The Minnesota Vikings just keep chugging along. And believe it or not, the biggest reason for their shocking 14-2 record through Week 17 is their oft-maligned QB, Sam Darnold.
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The seven-year pro was near-flawless in a big game (again) on Sunday. He threw for 377 yards and three TDs to lead Minnesota to a 27-25 win that was a lot more comfortable than the score suggests. With just one game left, Colin Cowherd is feeling vindicated for his support of Super Sam.
Cowherd is known for flip-flopping on his takes pretty regularly, but we have to give him credit on this one. Cowherd was on the Darnold bandwagon long before he even arrived in the Twin Cities.
Last year, Cowherd argued that Darnold could revive his career in San Francisco. He was just a year early. Now, Cowherd is dancing on the graves of the Darnold doubters and positing that not only has the quarterback revived his career, he should be in the MVP debate.
“For the last six years I’ve been mocked, ridiculed, laughed at. And it hurt my feelings. And I still believed Sam Darnold’s got a little bit of Andrew Luck. Tough, relentless, like a linebacker playing quarterback. Coachable, throws a bad pick, follows it up with a great pass. What you’re seeing is the Andrew Luck thing.”
"I've been mocked, ridiculed and laughed at. It hurt my feelings… Why is Sam Darnold not in the MVP discussion?"
— @ColinCowherd would like an apology pic.twitter.com/34WJBf5AK4
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) December 30, 2024
Cowherd’s Andrew Luck-Sam Darnold comparison goes way back, and it seems Darnold is finally making good on it. Before this season, he had played on some of the worst teams this century after being selected No. 3 overall in 2018 by the Adam Gase-led New York Jets. All he needed was a little support, and he’s got it in spades now in Minnesota.
Darnold isn’t just leading a stacked team to wins by being a reliable game manager. He’s going out there and winning the games for them. As Cowherd said, he’s making “big boy throws” and getting the job done in the second half and in the red zone, when the stakes are highest.
“And they’re asking him to make big boy throws. He leads the NFL with 60 completions over 20+ yards. Those are Brady and Mahomes throws. No dink and dunk here. 70 percent completion rate, 26 TDs, three picks in the red zone, he’s the league’s most efficient quarterback. And in the second half of the last seven games, 1,000 yards and a passer rating of 114.”
Cowherd went on to lambast the NFL media for their narrative-driven analysis of things like the NFL MVP race. While Cowherd is certainly guilty of the same on a regular basis, he was correct in calling it out here.
“Why is he not in the MVP discussion? Hello? Look at all the numbers. Because you’ve already disqualified him. You made up your mind, and that’s what we do in the media. You’ve decided, ‘Eh, it’s a cute story, but’. No, no, no, no. This roster isn’t great. There’s no but. Lamar Jackson, Sam Darnold, look at the numbers. Who do you trust more in a playoff game? Are you sure it’s Lamar?”
Some may be wondering how or why Cowherd stayed on the Sam Darnold train for so long. He answered that question too, reminding people that it’s not about being liked in life, it’s about “who likes you”. Cowherd observed the types of guys that believed in Darnold and the coaches who put their “trust” in him. That kept his belief in the USC alumni alive.
“When you watch him play, you know what you notice? How much his coach trusts him. And don’t worry about being liked in life. It’s who likes you. When everyone in America was bailing on Sam Darnold, you know who didn’t? Kyle Shanahan’s like, I think he’s good. Kevin O’Connell, [Sean] McVay, ‘Yeah I think he’s really good.’ Yeah, I’m gonna trust those guys. He’ll give you a bad pick. But so will Mahomes, so will Allen, so will Herbert. But after his pick yesterday, 9-for-12, 134 passer rating… Look at what they ask him to do.”
So far this year, Darnold is leading the two top MVP candidates (Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson) in wins (14), completion percentage (67.9), and passing yards (4,153). He is also behind Lamar but ahead of Allen in passing TDs (35), yards per attempt (8.2), and passer rating (106.4).
Voters should also consider Darnold’s performances in the clutch. He has completed five game-winning drives this season, 2nd-most in football. If we’re talking numbers, Sam Darnold’s got Josh Allen beat, and if we’re talking team success, he’s bested Lamar. Yet somehow, he sits 6th on the MVP leaderboard with +12,500 odds.
