Inside The Vikings

National pundits praise Sam Darnold as 'clutch' and the 'real deal'

Darnold has delivered two game-winning drives the past two weeks over the Bears and Cardinals.

Jonathan Harrison

Dec 1, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) passes against the Arizona Cardinals in the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
Dec 1, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) passes against the Arizona Cardinals in the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images / Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
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Sam Darnold has been clutch when it's mattered the most this season for the Minnesota Vikings. Over the past two weeks, Darnold has led two game-winning drives to help stretch the Vikings' winning streak to five games. Now, Darnold appears to have caught the attention of the national media after helping his team improve to 10-2.

"I am so impressed by Sam Darnold," NFL Network's Peter Schrager said on Monday's Good Morning Football. "The last three games, he has been magnificent when it's mattered the most."

On Sunday, Minnesota trailed the Arizona Cardinals by 16 points with a little over minutes left in the third quarter. Darnold led a six-play, 70-yard drive in which he completed all five of his passes, including a 4-yard touchdown pass to Johnny Mundt to bring the Vikings within six points entering the final quarter of play.

Darnold followed that up by going 7 of 12 over two scoring drives, engineering a comeback win over the Cardinals. His strong late-game performance followed a clutch overtime drive that helped claim victory over the Chicago Bears last week.

"In crunch time, Darnold, after being down 10 points, just leads them all the way back and they throw their way out of this thing. That is the difference," Schrager said. "It's not running game. They're throwing the rock. I go back to last week, they get to overtime and they've got to go 90 yards, and it's like 'How we going to do this?' It's Darnold throwing the way into a victory."

"Sam Darnold doesn't have the same numbers as Josh Allen, doesn't have the stats as Lamar Jackson, doesn't have the same numbers, even as Joe Burrow, but the last three games Sam Darnold has three wins, 811 passing yards, seven touchdowns and zero interceptions. What a testament to this guy and his fortitude and his ability to come back and lead."

FOX Sports' Emmanuel Acho and ESPN's Dan Orlovsky, separately, both broke down a key, late play in the win on Sunday in which Darnold completed a short pass under pressure on fourth-and-7 to extend the eventual game-winning drive.

"Sam Darnold is clutch man," Acho said. "Darnold's the real deal, man. Playing good ball."

"If Minnesota gets this Sam Darnold, they got a chance," Orlovsky said.

Colin Cowherd joined in the praise Monday, saying he would take Darnold over Kirk Cousins right now.

"Sam Darnold to me, if I was a team and you said 'Kirk Cousins or Sam Darnold,' not even factoring in money," started Cowherd's podcast cohost John Middlekauff.

"Oh God, Darnold," interjected Cowherd.

"100%," Middlekauff responded. "And then when you factor in one guy's making $40 million, and you're like, 'Is Sam, is he getting that?' But even if he did, if all money's equal, I will take Sam Darnold every day of the week. Again, look who likes him. Kyle (Shanahan) loved him. They didn't want to lose him, they couldn't compete with the $10 million (contract) that Minnesota gave him. Look what he's done. I stand by it. Minnesota's got really good coaching."

While the national media may still not be on board with the idea that the 10-2 Vikings are in the Super Bowl conversation, they do appear to be hopping on the Sam Darnold bandwagon.

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Jonathan Harrison
JONATHAN HARRISON

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