Sep 15, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) and head coach Kevin O'Connell talk before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images.
Anytime an NFL quarterback without a dazzling resume throws 3 interceptions to no touchdowns in a single game, fans and onlookers will question whether the guy should remain in the starting lineup.
And Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold was not immune last weekend. The Vikings overcame Darnold’s 3 turnovers to defeat the Jacksonville Jaguars 12-7, but not without a little smoke from the team’s fan base contemplating a quarterback change.
Minnesota next plays the Tennessee Titans on the road in five days, and Darnold will trot onto the field as QB1.
For curious minds, here’s why the Vikings won’t make a change at quarterback despite Darnold’s sins in Week 10.
The Vikings’ best alternative to Sam Darnold … lives on Injured Reserve. His name is J.J. McCarthy.
McCarthy won’t return in 2024 after tearing his meniscus in August, leaving the depth chart outfitted with Darnold, Nick Mullens, and Brett Rypien. Benching Darnold would entail a healthy dose of Mullens, who started 3 games for the Vikings last year.
But what’s the one knock on Mullens? Interceptions. Yes, those. Veering away from Darnold to Mullens might even involve more interceptions, evidenced by Mullens’ performance last year. While Mullens has no problem advancing the ball downfield at a gunslinger’s clip, he has a gunslinger’s accuracy and is unafraid of throwing the ball to the other team.
Wouldn’t it be odd to solve the interception problem created by the Vikings quarterback — by substituting the “interception guy?” If McCarthy were healthy, folks would have an honest-to-goodness quarterback debate on their hands, but between Darnold and Mullens, the straightforward answer is Darnold unless he descends into utter INT madness.
Meanwhile, listen to the words of Vikings coaches and players. They’re not even remotely close to entertaining a quarterback change.
Reporters asked O’Connell if he had a moment when he considered tossing Mullens into action, and he replied, “Not one. Not one all day long. In fact, I was looking at it as a great opportunity to see growth and continue to move the team. We’re going to check back on this moment and use it the right way, and Sam is going to be better off for it. I truly do believe that.”
Darnold ranks 11th among all qualifying quarterbacks per EPA+CPOE, an efficiency metric measuring expected wins added. He’s sandwiched between Patrick Mahomes (No. 10) and Kirk Cousins (No. 12).
O’Connell added, “We’re still 100% confident in Sam. It would be craziness not to be.”
Running back Aaron Jones, too, spoke with Kay Adams on Monday, and she asked him about his confidence level in Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold.
“110%,” Jones gave his confidence meter a percentage. “We ride with Sam. He’s what has gotten us here so far. We’re gonna continue to stick by his side. We know he’s a great quarterback. He can touch any blade of grass on the field throwing that ball.”
“I mean, you just have some games like that. That’s what teammates are there for, to pick each other up. That’s what our defense was there for — to hold them to seven points the whole game so we could win off the field goals.”
Jones added, “We all got Sam’s back. 100%. 110% believe in him. He’s gonna show you guys. He’s used to the narrative that’s gonna come out or be spun.”
And here’s Darnold’s by-week performance in 2024:
Sam Darnold
EPA+CPOE Ranking,
by Week in 2024:
Week 1: 2nd
Week 2: 15th
Week 3: 16th
Week 4: 4th
Week 5: 27th
Week 6: Bye
Week 7: 13th
Week 8: 7th
Week 9: 9th
Week 10: 12th
OVERALL: 11th
The guy is allowed a trashy game, especially when Kevin O’Connell, the eternal optimist and motivator, has his back.
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.