Breaking down Minnesota Vikings QB Sam Darnold’s shining Week 14 efficiency

Breaking down Minnesota Vikings QB Sam Darnold’s shining Week 14 efficiency


• Sam Darnold wasn’t afraid to let it rip: Darnold accomplished 4 of his six makes an attempt focused greater than 20 yards, producing 163 passing yards and three big-time throws.

• Fantastic in each space: Darnold thrived within the pink zone as a consequence of his anticipation.

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Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes

Sam Darnold and the Minnesota Vikings got here away with their eleventh win of the 12 months — and sixth straight — in Week 14, dominating by means of the air on their approach to defeating the Atlanta Falcons. Minnesota continues to present the Lions no room to breathe within the NFC North and the race for the convention’s No. 1 seed.

Darnold completed the sport with a 90.9 PFF general grade, the very best of his season and profession. He virtually couldn’t miss Sunday, posting an 88.0% adjusted completion proportion with a ridiculous 12.2-yard common depth of goal. Typically, that top of an adjusted completion price is paired with quick, straightforward passes, however that wasn’t the case; Darnold always ripped the ball downfield.

After Kirk Cousins left in free company this offseason, the Vikings have been seemingly trying to go the rookie quarterback route till top-10 choose J.J. McCarthy suffered a season-ending harm earlier than the 12 months began. That left them with Sam Darnold, and whereas he has at all times been extraordinarily gifted, it’s onerous to think about anybody thought his stint in Minnesota would go this properly.

Darnold is PFF’s sixth-highest graded passer by means of Week 14, and he confirmed precisely why in opposition to the Falcons.

A great way to inform how properly a quarterback sees the sphere is by specializing in the center of the sphere. The home windows are tighter, and quarterbacks should play with anticipation by committing to throws earlier than they’re open. That’s precisely what Darnold does on this third-and-long within the above clip.

The Falcons are scrambling on protection however finally settle right into a Tampa 2 protection. It’s primarily a typical Cover 2, however your ordinary “gap” participant is now enjoying with extra depth and carrying routes up the seams. The downside for the protection is that that deeper “gap” participant has to select a facet to open, and Darnold is aware of that. With him opening to the vast facet of the sphere, Darnold simply must beat the bailing linebacker, Kaden Elliss. He trusts that the beneath route will occupy Elliss and that he’ll have room to seek out Justin Jefferson. He’s proper, and the Vikings convert an extended third down.

Darnold gained’t flip down the flexibility to take a shot downfield. He’s tied for essentially the most big-time throws within the NFL, with 29.

In the above clip, after a heavy play-action pretend, the Falcons’ protection rotates to a model of Cover 3. Darnold reads the middle-of-the-field security, pondering he’ll keep deep and canopy the deep publish. Darnold initially appears to be setting as much as hit the deep over to Jefferson, however with the protection coming all the way down to take that, he shortly flips to the deep publish to Jordan Addison. It’s a ridiculous show of arm expertise. He flips and throws the ball greater than 55 yards within the air. While it falls incomplete, it lands immediately in Addison’s fingers, who can’t make the catch after being interfered with.

Similar to the center of the sphere, the pink zone is an space the place a quarterback has to play with anticipation to beat the tighter area.

On this play, Darnold and the Vikings get a touch of the protection the protection will likely be working with the pre-snap movement. Jefferson goes in movement, and the Falcons defensive again follows him — displaying Darnold that it’s seemingly man protection regardless of the two-high security look. It does find yourself being man protection, so Darnold is aware of precisely the place to go together with the ball. He has Jefferson one-on-one and is aware of he’ll get a step of separation because of the cornerback’s leverage. He throws an incredible ball in a shortly collapsing pocket for an additional landing.

Darnold’s arm expertise was at all times there, and as beforehand talked about, he’ll use any excuse to indicate it off.

This finally ends up being a reasonably easy determination for Darnold after the Falcons present they’re enjoying man protection. He is aware of he’ll have Addison one-on-one working a deep fade, so he merely wants to maneuver the middle-of-the-field security along with his eyes earlier than throwing it. He does precisely that, making the protection a bit late — however essentially the most spectacular half is the space he will get on the throw with no room within the pocket to step up. Darnold throws flat-footed and with a defender starting to wrap him up, and the ball travels practically 50 yards within the air, proper into Addison’s fingers.

The Vikings could have fairly the selection to make this offseason. Do they proceed to go together with the pending free agent Darnold, who remains to be solely 27, or do they provide the keys to top-10 choose J.J. McCarthy, coming off a critical knee harm? It’s a tough query that they are going to finally should reply.

But proper now, the Vikings are having fun with the model of Sam Darnold that many individuals thought would tear up the NFL from the onset of his profession. He has the Minnesota Vikings sitting comfortably at 11-2 and one recreation out of the NFC’s prime seed.