Sam Darnold’s revival season starts strong, while other QBs struggle to find footing

The Sam Darnold they remember in Northern New Jersey wasn’t the one they saw on Sunday afternoon. The old one was easily rattled, unnerved by “ghosts” in the secondary, burdened by expectations.

This Sam Darnold was confident, accurate, unfazed by anything. This one, the starter for the Minnesota Vikings who completed his first 12 passes of the season and went on to help beat the New York Giants 28-6, actually looked … good.

“I don’t think anybody’s surprised that Sam Darnold played the way he did today,” said Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell. “I know I’m certainly not.”

Well, there are surely at least a few who were surprised about how good Darnold looked, as he completed 19 of 24 passes for 208 yards, two touchdowns and just one interception that was caused when his arm was hit by defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence as he threw. And his performance went beyond the numbers. He led a 99-yard touchdown drive in the second quarter that included a bold and perfect 44-yard pass down the sidelines to Justin Jefferson. He made several other big-time throws.

He proved to be a very capable quarterback. Every move he made was the right one.

And if that bar sounds low … well, that’s just a sign of where Darnold was in his career.

“Some of the folks I get to speak to quite often they know I’ve talked a lot about the quarterback journey,” O’Connell said. “Quarterbacks in our league don’t get to control a lot of that journey and they’re expected to perform in some cases immediately. I’ve just always really liked the way Sam carries himself. He’s a talented player and he can make big-time throws. Every throw we’re going to ask him to make he’s more than capable of doing that.”

Darnold was once the third overall pick of the 2018 draft, but he signed a one-year, $10 million deal as a career backup and would’ve spent the season mentoring J.J. McCarthy if he hadn’t suffered a season-ending knee injury. That’s where the 27-year-old Darnold was after three ugly seasons with the New York Jets, two painful seasons as a part-time starter in Carolina, and after riding the bench in San Francisco last year.

McCarthy’s injury presented Darnold with a rare opportunity — a chance to revive a floundering career. And he’s not the only one getting that chance in the NFL this season. His opponent on Sunday, Daniel Jones, has seemingly one last chance to prove his worth as he comes back from a season lost to a torn ACL. Deshaun Watson is trying to do the same in Cleveland after playing just 12 games over the last two years. Justin Fields could get his chance in Chicago if veteran Russell Wilson struggles or can’t stay healthy. And Gardner Minshew has been given the reins in Las Vegas, where he could finally prove he’s more than just a journeyman backup.

All of them are young enough that they should be in their primes (Watson, who turns 29 next week, is the oldest of the group). Four of them are former first-round picks (Minshew was a sixth-rounder). All of them had much higher expectations, including Minshew who created “Minshew Mania” when he started 12 games in Jacksonville his rookie year.

None of them ever reached their expected heights. And if they fail now, none of them are likely to get much of a shot at starting again.

They are, in a sense, hoping to do what Baker Mayfield did in Tampa last season. He signed a one-year, $4 million contract in 2023 to come in and compete for a starting job with Kyle Trask. Then he won it, threw for 4,044 yards with 28 touchdowns and 10 interceptions and led the Bucs to the second round of the playoffs. He was rewarded with a three-year, $100 million deal.

Can Darnold or any of them do the same — create a second act to their career and cash in?

Darnold probably has the best shot. As one NFL scout said before his debut on Sunday, “He’s always had the raw talent. He’s just been on terrible teams with terrible coaches.” But now he’s being coached by O’Connell, a well-respected offensive mind who has had the Vikings ranked in the top 10 in offense in each of his first two seasons. That includes last year when an injury to Kirk Cousins forced him to juggle three quarterbacks (Joshua Dobbs, Nick Mullens, Jaren Hall) for more than half the season.

Darnold also is on a team that includes receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, running back Aaron Jones and, eventually, tight end T.J. Hockenson. That’s far better than what he had in his 55 career starts with the Jets and Panthers when he went 21-34. 

Darnold wasn’t thinking about how well he’s set up for success, though. He doesn’t talk much about his “journey” or what he endured in New York or Carolina, or what this last shot might mean for his career. He insisted he’s just focused on what he can do with his chance right now.

“I think for me, it was just coming out here and, like I keep saying, playing my game,” Darnold said. “Just playing with confidence. I think that’s the biggest thing.”

That confidence showed on Sunday. And he looked more confident, and fared much better, than the other revival hopefuls did on Opening Day.

Here’s a quick look at how each of them did:

Daniel Jones, New York Giants: His first game after a season lost to knee and neck injuries was absolutely terrible — so much so that fans in New York were chanting for his backup. Some even taunted the Giants quarterback on his way to his car after the game. Jones was 22 of 42 for 186 yards and threw two ugly interceptions. He generally had good protection but had trouble finding open receivers. Too many of his passes were behind his target or bounced to them off the ground. Giants coach Brian Daboll is sticking with him and the organization is committed to him, but after they spent the offseason trying to replace him, this game didn’t bode well for his long-term future.

Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns: It’s probably not fair to judge Watson on this game. His father died on Friday. He was playing behind a patchwork Browns offensive line against a top defense that battered him. It was also his first game in a new offense. So it’s no surprise that he looked so off and uncomfortable against the Cowboys. He went 24 of 45 for 169 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions in a game where the Browns managed just 230 yards. Obviously, a lot more is expected from the QB who got the famously absurd fully guaranteed, $230 million contract. But he’s got a full season to prove he’s worth it.

Justin Fields, Pittsburgh Steelers: He had lost the starting job to Russell Wilson and only started the opener because of Wilson’s injured calf. It’s hard to imagine he did enough to keep it, though. The Steelers needed six field goals to win in Atlanta. Fields was 17 of 23 for just 156 yards and ran for 57 yards on 14 carries. It may have been a somewhat unexpected start, but it wasn’t a very dynamic performance. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin promised an answer on his Week 2 starter by Tuesday. That likely has more to do with Wilson’s health than what Fields did in the game.

Gardner Minshew, Las Vegas Raiders: The Raiders only scored 10 points, so “Minshew Mania” isn’t exactly back, but he wasn’t terrible, all things considered. Playing under duress thanks to a struggling offensive line, Minshew went 25 of 33 for 257 yards with a touchdown, an interception (on the last play of the game), and a fumble. The Raiders clearly have a lot bigger problems than him and he’s still a better option than Aidan McConnell. But he’ll have to do a lot more to rise above his status as a stop-gap quarterback in this league.

Ralph Vacchiano is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. He spent the previous six years covering the Giants and Jets for SNY TV in New York, and before that, 16 years covering the Giants and the NFL for the New York Daily News. Follow him Twitter at @RalphVacchiano.

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