Vikings are winning with - not in spite of - Sam Darnold midway through this surprise of a season
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — Sam Darnold has some flaws in his game that, seven years into his NFL career, might well be with him as long as he's in the league.
But in this season of revival for both the quarterback and the team, the Minnesota Vikings are faithfully viewing Darnold as a feature, not a bug.
“This guy can throw the football,” coach Kevin O'Connell said after the 21-13 victory over Indianapolis on Sunday night. “I love every aspect of what he’s doing within our offense right now.”
Darnold had three costly turnovers against the Colts, including his first multiple-interception game this year. He was picked off in the end zone early and around midfield late, both on throws he should have skipped on drives that began after a takeaway by the defense, and he also lost the ball during a vicious sack that turned into a 38-yard touchdown return for the only score by either team in the first half.
“Those are just little minor errors that we can fix easily,” wide receiver Justin Jefferson said. “Sam is a phenomenal quarterback.”
Holding onto the ball too long has been a recurring theme throughout the career of the 2018 third overall draft pick. He has also tried too many times this year to spin away from pressure, often increasing lost yardage on an inevitable sack. But the good has easily outweighed the bad with Darnold, whose hold on the job in training camp was tenuous until the season-ending knee injury to rookie J.J. McCarthy ended any mystery about who the starter would be.
Darnold's completion rate (69.5 percent) has blown away his career high and ranks seventh in the NFL among current starters, and his average yards per attempt (8.5) is also the best of his career. Perhaps most satisfying to the Vikings (6-2), though, has been his response to the turnover-worthy plays that have popped up. O'Connell hasn't shied away from turning him loose, and neither has Darnold.
“The experience that I’ve had throughout the league of playing bad games, playing good games, like it’s just you continue to learn from experiences. The two interceptions and the fumble, those are experiences that I’ll learn from,” Darnold said. “You don’t want it to happen, but it’s part of the game. You've just got to continue to go out there and play football.”
What's working
The scheme directed by O'Connell and the route-running talent of the receivers has continued to create open targets for Darnold, taking advantage of the extra attention on Jefferson to productively spread the ball around. Eight different players have touchdown catches. Save for occasional quiet stretches for Jefferson, Darnold has also effectively trusted in Jefferson's talent, O'Connell's play design and his own arm strength to get the ball to the NFL's leading receiver despite constant double-teams.
What needs help
The interior pass protection that many times failed Darnold's predecessor Kirk Cousins remains a work in progress. With veteran Dalton Risner back in the mix, the Vikings have a viable option for replacing right guard Ed Ingram if they feel empowered to make a change. The Colts defensive tackles DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart gave center Garrett Bradbury and the guards plenty of trouble.
Stock up
Tight end Josh Oliver. The run-blocking specialist, whose playing time will take a bit of a hit with the return of two-time Pro Bowl pick T.J. Hockenson, had a career-high five catches for 58 yards and the game-sealing touchdown against the Colts. He has three scores this season.
Stock down
Running back Ty Chandler. When the season began, the third-year player was on track to push Aaron Jones for time. With Jones averaging a career-high 15.6 carries per game in a vital role in the offense, Chandler has fallen behind recent acquisition Cam Akers on the depth chart. Akers had six carries for 46 yards against the Colts, and Chandler's only snaps came on special teams.
Injury report
Though they've lost one of their most talented players for the rest of the season, left tackle Christian Darrisaw, the Vikings are one of the healthier teams in the league. They're expecting starting linebacker Blake Cashman (toe) back this week from a three-game absence. Their most immediate concern is on special teams with long snapper Andrew DePaola (hand) out for at least a month and the short-term availability of kicker Will Reichard (quadriceps) also in question.
Key number
13 — The Vikings lead the NFL in interceptions by two over the next closest teams, having already surpassed their total from last season (11). Their per-game rate (1.63) is their highest since 2003 (1.75).
Up next
Though they play three straight road games at Jacksonville, Tennessee and Chicago, the Vikings have reached the favorable portion of their schedule with only two of their next seven opponents — Arizona (5-4) and Atlanta (6-3) — currently carrying a winning record. Both of those games are at home.
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