Sam Darnold has some flaws in his game that, after seven years in the NFL, might stay with him as long as he plays.
But this season, as both Darnold and the team are having a comeback, the Minnesota Vikings are seeing Darnold as an asset, not a problem.
“This guy can throw the football,” coach Kevin O’Connell said after the 21-13 win over Indianapolis on Sunday night. “I love every aspect of what he’s doing within our offense right now.”
Darnold did have three costly turnovers against the Colts, including his first game this year with multiple interceptions. He was intercepted in the end zone early in the game and near midfield late in the game—both on throws he probably should have avoided after the defense got the ball back for him.
He also fumbled the ball during a tough sack, which resulted in a 38-yard touchdown return for the only score by either team in the first half.
“Those are just little minor errors that we can fix easily,” wide receiver Justin Jefferson said. “Sam is a phenomenal quarterback.”
Holding onto the ball too long has been a common issue throughout Darnold’s career since being drafted third overall in 2018. He’s also tried to spin away from pressure too many times this season, which often leads to losing yardage when he gets sacked.
However, the good has clearly outweighed the bad with Darnold, whose spot as the starter was uncertain in training camp until rookie J.J. McCarthy suffered a season-ending knee injury, which ended any doubt about who would be the starter.
Darnold’s completion rate (69.5%) has set a career high and ranks seventh in the NFL among current starters. His average yards per attempt (8.5) is also the best of his career.
But perhaps most importantly for the Vikings (6-2), he has handled the turnover-worthy plays well. Coach O’Connell hasn’t held him back, and Darnold hasn’t hesitated to take chances.
“The experience that I’ve had throughout the league of playing bad games, playing good games, like it’s just you continue to learn from experiences. The two interceptions and the fumble, those are experiences that I’ll learn from,” Darnold said.
“You don’t want it to happen, but it’s part of the game. You’ve just got to continue to go out there and play football.”
