Sam Darnold’s remarkable season with the Minnesota Vikings came to a disappointing end Monday night, as the team fell to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFL playoffs.
Despite leading the Vikings to 14 wins and the postseason, Darnold’s recent struggles in critical games have raised questions about his future.
Minnesota Vikings’ Sam Darnold takes a brutal hit and fumbles the ball causing a pick-six by the Rams
Sam Darnold fumbles the spotlight
The Vikings entered the game as favorites, but Darnold struggled against a relentless Rams defense.
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He completed 25 of 40 passes for 245 yards, one touchdown, and one interception while being sacked nine times for a loss of 82 yards.
A fumble by Darnold also resulted in a Rams defensive touchdown, contributing to Minnesota’s early playoff exit.
After the game, Darnold was candid about his performance.
“I clearly didn’t play good enough the last couple weeks,” he admitted.
“Just left too many throws out there that I would usually make. I’ve got to take better care of the football.”
Darnold’s struggles in the playoffs followed a stellar regular season where he threw for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions-arguably the best campaign of his career.
However, in the two biggest games of the year, he fell short, throwing for just 166 yards with no touchdowns in the previous matchup and failing to rebound against the Rams.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell addressed Darnold’s performance, offering a balanced perspective.
“Those moments where you’re holding that ball, and your reaction is to try to make a play – we can’t talk out of both sides of our mouth because he sure as heck made a lot of plays doing that this year,”O’Connell said.
“But I think that’s part of the growth. Remember, this guy’s 27 years old. I think he has a foundation now of both the things you do at the quarterback position to have success and things you have to learn the hard way.”
Darnold echoed similar sentiments, taking responsibility for his struggles.
“There were a lot of sacks today that I was responsible for, where I was just holding onto the football,” he said.
“I could have just dirted it or thrown it over someone’s head.”
As Darnold enters free agency, his future with the Vikings remains uncertain.
Minnesota must decide whether to retain him or turn to J.J. McCarthy, their promising young quarterback recovering from injury.
Despite the playoff disappointment, Darnold’s impressive season could make him a target for other teams in need of a quarterback.
