Yeah what's limiting Darnold is decision making. He has the arm and accuracy. If he can just limit those really bad decisions, then he can have a good career going forward.
I thought Mark Craig had a nice column in the STrib:
https://www.startribune.com/minneso...eason-nfl-mark-craig-kevin-oconnell/601175340
From the article:
• Darnold is 6-2. He has never been better than 4-4 in the four previous seasons in which he has started at least eight games. If he beats Jacksonville (2-7) on Sunday, he will match his career high for victories (7-6 with the Jets in 2019). He started 3-5, 4-4 and 0-8 with the Jets and 4-4 with the Carolina Panthers in 2022.
• Darnold is completing 69.5% of his passes. His completion percentages through eight games previously: 55.2, 63.9, 59.3 and 60.8.
• Darnold’s passer rating is 107.8. His passer ratings through eight games previously: 74.5, 82.1, 67.3 and 76.8.
• Darnold is on pace to complete 329 of 474 passes for 4,038 yards and 36 touchdowns with a 107.8 passer rating. Darnold’s current career season highs: 273 completions, 61.9% accuracy, 3,024 yards, 19 touchdowns (two more than he has right now) and an 84.3 passer rating.
Yeah, but what about his seven interceptions, which are seventh worst in the NFL and have him on pace to tie his career high of 15 for the season?
Not all interceptions are a crime against humanity. Some are a part of doing business between a cannon-armed QB and an elite set of targets that includes the league’s best,
Justin Jefferson.
Darnold’s second interception Sunday came when he launched a ball on a deep dagger route that he and Jefferson have been torching defenses with all season. The way the Colts played for the deep throw left tight end Josh Oliver wide open underneath for what would have been the better decision.
“Sam’s aggressive on those dagger throws, and he throws them about as well as anybody I ever been around,” O’Connell said. “Sometimes the defense can make you say no and check the ball down.”
That wasn’t O’Connell putting up a stop-it sign.
“I’m going to stay aggressive with him,” O’Connell said. “My trust in Sam is something that I think is going to be a winning edge for our football team.”
Here are some numbers through eight games to back that up:
Completions of 20 or more yards: 33.
Balls thrown deep among those 33 completions: 25.
Completions of 20 or more yards to Jefferson: 15.
Balls thrown deep among those 15 completions to Jefferson: 14.
So, yeah, the Colts game was sloppy. Darnold threw his sixth and seventh interceptions.
But he also had seven completions of 20 or more yards. Jefferson caught five of them on deep throws for a combined 128 yards.
Just food for thought the next time any of us (guilty as charged, your honor) get another urge to yelp, “Same old Sam!”
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