Sam Darnold Addresses Late-Season Stinkers
Entering the 2024 season, the Minnesota Vikings had minimal expectations. The Las Vegas win total was set at 6.5, and nobody believed the team could compete for a Super Bowl with Sam Darnold at the helm. Darnold and the entire operation proved everyone wrong.
Sam Darnold Addresses Late-Season Stinkers
After going 14-2 in the first 16 regular-season games, the Vikings had a playoff-like Week 18 contest in Detroit, facing the other NFC North contender. The winner would end up with the top seed in the conference and a division banner; the loser had to travel to Los Angeles (it turned out to be Glendale, Arizona).
Unfortunately, the Vikings laid an egg and got blown out. In the subsequent playoff game, they again fell flat and got eliminated by Kevin O’Connell’s former employer. Darnold looked like he was seeing ghosts again, rather than performing like the confident Pro Bowler he was for the most part.
He has now addressed those two games. Michael Silver (The Athletic) wrote about Seattle’s new passer this week.
Darnold said, “For lack of a better term, we laid an egg as an offense. And I think, for me personally, that sucks. I felt like we were a really good team, but at the end of the day — and this is gonna sound a little pessimistic — but when you get to the end of it and you don’t win the whole thing, you failed.”
The year in itself was undoubtedly a success, especially considering the expectations. However, the ending was disappointing because the elite football team that played all year just didn’t show up.
“I feel like I could have played way better, to be completely honest with you. I feel I didn’t play up to my standard. I truly feel that way. I feel like if I would have just played better, I would’ve been able to give the team a chance.”
Surely, Darnold didn’t reach the level of play he displayed for most of the season. In Detroit, he completed only 18 of 41 passes for 166 yards and zero touchdowns. Various trips to the cusp of the endzone were wasted because the former third-overall pick missed receivers left and right. He was inaccurate and indecisive.
In his first and only playoff game, Darnold completed 25 of 40 passes for 245 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. He once again looked flustered and took nine sacks. The offensive line didn’t do him any favors, but he was also scared to throw way too often.
Throughout the regular season, however, Darnold accumulated over 4,300 passing yards and 36 total touchdowns, earning him a spot on the NFC’s Pro Bowl roster. He revived his career in potentially his final shot and received a deal with the Seahawks this offseason.
Silver added, “Darnold is running point for a new team now, thanks to the three-year, $100.5-million contract he signed with the Seahawks in March. That came after the Vikings extended only a one-year offer as Darnold headed into free agency, an indication of their intent to make J.J. McCarthy — the 10th overall pick of last year’s draft, who missed his entire rookie season following knee surgery — their quarterback of the future.”
The Seahawks also added Drew Lock in free agency and selected Jalen Milroe in the third round, potentially making him a long-term option. Yet, it is Darnold’s job for the foreseeable future.
The one-year tidbit is interesting, suggesting the Vikings wanted to stick with their J.J. McCarthy plan regardless. If the young passer doesn’t live up to his draft pedigree, the decision could blow up in Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s and Kevin O’Connell’s faces, though it was still the logical move to trust the pricey first-rounder.
The Vikings will go on the road to face Darnold’s Seahawks in Week 13. Vikings fans hope Darnold is performing like he did in the final two games in a purple uniform.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.