One Viking Played Bad Sunday — and That’s OK.
Sam Darnold produced his first poor game as a member of the Minnesota Vikings.
One Viking Played Bad Sunday — and That’s OK.
And that’s okay. It happens — even to elite quarterbacks.
Darnold’s Vikings won nevertheless on Sunday, defeating the defense-heavy New York Jets in London by a score of 23-17. Minnesota’s defense matched New York’s — and then some — creating three turnovers and frustrating Aaron Rodgers for about three and a half hours.
Along the way, Darnold struggled, especially when running back Aaron Jones hit the shelf with an injured hip, Darnold’s first subpar game in purple.
Heading into Week 5, Darnold ranked third-best in the league per EPA+CPOE, an efficiency metric measuring expected wins added. Life was good. The win in London dropped Darnold to 10th — a full seven-spot dip. Darnold completed 14 passes on 31 attempts for 179 yards, no touchdowns, and 1 interception. He fetched a horrid 19.5 QBR from ESPN, by far his worst in 2024, and a throwback to his floundering days with the Jets as their QB1.
But here’s the deal: Darnold is playing with house money. The man cost the Vikings ten million bucks — a steal of a deal for his production to date — and good quarterbacks have poor games. It’s just the way it is, the nature of the beast.
The Jets’ defense is no joke. When onlookers glance back at the 2024 season, it will make all the sense in the world that Darnold possibly fired up his worst game against the Jets. That’s what they do. There’s a reason Sauce Gardner is considered the league’s best cornerback. He confuses opposing quarterbacks, and that’s what he did versus Minnesota until he encountered an injury.
Meanwhile, Darnold’s woes weren’t standalone around the business. Playing the Houston Texans, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen had a dastardly game, completing 9 passes on 30 attempts. Here’s where Allen checked in via Week 5 EPA+CPOE rankings:
In the toilet. And no one is questioning Allen’s long-term stability. Why? Because bad games happen.
Darnold also opined on his performance after the London win. “You have to be [confident] as a quarterback. If you’re ever doubting yourself out there, which is kind of some things that I did early in my career, it can be a long day,” Darnold mentioned.
“Wherever the coverage, wherever the defense, wherever they go, and whatever guy is open, just throw it to him. It’s as easy as that,” he added. “But for me, I think it’s just continuing to see the field and go through my reads and time my feet with my eyes, and if I can do that and stay patient that way, we’ll be good.”
Darnold will be just fine, especially when his keynote running back Aaron Jones heals. He also won’t face the Jets’ defense each week. Tight end T.J. Hockenson will return soon, too.
Quarterbacks scripting reclamation seasons are never perfect.
All Eyes Turn to One Vikings Injury
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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