After defeating the Green Bay Packers in Week 17, the Minnesota Vikings won its 14th game of the season, and quarterback Sam Darnold was celebrated by his teammates in the locker room. In that game, Darnold threw for 377 yards and three touchdowns.
However, the next two weeks were two of Darnold’s worst performances of the season, and they both came at the wrong time.
In Week 18, with an opportunity to capture the NFC North and the number one seed in the conference, Darnold completed 18-of-41 passes and threw for only 166 yards, and the Lions rolled over the Vikings.
Darnold’s struggles continued against the Rams on Monday night in the wild-card game. He threw for 245 yards but had an interception. In addition, Darnold, who was sacked nine times, lost a fumble that was returned for a touchdown, and the Vikings season ended as they fell to the Rams 27-9 at State Farm Stadium.
“Yeah, I clearly just did not play good enough the last couple weeks,” Darnold said after the loss. “I left too many throws out there that I would usually make. I have got to take better care of the football, today especially.”
Darnold, who signed a one-year deal with the Vikings this offseason, had career-highs in yards and passing touchdowns this season and was selected to his first Pro Bowl. The third overall pick in the 2018 draft had a breakout season.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell says everyone needs to focus on Darnold’s whole season, not just the last two games.
“I just want to say I think it’s very important we all think about Sam’s body of work,” he said. “What he was able to do this year when not very many people thought he would even be able to lead a team to 14 wins. Very rare for a quarterback in the first year. In fact, it is rare. Most wins by a first-year quarterback with a team. Just the way he came in and committed himself to just a daily process to be the best version of himself. It did not work out in the end, and I think Sam would be the first one to tell you. Could he have played better tonight… I’m proud of really everybody in that locker room, but Sam and the journey him and I went on this year will always be something that’s a special place in my heart for sure.”
The 27-year-old Darnold can be a free agent at the end of the season, and the Vikings, who have 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy waiting in the wings, have a decision to make. The first 16 games were good, but the last two were awful, so Minnesota has to determine who is the real Sam Darnold. If they believe it was what they saw in the last two games, that decision is easy.
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