Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold looked out of sorts in their playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams. The Vikings were soundly defeated 27-9 in a game where they could not muster any offensive attack. Darnold was sacked nine times by the Rams’ defense. He threw for 245 yards, completing 25-of-40 attempts with one touchdown and interception. Many thought the Vikings had the potential to go on a deep playoff run with a 14-3 record, but Sam Darnold had one of his worst games of the season. He was on pace to earn a large contract this off-season, but teams may reconsider after this game.
Sam Darnold’s Playoff Performance
One of Sam Darnold’s biggest problems in this game was holding onto the ball for too long, which is why he was sacked nine times. The Rams’ defensive front was generating pressure, but the reason for the high number was Darnold’s lack of urgency and awareness in the pocket. Even with receivers like Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, Darnold wasn’t getting rid of the football and took many bad sacks. With the Minnesota Vikings trailing most of the game, they needed to air it out and push the ball downfield, but Darnold was not doing that for them.
A similar thing happened in the Vikings Week 18 loss to the Lions. This game cost them the NFC North and a first-round bye in the playoffs. Sam Darnold made the same mistakes, holding onto the ball. On multiple 4th down attempts, he would stand in the pocket, not hitting his initial reads even if they were open, and eventually turning it over on downs. In that game, Darnold completed a rough 18-of-41 passes for 166 yards and no touchdowns. Fans noticed, but many hoped it was just one bad game and Darnold would get right for the playoffs. But that did not happen.
Sam Darnold had one touchdown pass against the Rams, but even that was largely credited to TJ Hockenson. Darnold threw a ball to Hockenson, who was open on a crossing route, but the pass was behind him. Hockenson had to adjust, barely hauling in a questionable pass and running the rest of the way for the score. The Vikings’ offense has relied on Darnold’s passing all season, but in their final game of the regular season and playoff elimination, he posted QBRs of 17.4 and 13.6. In their most important games, Darnold and the Vikings faltered, and their season is over because of it.
Sam Darnold’s Future Contract
Despite how it ended, Sam Darnold was having a career resurgence with the Minnesota Vikings. After unsuccessful stints with the Jets, Panthers, and 49ers, he was cast off as a journeyman quarterback. But this year, under Kevin O’Connell, Darnold threw for career highs in passing yards and passing touchdowns. He threw for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns, far exceeding his previous numbers. Darnold has always had the arm talent and found a groove in Minnesota. Throwing to Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and TJ Hockenson, Darnold racked up the passing yards and the Vikings were winning consistently.
The Vikings signed Darnold to a cheap, one-year contract, assuming he would be a bridge quarterback for rookie JJ McCarthy. But McCarthy went down with an injury, so Darnold was given the full reigns and exceeded expectations. If not for his final two games, he would have earned a large, expensive contract from the Vikings or someone else. But now, because his performances in the last two games were so underwhelming, Darnold may have played himself out of a huge pay raise. Sam Darnold is set to be a free agent this off-season, but after his playoff performance, the size of his eventual contract could go down.
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