Former NFL QB praises Sam Darnold's 'remarkable' footwork improvement

Everyone seems to be impressed by what they saw from Darnold on Sunday.

Sep 8, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) drops back to pass against the New York Giants during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images / John Jones-Imagn Images

Sam Darnold's debut with the Vikings couldn't have gone much better. After completing 19-of-24 passes for 208 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, a lot of the national media seems impressed by what they saw.

On a recent episode of NFL Live on ESPN, former quarterback-turned-analyst Dan Orlovsky broke down what stood out most to him about Darnold's Week 1 performance.

"I think he's done a remarkable job — Week 1, of marrying his feet to the pass concept, and that's a lost art right now in the NFL," Orlovsky said. "I remeber in Carolina, Sam was bad at this and he's really taken great growth."

Sam Darnold

The man reason why he played so well for @Vikings

A lost art in Week 1#nfllive pic.twitter.com/1cOPwuKNec

— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) September 11, 2024

"Sam really struggled with this early on, he really struggled with it in Carolina," Orlovsky said of his footwork and timing with receivers. "I remember doing a breakdown of Sam being ready to throw... and the receivers weren't even close to the routes. I think it's a lost art in much of the NFL right now and he's really grown."

In an era of quarterback play with unique throwing angles from players like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson, traditional footwork and timing do seem to get overlooked. The fact that Darnold seemed to be in sync with his receivers in only his first game is an encouraging sign.

Things will only get harder for Darnold and the Vikings when they welcome the defending NFC champion 49ers to town in Week 2.