Sam Darnold Is A Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing
Credit: Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images
Jaylon Johnson wasn’t afraid to give his honest assessment of Sam Darnold leading up to the Chicago Bears’ Week 12 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. “I feel like he hasn’t been consistent,” Johnson said. “He started out hot, but he’s had a lot of turnovers lately.” Generally speaking, players don’t give their opponents bulletin board material unless they feel confident that their comments won’t come back to haunt them later. Choosing when to speak ill of an opponent is always a calculated risk.
How has Vikings QB Sam Darnold been so consistent?
Bears CB Jaylon Johnson: “I feel like he hasn’t been consistent. He started out hot… He’s had a lot of turnovers lately.”
— Jason Lieser (@JasonLieser) November 21, 2024
Ivan Pace Jr. trash-talked the New York Giants prior to their Week 1 tilt against the Vikings saying: “We ’bout to go crazy man. It ain’t even gonna be no matchup”. This could have ended horribly for Minnesota, but fortunately, the Vikings blew out the Giants 28-6 and he was proven right. Unfortunately for Johnson, his comments proved to be bulletin board material for Darnold, fueling an efficient outing against Chicago. Darnold finished the game with 330 passing yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions in the Vikings’ overtime win over the Bears.
Some quarterbacks like Baker Mayfield or Josh Allen would clap back, or at least relish in the fact that they silenced their haters. That’s not the kind of field general the Vikings have. Darnold is exactly the opposite: he comes across as a shy and humble guy. Former Jets offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates described Darnold as “very flatline” (in a good way) back in 2018, and his personality remains exactly the same as it was six years ago. However, don’t let his mild-mannered demeanor fool you: Darnold is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
It’s understandable why Johnson made those comments about Darnold. He smelled blood in the water, and as a leader in the locker room, he wanted to give his teammates a boost of confidence. The Vikings spent the previous three weeks playing down to their competition, all of them being lowly AFC South opponents. Heck, they weren’t even facing the best those teams had to offer. The Indianapolis Colts started Joe Flacco at quarterback, and the Jacksonville Jaguars had to roll with Mac Jones under center. But on that three-game stretch, Darnold threw for five touchdowns, five interceptions, and fumbled the ball twice.
That being said, Johnson should’ve learned from cornerback Deommodore Lenoir’s mistake back in Week 2. The San Francisco 49ers CB decided to take a shot at Darnold ahead of Week 2, saying: ‘He likes to throw the ball to me.’ Although Sam Darnold never addressed Lenoir’s comments publicly, his play sure did some talking. Lenoir’s comment aged like milk as Darnold balled out, throwing for 268 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception (not to Lenoir) to deliver the Vikings a 23-17 win.
Hiding beneath his sheepish, unassuming personality lies a side of Darnold that often goes unnoticed by opposing players. Darnold is a “perfectionist” who is never satisfied with the status, quo no matter how well the team plays. In his post-game presser, Darnold said, “The offense could have been a lot better in certain situations.” Keep in mind, this was said after the Vikings averaged 7.0 yards per play and accumulated 452 total yards of offense, all while Darnold never turned the ball over. Yet, his focus was only on what they left on the table.
But unlike some, Darnold doesn’t let his never-ending quest for perfection negatively affect his play. Adversity doesn’t change his personality, and his stoic demeanor is a big reason why this 2024 Vikings team has been so resilient. Darnold’s mindset during the Vikings game-winning drive was to “Just execute and take one play at a time.” Darnold added, “I think I tell the guys that every single time in the huddle, but that’s my mindset every single time I’m out there on the field, especially in that situation.”
Whenever the national media talks about Darnold, it’s usually about the great situation he’s in. A lot of people credit Kevin O’Connell for putting Darnold in a position to succeed through his playcalling, or they talk about how much talent the Vikings have on offense between Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, Aaron Jones, and an above-average offensive line. While they all deserve credit, within that there are people who assume that Darnold is being artificially propped up by them, thus underestimating his abilities as a player in the process.
This sentiment seems to seep into opposing players’ minds, as well, to the point where they aren’t afraid to talk trash. Guys like Johnson and Lenoir have seemingly bought into the idea that Darnold is just a shy, neurotic, backup-caliber quarterback who can be easily rattled into seeing ghosts. Or that he’s only succeeding because of the talent around him, rather than his own abilities.
Darnold’s quiet personality baits these opposing defenders into throwing shade his way, unwittingly arousing the killer instinct that lies hidden beneath. It’s unclear how much longer opposing players will underestimate him, but for now, Darnold gets to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
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