Dan Orlovsky says Sam Darnold, Vikings need to 'get back to basics'

In breaking down Darnold's three interceptions, Orlovsky said he needs to trust his feet more.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) is pressured by Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen (41) during the second quarter an NFL football matchup Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024 at Everbank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Sam Darnold threw three more interceptions in last Sunday's win over the Jaguars, giving him five over the last two games and a league-leading ten on the season. His play — and specifically his decision-making — has become a major concern for the 7-2 Vikings. After such a strong start to the season, Darnold has reverted into his old turnover-prone ways, and whether or not he can snap out of it will make or break the Vikings' season.

How can Darnold get over this rough patch? ESPN's Dan Orlovsky posted a video on Thursday analyzing the tape of his three interceptions in Jacksonville, and his general message was about getting back to basics.

"I would point to two things," Orlovsky said. "One, the thing that he was doing so well for the majority of this season was listening to his feet. When and where to throw the football. And then two, a little bit of greediness."

On the first interception, Darnold fired a ball to a blanketed Jefferson on a slant route, and it was tipped up into the air for an easy pick. Because the Jaguars lined up with a very deep safety, allowing the corner on Jefferson to play physically and with inside leverage, Orlovsky would've liked to see Darnold check out of the play pre-snap or go to the backside of the concept.

"Bad play," he said. "Pre-snap, just get off it and tell coach to call a better play." Orlovsky also noted that the throw wasn't really in rhythm, as Darnold had to hitch before throwing the slant. "Listen to your feet," he said.

On the second one, Darnold took a bunch of hitches before trying to find Jefferson in the end zone. The two weren't on the same page, and the ball was behind Jefferson. If anything, Darnold could've thrown a contested ball to Josh Oliver in rhythm or progressed to Aaron Jones as the checkdown. Once he held the ball for as long as he did, he probably should've thrown it out of the back of the end zone and lived to see another play.

"Too greedy down here," Orlovsky said. "Second and goal. Listen to your feet. ... Maybe six hitches? That's not what he's been this year. Five or six hitches and he misses the throw because his feet are telling him 'we gotta get the ball out.' That's not what he's been, decision-making wise. Gotta move off of that, get back to those really good fundamentals, that growth."

Darnold's third interception — and probably the worst of the three — was a ball that was late and inside for Jefferson on a corner route near the pylon. Darnell Savage was easily able to undercut the route and pick it off.

Orlovsky noted that Darnold took two quick hitches instead of one deliberate one (and also simply missed the throw). "Again, feet and greedy, the story for those three interceptions."

Get back to basics in Minnesota pic.twitter.com/wGKlQqUlw9

— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) November 14, 2024

As the 7-2 Vikings prepare to take on the 2-7 Titans this week, the biggest focus for head coach Kevin O'Connell has to be on helping Darnold make better decisions and get back to the way he was playing earlier this season. The offense has been moving ball and the defense has been playing well, but they just can't have these turnovers, especially when they're already in field goal range.

"I think we’ve had 815-plus yards over the two games, time of possession’s been heavily in our favor," O'Connell said this week. "We’re doing a lot of little things that normally lead to having good chances to win, but clearly the turnovers are keeping these games very close and relying on other aspects of our team to overcome for that. We need to score points. We need to finish these drives. Finishing drives with points is a winning statistic. You’d love to score touchdowns single every time, but what you can’t have is turnovers in the opposing team’s end where you’re limiting your opportunity to add three, seven, three, seven. Those things add up with the way our defense has played the last couple weeks."

O'Connell can help Darnold as much as possible with coaching points and tape review and communicating the intent behind his play-calling, but at the end of the day, Darnold is the one who has to execute. That means getting getting the ball out quicker at times by playing within the rhythm and timing of the offense, and as Orlovsky said, trusting his feet. It also means knowing when not to take risks.

"Just understanding situations and being able to take care of the ball, especially in the red zone," Darnold said. "I think that's kind of the emphasis walking away from the game. Just gonna continue to prepare the way I've been preparing, keeping the routine the same. And when it comes down to those situations in first and second down and even third down, just understanding what the defense is doing, understanding the flow of the game, and doing the right thing with the ball every single play."