosa and the crew are coming his way. Don’t expect the same results because it ain’t going to happen. Let’s get that out of the way first. Secondly, I get your point about Justin Jefferson and having him as a weapon there. I get that part, but I gotta see it to believe it.”
Before joining a dynamic Vikings offense, he had spent time with the Panthers and Jets, two dysfunctional franchises where he encountered a subpar supporting cast and underwhelming coaching.
In the Twin Cities, he is set for a career resurgence as he is working with O’Connell, who can get the best out of his passers. The offensive line is good, and the receivers ‒ Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson ‒ are among the best trios in the entire league.
Smith completed his tirade: “He’s been in the league for seven years, and what you describe him as being, I haven’t seen much of from him when he’s been in the lineup. So, I’m damn sure not going to assume I’m going to see that from him now.”
Orlovsky, his counterpart, pointed to Darnold’s improved footwork compared to his previous stops in Carolina and with the Jets.
Darnold’s next chance to prove Smith wrong will come on Sunday against the scary San Francisco 49ers.
Editor’s Note: Information from rbsdm, Pro Football Focus, Over the Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt