Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
MinnesotaSportsFan
NFL Expert Thinks Sam Darnold Can Carry Vikings to the Playoffs
By Andrew Buller-Russ,
22 hours ago
When franchise savior J.J. McCarthy went down with a season-ending knee injury, many thought the Minnesota Vikings were doomed in 2024. After Sam Darnold led a convincing 28-6 Week 1 win over the lowly Giants , the vibes are a bit different in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
While Darnold isn’t a long-term franchise solution, many NFL observers were impressed with the former No. 3 overall pick. Now on his fourth NFL team, the 27-year-old is finally in a position to succeed, and one analyst thinks that’s exactly what the former first-round pick is poised to do.
How good is Sam Darnold? Good enough to get Vikings to the playoffs
After Sam Darnold had a near-flawless debut, completing 79.2% of his passes for 208 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception, many are wondering just how good this quarterback really is. According to Pro Football Focus, Darnold was the second-best quarterback in Week 1 , earning an elite 88.1 grade. Only the Vikings’ Week 2 opponent, Brock Purdy, did better at 89.6.
But it’s not just Vikings fans and advanced analytics websites that are high on Darnold. Former NFL quarterbacks turned NFL analysts are too.
Recently, it was Dan Orlovsky, who’s been quite vocal about his Darnold man-crush this season. The former Lions QB has “very high” expectations for the Vikings. He doesn’t just think Darnold is doing a good job, he thinks the Vikings can be a playoff team with their new quarterback.
If the Vikings can find a way to move to 2-0 with an upset win over the 49ers on Sunday, their odds of reaching the playoffs will skyrocket. Prior to Minnesota’s Week 1 win, The Athletic’s projections gave the Vikings just a 17% chance to reach the postseason.
After the win? The Vikings’ chances jumped up to 39% . Now, imagine how high they’ll go if Kevin O’Connell can get a win over last season’s NFC Super Bowl representative. Seriously, if Darnold can beat the 49ers, then the sky is the limit.
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.
Comments / 0