What Sam Darnold experienced Sunday night against the Lions was worse than what Daniel Jones experienced in his Week 1 start against the Vikings when he played for the Giants.
Jahmyr Gibbs topped 100 yards rushing in all 3 games the Lions played without David Montgomery and fell just shy of 2,000 scrimmage yards.
Darnold posted one of the worst games of his career in terms of completion percentage when the Vikings needed him.
Sam Darnold looked like the Jets version of himself instead of the potential franchise quarterback he’s resembled for most of the season during an awful performance in the Vikings’ 31-9 loss to the Lions in the battle for the NFC’s No. 1 seed and the NFC North crown on “Sunday Night Football.”
Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold denied that he the crowd played a factor in one of the worst games of his career against the Lions.
Detroit dominated in the most important game of the regular season, and the difference was a quarterback who looks ready for the challenges ahead.
Sam Darnold was on an unbelievable run with the Minnesota Vikings this season. He led them to a 14-2 record going into the final NFL regular season game and even stirred up conversations about the Vikings keeping him long term and trading J.J. McCarthy to a quarterback-hungry team.
The Vikings’ 9-game win streak came to an end on Sunday night, and with it their hopes of the NFC North title and the #1 seed in the NFC playoff picture.
PM ET on NBC, sportsbooks have issued player props on Sam Darnold. NFC North rivals meet in Week 18 when Darnold and the Minnesota Vikings (14-2)
Darnold played poorly on Sunday night against the Lions. His resilience will determine the Vikings' postseason fate in the coming weeks.
Matthew Berry, Connor Rogers and Jay Croucher break down Sam Darnold's poor showing against the Detroit Lions, discussing the game's impact on Darnold's case to win Comeback Player of the Year.