Former NFL QB Mesmerized by Sam Darnold’s Feet

At this point, everybody reading this article already knows the unbelievable game that Sam Darnold had, in his Minnesota Vikings debut. The dude threw out of his shoes, especially in the first half, when the game was still close.

It was the type of performance that allowed Vikings fans to breathe a sigh of relief. We got to watch Sam ball out. Meanwhile, Kirk Cousins struggled in his first game as a Falcon . And, as JJ McCarthy sat at home cheering from his living room , his fellow 1st round rookie quarterbacks all flopped in their NFL debuts.

Dan Orlovsky cannot believe how good Sam Darnold’s feet looked vs Giants

So… what allowed Sam Darnold and Kevin O’Connell to exceed expectations, while other new QBs failed to meet them? Obviously, there are a lot of different answers to that question. But there’s one specific thing that stuck out to former NFL QB, now ESPN personality, Dan Orlovsky . The former No. 3 overall pick’s feet were fantastic.

On Sunday, Orlovsky could not believe the difference in how much more connected his feet were, “to the pass concepts”. Essentially, Darnold’s footwork and his drop-back timing were both in perfect rhythm with the routes his receivers were running, and the progressions each play called for.

“I think he’s done a remarkable job, at least in week one, of marrying his feet to the pass concept, and that’s a lost art right now, in the NFL. I remember, in Carolina, Sam was bad at this, and he’s really showing great growth.”

Dan Orlovsky on Sam Darnold’s feet – NFL Live (ESPN)

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KOC’s playbook is heavily based on timing. He puts a lot of focus on how momentum during a drop-back affects a QB’s rhythm, accuracy and decision-making. It makes sense. If you aren’t in a good position to throw, for that split second a wide receiver might come open, hitting these tiny NFL windows becomes nearly impossible.

Why timing is everything to the Minnesota Vikings pass game

On the other hand, when a quarterback drop ties rhythmically into when a receiver is supposed to come open, the entire process becomes much more natural. This is something that Dan believes is severely lacking, in how the QB position is taught, in 2024.

When you have a quarterback as talented as Sam Darnold, the best thing to do is let that talent cook. The Minnesota Vikings’ timing-based offensive scheme, allows that to happen. By marrying the timing of each drop-back, with each QB read, and all the routes being run, Darnold can play off instinct and naturally work through progressions.

“Sam really struggled with this, early on [in his career]. He really struggled with this in Carolina. I remember of doing a breakdown of Sam being ready to throw, cause 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, hitch… and the receivers weren’t even close to [breaking on] the routes.

I think it’s a lost art in much of the NFL right now, and he has really grown when it comes to ‘ok, my drop has to have this type of pace with this type of feel, and I have to be ready to throw at this moment, marrying it with those routes… that’s why you see some of his talent start to shine…”

Dan Orlovsky – NFL Live (ESPN)

The timing of each drop-back tells Sam Darnold what to do. He just has to make sure his eyes are where they should be, and his feet are in line with that timing. Which again, all becomes easier, when done in rhythm.

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As Orlovsky puts it — 1, 2,3, hitch… ‘is my read open?’ — If it is, boom, let it go. If not, then you move to plan B. And plan B is also worked into the timing and footwork of each play.

Of course, good defenses can disrupt timing by bumping receivers or putting pressure on the quarterback. That’s football. But this base framework for quarterback play is a big part of what has made O’Connell successful coaching QBs. It’s also what helped Sam Darnold be so successful in week one.

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