That ESPN Guy is Still Doubting Sam Darnold and the Vikings

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Sam Darnold, Vikings
Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Sam Darnold came into the season as the Minnesota Vikings starting quarterback. Plenty of uncertainty came along with that reality, but each week has made things a bit better. As one of the hottest quarterbacks in the NFL this season, it’s surprising to still see such vocal doubters.

Minnesota Vikings Sam Darnold still needs to prove it

Through three weeks the Minnesota Vikings are 3-0 and Sam Darnold is among the best storylines across the NFL. He is playing like a legitimate MVP candidate and Kevin O’Connell is a huge fan of his new quarterback. That hasn’t stopped ESPN’s Ben Solak from continuing to doubt him.

“The question facing Darnold and the Vikings is whether they can sustain this. It is wicked hard to outscheme every Sunday opponent for a month, for two months, three, four… Winning on the chalkboard every week for 20-plus weeks is just too tall of an ask. The first weak point that opposing defenses will attack? Darnold. Pressure has famously flustered him, and while those longer dropbacks are good for downfield routes putting big stresses on defense, they invite a ton of pressure. Darnold has been pressured on 35.2% of his dropbacks and has taken a sack on 9.1% of his total dropbacks, both of which are above league average. On a small sample, Darnold is holding it together when pressured (ninth in EPA per dropback, 14th in success rate), but his off-target rate is higher than all but five quarterbacks so far this season.

I’m still not convinced, though. I’ve watched a lot of Darnold over the years, and I know that these flashes of quality play are often chased by a few head-scratching weeks. I also watched O’Connell prop up backup quarterbacks for all of last season. I’m one step closer to believing that this will last all season. I’ve gone from “full-throated doubter” to “suspicious but willing to entertain. Good coaches can win with Darnold. Great coaches can win with Darnold for a while. Time to make your money, KOC.”

Ben Solak on Sam Darnold (ESPN)

Solak is not wrong in suggesting that pressure is beyond difficult to overcome for a quarterback. It’s even more difficult for any quarterback with a limited skill set. That being said, Darnold has risen to that exact occasion for weeks now.

Related: Sam Darnold’s QB Stock on the Rise Again

The Minnesota Vikings get another tough road test in the form of the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. Maybe that will be enough for Solak to change his tune.

Numbers are behind Vikings’ Darnold

It’s one thing to suggest more people should believe in Sam Darnold because the Minnesota Vikings are 3-0. It’s another to suggest that more people should believe in the Vikings because Sam Darnold has led the Vikings to that 3-0 record. Yes, Brian Flores has his defense playing incredible. That doesn’t detract from the quarterback continuing to grade out exceptionally well on a weekly basis.

Darnold is not only doing what is asked of him, but he is excelling against some very strong defensive units. After a near-even touchdown-to-interception ratio throughout his career, he has thrown just two picks against his NFL-leading eight touchdowns. He has taken eight sacks, but he hasn’t been careless when the opposition closes in.

Related: Kevin O’Connell NFL Coach of the Year Odds Skyrocketing

Kevin O’Connell has presented situations for Darnold to thrive in. He is continuing to build up his quarterback and give him opportunities to succeed. It’s the reason Minnesota was an ideal landing spot for any rookie draft pick, and it’s the reason this is the best we have ever seen from Darnold as well.

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