Up until recently, Sam Darnold’s future in the NFL seemed uncertain. The former New York Jets quarterback who was chosen third in the 2018 draft, had spent some time moving between teams and was projected to be a reserve to Minnesota Vikings’ first-round pick, JJ McCarthy, this autumn. However, an unexpected preseason knee injury to McCarthy paved the way for Darnold’s return. The older player seized the opportunity, showing impressive skills in a 34-7 victory against the Houston Texans this past Sunday. Completing 17 out of 28 passes, gaining 181 yards, with no interceptions and four touchdowns to four separate receivers, Darnold demonstrated his efficiency. Consequently, he has emerged as one of the NFL’s most effective quarterbacks in the early weeks of this season, leading the Vikings to a 3-0 start in games.
Darnold, who was once a remarkable college player at Southern California, had hitherto experienced an NFL career largely ridden with setbacks. Had he not made his return this year, it’s likely his career would have been remembered for an infamous ESPN graphic concerning his 2019 bout of mononucleosis, or perhaps for an incident later that season when he was caught by a hot microphone admitting his confusion over the New England Patriots’ defence, confessing to “seeing ghosts”. These episodes had turned Darnold into somewhat of a spectacle, far removed from his early promise.
Despite being far from top-tier status, after his three starting performances this season, Darnold’s improvement is starting to look more than temporary. Having shown an impressive completion percentage over expectation, data from NFL’s Next Gen Stats shows Darnold to be one of the best throwers. Vikings’ head coach, Kevin O’Connell, has given Darnold the freedom to hold onto the ball while receivers make their runs before launching it downfield. With an average throw time of 3.03 seconds, Darnold has exhibited great patience this season, also thanks to a strong offensive line that offers him ample time. Having the incredibly talented receiver, Justin Jefferson, at his side suggests that the Vikings could continue to benefit from Darnold’s improved quarterbacking.
The Vikings’ chances in the NFC have been bolstered by his progression, supplying a glimmer of hope during a time when numerous teams are grappling with quarterback circumstances that range from lamentable to middling at best. Last year’s top pick, Bryce Young, has just been relegated to the bench by the Carolina Panthers due to a slump in his career exacerbated by his limited physical prowess – primarily his stature – as well as an ineffectual supporting ensemble from the Panthers. However, evidence of Carolina’s potential was demonstrated by Andy Dalton, Young’s substitute, last Sunday. The New York Giants are locked into a costly contract with Daniel Jones, whose sporadic flashes of brilliance are often outweighed by his liabilities. The Las Vegas Raiders have opted for a seasoned substitute, Gardner Minshew. Meanwhile, a few teams are banking on the potential of their expensive recent draft picks to flourish beyond their current status. Names that come up in this classification include Anthony Richardson, Bo Nix, and even Justin Fields, who is experiencing a timely revival.
Quarterback performances across the league are currently a contentious issue. The initial stages of the season have recorded historically dismal statistics for this role. Many reasons are being hypothesised for this downturn; is it due to rushing the evolution of novice college passers in order to exploit their rookie contracts? Or could it be due to a lack of comprehensive offensive strategies in college football? Perhaps it could be credited to defensive shrewdness, with increased use of safeties in the defensive backfield to constrict the throwing paths for quarterbacks? There’s likely a combination of factors at play. Undoubtedly, several quarterbacks who currently appear to be failures may well end up being just that.
Darnold has finally started demonstrating the calibre of a premier NFL quarterback in his seventh year, quite to the relief of the Vikings, who have invested $10 million in him this year. His performance was at a career-low until now, running the risk of complete fade-out from the NFL limelight. Nevertheless, Darnold has made a commendable recovery, and his improved performance has bolstered the Vikings, making them look like potential playoff contestants despite the absence of McCarthy. His comeback has provided hope to fans of teams saddled with less than efficient quarterbacks, giving them hope that even their struggling quarterback can turn it around. But it’s not as easy as flipping a switch, it requires a top-tier play-caller like O’Connell and a grade-A receiver like Jefferson, along with hard work.
The Player of the Week award goes to Malik Willis, the Green Bay Packers’ quarterback, who started his journey with the Tennessee Titans. Willis was a promising prospect in 2022 and was picked up by the Titans in the third round of the draft. But, happening to show little promise in his performances across the two years and 11 appearances with the team, he was eventually traded for a seventh-round pick to the Packers where he was slated as Jordan Love’s backup. Love’s MCL sprain pushed Willis into prime action for the past fortnight where Willis outshone his former team on Sunday in Nashville, cranking up his stats to 2-0. Willis managed to post 13 completions from 19 passes for 202 yards and a touchdown, also managing to sprint for 73 yards and an additional touchdown. He has shown humility in his successful temporary tenure as a starter, appreciating his time at Tennessee rather than dwelling on vengeance against a team who underestimated him, although he managed some while potentially making his last start before Love returns.
