Jan 30, 2000; Atlanta, GA, USA; FILE PHOTO; St. Louis Rams quarterback (13) Kurt Warner in action against the Tennessee Titans during Super Bowl XXXIV at the Georgia Dome. The Rams defeated the Titans 23-16. Warner was 24-45 for 414 yards and 2 touchdowns and was named the games most valuable player. Mandatory Credit: Tony Tomsic-USA TODAY NETWORK.
According to EPA+CPOE, an efficiency metric used to adjudicate NFL signal-callers, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold is the league’s fifth-best passer through two games.
An unforeseen outcome for some, Darnold is totally cooking within the Vikings’ offense, so much so that his team has begun the 2024 campaign with a flawless 2-0 record.
And Kurt Warner loves it.
The Hall of Fame quarterback pounded the table for Darnold a couple of weeks ago and now looks vindicated for his endorsement. He’s also doubling down.
“A long way to go in season but fun to watch Sam Darnold play at this level & to hear coach O’Connell talk of the confidence he has in him! Always amazing to me what being somewhere you’re WANTED surrounded by people who BELIEVE in you can do for a person’s CONFIDENCE!!” Warner tweeted on Tuesday, two days after Minnesota knocked off the Super Bowl runner-up San Francisco 49ers.
Warner was high on Darnold two weeks ago, too. He said earlier this month that he expected Darnold to have the best debut of any Week 1 quarterback in the NFL when Minnesota traveled to New Jersey for a date with the New York Giants. “I always like great stories. This is a guy that was drafted in New York. He’s going back to New York with a different team. I love his supporting cast, this being Sam Darnold. His supporting cast in Minnesota,” Warner declared.
Darnold waltzed out of that particular game as the NFL’s top passer per the aforementioned EPA+CPOE metric. Warner nailed it.
“Coach O’Connell, first of all, but Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, you got Aaron Jones in the backfield. Best weapons he’s had around him. I believe he goes into New York and has a great performance in Week 1,” Warner added before Week 1.
The St. Louis Rams discovered Warner 25 years ago from an Iowa grocery store after an injury to then-quarterback Trent Green. Warner promptly led St. Loius to a Super Bowl triumph, so the guy knows a little bit about a coach taking a flyer on a down-on-his-luck player.
Next up for Darnold’s Vikings? Another daunting assignment. Minnesota hosts the undefeated Houston Texans on Sunday and carries another underdog status into Week 3. The Vikings were supposed to lose to the 49ers by four or five points. They didn’t; they won by six. Now, the Texans are expected to defeat Darnold’s team by a point or two.
But don’t tell that to Warner, who is becoming Darnold’s top advocate.
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.