Cris Carter, Stephen A Smith Go at it Over Vikings’ Legitimacy

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Cris Carter
Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

For the past few weeks the Minnesota Vikings have been creating believers as they reel off wins against tough opponents. That doesn’t mean everyone is on board. Stephen A. Smith is among the most vocal talking heads in sports, and he isn’t ready to give the Vikings their flowers.

Cris Carter backs the Minnesota Vikings to Stephen A. Smith

Sam Darnold has seen his stock rise with strong play in recent weeks. The Minnesota Vikings are among the hottest teams in the NFL. Hall of Famer Cris Carter has certainly been watching, but it’s worth wondering if Stephen A. Smith has been. Carter opened his appearance by asking Smith why he doesn’t talk about “The Purple.”

“Why should I? You forget who your quarterback is. We talking about Sam Darnold ok. You can bring up what we’ve seen over the first three games. You giving me three games, I could give you six years of ineptitude on his part before these three games. What’s the issue?”

Stephen A. Smith on Sam Darnold (YouTube)

Carter quickly keeps Smith in check by noting his willingness to “change his stripes.” Both Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield have been given a new outlook. Both of those quarterbacks struggled early in their career only to find success under new regimes. Carter also talks up just how much of an impact coaching makes, and notes the job Kevin O’Connell is doing this season.

The reality, as Carter also astutely points out, is that neither Mayfield or Geno Smith have the same offensive weapons that the Vikings do. Their ability to sustain success is less likely with the talent around them than it is for Darnold. Stephen A. can only muster up “a little bit of credit” though.

Related: That ESPN Guy is Still Doubting Sam Darnold and the Vikings

It’s beyond clear that Carter still is in sync with what Minnesota is doing and has seen Darnold operate on a weekly basis. Stephen A. has made a career out of shock value, and there’s no reason to believe that he’s going to change that reality now.

Sam Darnold must continue to prove it on a weekly basis if the Vikings want to run with their newfound playoff aspirations. That being said, at some point it will be just a given that he truly is a good quarterback. Bill Belichick recently talked about the New York Jets being the only organization that didn’t know what to do with Darnold. It’s becoming near-impossible to argue with that.

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

The more positive steps forward that Darnold can take with the Vikings, the less that any doubters of his performance will have a leg to stand on.

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