In the Highlight of the Week, we recap the Detroit Lions employing drafty craftiness against the Arizona Cardinals. The Lions, through an ‘old schoolyard trick’, managed a touchdown, bamboozling their opponents with a savory blend of a hook and ladder deception. The successful trick-play lead to a 20-13 victory for the Detroit Lions against the Arizona Cardinals, with the touchdown playing a decisive role.
Highlight of the week
Malik Nabers, Giants’ rookie wide receiver, aged 21 years and 56 days, on Sunday became the youngest NFL player to score two touchdowns in a single match. Nabers secured both scores from three and five yards out, managing to outmanoeuvre the defence of the Cleveland Browns. Nabers, originally the sixth choice from Louisiana State University in April’s draft, has swiftly emerged as the prime receiving choice for New York’s beleaguered offence and for countless fantasy football managers. Following the move of running back Saquon Barkley to Philadelphia, Nabers has abruptly emerged as an offensive titan for the Giants.
Round-up of the league
The Dallas Cowboys had a dismal performance at home against the Baltimore Ravens, losing narrowly at 28-25, a score that possibly flatters the Cowboys. Dallas trailed 28-6 in the initial part of the fourth quarter before making a comeback to nearly clinch the victory. However, they could not stall Lamar Jackson and the Ravens from seizing a couple of late first downs to run down the clock. The narrow loss to a potential playoff team doesn’t cause much disappointment, however, the final score hides the Cowboys’ catastrophic performance for the majority of the day. Derrick Henry, Baltimore’s, rumbled 151 yards to score a brace on 25 carries. Jackson demonstrated a robust performance with his arm (12-out-of-15 for 182 yards and one touchdown) and legs (14 carries for 87 yards securing another touchdown). The cameras captured hints of tension within Cowboys ranks, specifically between Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, who only had four catches for 67 yards. Now under new contract extensions, with Prescott positioned as the highest-paid QB in the league and Lamb ranked as the second receiver, they’ll need to settle their differences quickly. The victory for Baltimore moved both teams’ records to 1-2 for the current season.
The San Francisco 49ers have experienced a shaky start to their season with a 1-2 record and are missing key players due to injuries, including their standout running back Christian McCaffrey, tight end George Kittle, and wide receiver Deebo Samuel. In a shocking turn of events, the remaining members have placed themselves at the bottom rung of the NFC West after failing to maintain a 21-7 lead over the Los Angeles Rams this past Sunday, resulting in a 27-24 loss. A game-changing play was a 38-yard punt return by the Rams’ Xavier Smith, marking his first touch in the NFL. This positioned the Rams strategically, leading to a successful 37-yard game-winning attempt by their rookie kicker, Josh Karty. Despite a defeat, Brock Purdy and Jauan Jennings of the 49ers managed to score three touchdowns together.
The Miami Dolphins have also been handed a tough blow. After losing their first choice, Tua Tagovailoa to a concussion earlier in the season, his substitute, Skylar Thompson, also suffered an injury, this time to his chest, in the 24-3 loss to Seattle Seahawks. Tagovailoa is expected to sit out for at least three more matches.
In contrast, the Pittsburgh Steelers celebrated a 20-10 victory over the hitherto unbeaten Los Angeles Chargers. The Steelers were buoyed by a sterling defensive display and the consistent performance of their quarterback Justin Fields. However, the Chargers were dealt a significant setback due to injuries to some of their crucial players. Justin Herbert, their QB, seemed to further aggravate an existing high ankle sprain while being tackled in the third quarter. Their Pro Bowl left tackle, Rashawn Slater also left the game due to injury in the second half. Earlier in the game, four-time Pro Bowl defensive end Joey Bosa incurred a hip injury. All of these pivotal members were unable to return to the field. Despite an impressive roster, Jim Harbaugh’s first year in southern California is being hampered by concerning health issues among his team.
Bo Nix, the fledgling quarterback, whose selection as the first-round pick for the Denver Broncos in April was met with general criticism, was the 12th overall choose. Having completed five seasons in college, his output over time was decent, despite seldom portraying quintessential traits of an NFL quarterback. His Week 2 performance was met with humiliation by the Pittsburgh Steelers who intercepted him in two instances and kept Denver’s points to a minimum of six. However, it was during his third commencement where he marked his first victory by massively defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by 26 to 7 while playing away.
On the field, Nix ran nine times yielding 47 yards, amongst these sprints was a three-yard touchdown and a 22-yard sprightly run. As a thrower, Nix wasn’t extraordinary, summing up to 216 yards from 25 successful attempts out of 36, without any touchdowns or interceptions. Yet, there were no sacks on his account and his completion rate outperformed expectation by 4.3% according to Next Gen Stats. Nix, despite often being scolded for his reluctance to push the ball further down the field, maintained a 2-for-2 record for passes over 20 yards from the line.
Contrastingly, the Kansas City Chiefs have maintained a flawless 3-0 record, notwithstanding their mediocre performance. This time, they bested the Atlanta Falcons, securing a 22-17 triumph during Sunday Night Football. Though Patrick Mahomes and much of his outfit have been underperforming this season, the top teams exhibit their prowess by clinching victories even when not at peak form. As history has shown us, the Chiefs tend to enhance their performance as the season progresses.