Pushing Back On Doug Pederson’s Sam Darnold Jab
Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
The lead-up to an NFL game day isn’t just an opportunity for coaches to crunch tape and players to practice for key matchups. There’s also a level of gamesmanship that often goes on, and both sides get their opportunity to talk smack.
Even if they’re coaching a team with the ostensibly-talented Trevor Lawrence into the ground with a 2-7 record, as Doug Pederson is.
The third-year Jacksonville Jaguars coach — whose impressive portfolio of 2024 losses includes dropping games to the 2-6 Miami Dolphins and 2-7 Cleveland Browns — saw fit to drop a pot-shot at Sam Darnold when asked about the reason behind 6-2 QB’s turnaround.
“Justin Jefferson,” said a laughing Pederson.
Got his ass.
Pederson then put a bit of respect on the name, though Darnold’s abilities don’t come up much in his detailed follow-up on Darnold’s turnaround. “I think the talent around him, that helps,” Pederson elaborated. Having the run game, the way the defense has played, being in [Kevin O’Connell‘s system], the way he calls plays is helpful…. He’s learning, maturing, and showing he’s capable of doing it.”
Look, there’s no argument that Darnold’s in the best situation of his career, and quite possibly, the best situation in the NFL of any quarterback. As Heavy.com’s Trevor Squire points out in response to Pederson, Darnold and Jefferson are statistically the best QB-WR tandem in the NFL. Given that Jefferson is a former AP Offensive Player of the Year, yeah, Jefferson deserves a bunch of credit.
But, to counter-point Pederson and other nay-sayers: What else is Darnold supposed to do here? Get cut and jump to a worse team so he can prove he doesn’t need Jefferson, KOC, or his other weapons to thrive? All he can do is step into his situation and make the most of the tools he has, and he’s inarguably making the most of a very expansive, high-quality toolbox.
It’s less helpful to view Darnold’s turnaround in the context of his situation on the Vikings, and more useful to see his place in the recent trend of reclamation project QBs finding a second life in the NFL. Geno Smith, Baker Mayfield, and (arguably) Jared Goff have gone from high-profile disappointments to top QBs given the right situation and coaching. That’s the way of the NFL right now, and Darnold is showing that he, too, has the talent to make that work.
This isn’t what anyone actually expected! Vegas had Minnesota’s preseason over/under at 6.5 wins, which they’re favored to surpass on Sunday, with Pederson’s 2-7 Jags standing in the way. Maybe Pederson’s assessment of Darnold will ultimately prove correct, but in the meantime, maybe he’s got bigger fish to fry than weighing in on the “Is Sam Darnold Good?” debate.
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