Sam Darnold has shattered expectations, leading the Minnesota Vikings to an astonishing 14-win season and an unexpected playoff berth. Catch the Vikings as they battle the Los Angeles Rams in the NFL Wild Card round.
From Jared Goff to Geno Smith, Baker Mayfield, and now Sam Darnold—the Vikings are surfing the wave of the NFL’s latest quarterback comeback saga. But just how many more plot twists remain?
For months, we braced for a potential downturn. For months, we speculated whether Darnold’s fairytale journey was about to come to an abrupt halt. Yet, against all odds, the Darnold story continues. This weekend, the Vikings aim to prolong their playoff journey against the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card round.
Alarm bells rang for the first time this season when Darnold completed just 18 of 41 passes for 166 yards, resulting in a 31-9 loss to the Detroit Lions. This defeat cost the Vikings the NFC North title and the No. 1 seed. Had the ‘ghost-seeing’ Darnold of Christmas past resurfaced? Would this performance carry over into the postseason? The most crucial weekend of his career looms, with Minnesota’s season, and possibly a multi-year contract, on the line.
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“My confidence level that we can get him back on track is as high as it could be,” Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell stated. “Our coaches feel the same, and most importantly, his teammates feel the same.”
One hopes Sunday was merely an anomaly in a season marked by Darnold’s remarkable comeback. That he has reached this point, played so well, and led the Vikings to 14 wins defies all preseason expectations.
Darnold signed a one-year deal in the offseason, competing with rookie first-round pick J.J. McCarthy for the starting job after Kirk Cousins left in free agency—a move that backfired for Atlanta. An injury to McCarthy in the preseason opened the door for Darnold to seize what could be his last chance to salvage his career.
Entering the league as the third overall pick in 2018 with the Jets, Darnold’s development stalled amid New York’s struggles. He then spent two seasons as a bridge quarterback with the Carolina Panthers before joining the 49ers in 2023 as Brock Purdy’s backup. Regardless of this weekend’s outcome, it would be surprising if Darnold hasn’t earned himself another starting opportunity and a new contract—whether in Minnesota or elsewhere. McCarthy will return in 2025, posing a decision for the Vikings. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has been focused on long-term success and sustainability, making Darnold’s contract a potential risk.
The 27-year-old has been among the league’s most productive quarterbacks, entering Week 18 with 343 completions on 504 attempts for 4,153 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, boasting a fifth-ranked passer rating of 106.4.
Vikings Leaders:
- Head coach: Kevin O’Connell
- General manager: Kwesi Adofo-Mensah
- Owner: Zygi, Leonard, and Mark Wilf
- 2024 record: 14-3
- Last Super Bowl appearance: 1976 season
- Super Bowl wins: 0
Concerns arose in Week 10 against the Jacksonville Jaguars when Darnold threw three interceptions. Instead of faltering, he responded with 18 touchdowns to just two interceptions over the next seven games, achieving a passer rating of 114.1. This included five touchdown passes against the Falcons, followed by three each in victories over the Seahawks and Packers.
Darnold’s transformation underscores O’Connell’s rise as one of the NFL’s brightest offensive minds, consistently putting his quarterback in a position to succeed. O’Connell has provided the platform, and Darnold has exceeded all expectations, attacking every level of the field with aggression, demonstrating an impressive feel for pressure, making smart decisions, and showcasing athleticism.
“Sam has done a great job,” said Rams head coach Sean McVay. “He’s always had the ability to progress through reads, activate different areas of the field, and buy time with his legs. He’s a much better athlete than many realize, moving the chains with his legs throughout the season.”
On the final Sunday of the regular season, Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn executed a perfect game plan, baiting Darnold into reverting to his earlier career struggles. Darnold faced his third-highest pressure rate of the season, with the Lions applying pressure on 49% of plays, blitzing on nearly 56% of dropbacks—a season-high rate of zero blitzes. The relentless secondary rushes disrupted Darnold’s field diagnosis, stunted his processing, and affected his timing, resulting in missed throws and hurried decisions. By game’s end, Darnold had missed at least three red-zone touchdown opportunities, completing just one of nine passes inside the 10-yard line.
A collapsing pocket took its toll, with Darnold completing only four of 18 passes under pressure. Lions head coach Dan Campbell acknowledged the strategy as Detroit’s way of preventing Darnold from “picking us apart,” while Glenn aimed to remind Darnold of his early NFL struggles.
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The Vikings now face a Rams defense that has blitzed on 23.1% of plays this season, compared to Detroit’s 34.6%. The Rams’ pressure rate of 21.4% is led by a formidable quartet of Braden Fiske, Kobie Turner, Byron Young, and Defensive Rookie of the Year frontrunner Jared Verse. Glenn and Detroit provided a blueprint: squeeze the pocket until it collapses.
Minnesota, leading the league in blitz rate under Brian Flores, now faces a Matthew Stafford-led Rams offense that thrives against additional rushers. The game may hinge on Darnold’s ability to capitalize on the explosive plays of Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, who have been pivotal to the Vikings’ offense.
“It was a series of bad events that led them to that situation against the Lions,” NFL’s Phoebe Schecter. “You look at the film, and there are some great things we put on tape. Sam Darnold, you’re still Sam Darnold. You just need to build him up this week.”
Darnold’s journey is a testament to the impact of time, situations, patience, and, most importantly, good coaching in reinventing a quarterback’s career.
His comeback has been one of the standout stories of the 2024 season, but the NFL is a cutthroat league of fine margins. His future may well depend on how he rectifies his mistakes against the Lions in this weekend’s win-or-go-home showdown.