Sam Darnold Evidently Fixed One Major Flaw
Minnesota Vikings fans found joy in the new version of Sam Darnold last weekend as his team chipped off the New York Giants on the road, 28-6.
Sam Darnold Evidently Fixed One Major Flaw
Darnold looked comfortable all afternoon, spreading the rock around to his pass catchers and avoiding major mistakes.
And according to former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky, Darnold has mostly fixed his footwork, an explanation for his newfound success in Minnesota, at least in Week 1.
“I think he’s done a remarkable job, at least in week one, of marrying his feet to the pass concept, and that’s a lost art right now in the NFL. I remember, in Carolina, Sam was bad at this, and he’s really showing great growth,” Orlovsky said Wednesday.
Darnold’s EPA-CPOE, an efficiency stat measuring quarterbacks’ wins added, led all passers in Week 1. It likely won’t remain, but Darnold set the pace out of the gate. So did his grade from Pro Football Focus.
Orlovsky added, “Sam really struggled with this early on. He really struggled with this in Carolina. I remember of doing a breakdown of Sam being ready to throw, cause 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, hitch… and the receivers weren’t even close to breaking on the routes.”
Darnold logged 208 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. And the pick resulted from a Dexter Lawrence disruption, batting Darnold’s arm and causing the turnover.
“I think it’s a lost art in much of the NFL right now, and he has really grown when it comes to ‘ok, my drop has to have this type of pace with this type of feel, and I have to be ready to throw at this moment, marrying it with those routes… that’s why you see some of his talent start to shine,” Orlovsky concluded.
With his improved footwork, Darnold’s next step is sustainability. In the next two months, his team faces the San Francisco 49ers, Houston Texans, Green Bay Packers, New York Jets, Detroit Lions, and Los Angeles Rams, and those foes won’t quite look like the lowly Giants.
Darnold personally said about his performance following the Week 1 triumph: “I think for me it was coming out here and just playing my game. Playing one play at a time. Just playing with confidence. I think that’s the biggest thing. We’ve got a great offense, a great system. If I just play all the time and do all the things I need to do to execute, we’ll be all right.”
The 49ers are favored by six points to knock off the Vikings this weekend.
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Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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