Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell’s faith in Sam Darnold was nearly reckless in their Week 5 victory against the New York Jets.
With a 10-point lead and facing third-and-15 in the fourth quarter, O’Connell decided to go for the big gain and call a passing play. Darnold targeted Jordan Addison downfield but was intercepted by Jets cornerback Brandin Echols.
New York scored a touchdown following the turnover, bringing them within three points of tying the game. The following drive, Darnold connected on a pair of 20-plus yard passes to Justin Jefferson and Johnny Mundt, but pushing the ball to Jefferson twice on the last series resulted in two incompletions and a field goal.
Returning the ball to Aaron Rodgers with three With only minutes remaining in the game and a 6-point disadvantage, this is not smart situational football. Former Pioneer Press journalist Brian Murphy stated that, following Darnold’s early success and MVP candidacy, O’Connell had become “drunk on Darnold” and should take a more conservative stance. “It’s almost like O’Connell got a little bit drunk on Darnold through the first three weeks and thought, ‘Well, maybe we can open it up and keep the gas pedal jammed and if we’re struggling a little bit, we’re not finding a rhythm and we need to put this game away, let’s force it downfield.'” Murphy stated on “The Purple Insider” podcast. “It’s one thing to have Jefferson climbing the ladder and making every catch, but if he’s protected and
When he’s taken away and you’re attempting to find Jordan Addison 40 yards down the field, horrible things can happen. Vikings Riding the Rollercoaster of Sam Darnold’s Deep Throws
Through five weeks, O’Connell has stated that he intends to be aggressive in his playcalling to demonstrate to the team his confidence and faith in Darnold to lead the offense. “I’m just really stating the obvious inside that locker room, confirming to them that I believe in them, I love them, and we’re going to ride together and we’re going to stay aggressive while being smart,” O’Connell stated on September 29, following a 31-29 victory against the Green Bay Packers.
It has been proven effective. Darnold leads the league with 11 deep-ball completions, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF). Five of those completions have gone to Jefferson.
However, Darnold was riveted to Jefferson against the Jets, causing the offense to stall many times, including on their final series, which resulted in a field goal.
Darnold had more incompletions (17) than completions (14) that day and was held without a score. His 179 passing yards and 50.3 quarterback rating were season lows. He is tied for fourth in the league with three turnover-worthy plays on deep throws, but is 13th in turnover-worthy play percentage (11.1%).
“I like O’Connell’s attitude, but I almost feel like he’s getting a little bit ahead of himself and trying to be the smartest play caller in the room at every possible moment,” Murphy told reporters. “He could want to look at himself and say, ‘Okay, I don’t want to force anything. I do not want to put Darnold in scenarios where he will fail. “I want to put him in positions where he can succeed.”
O’Connell Says There Is a Line With Aggressive People After the Packers nearly made a comeback in Week 5, O’Connell faced criticism for his playcalling.
With fewer than three minutes left in the game and a 9-point lead, O’Connell went for it instead of settling for a field goal, forcing Green Bay to score two touchdowns to tie.
The Packers stopped Jalen Nailor on a jet sweep and marched 96 yards for a touchdown, pulling Green Bay within three points.
The Vikings held on for the victory, recovering the ensuing onside kick, but it was too close for supporters who saw a 21-point halftime lead evaporate in the fourth quarter.
While O’Connell stated that he would remain aggressive, he acknowledged that there is a limit.
“There’s always a line there, but I’m really proud of our guys,” added the coach.
After avoiding disaster twice in a row, O’Connell will use his bye week to self-scout and assess where he may use a more conservative approach in the future.
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