ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky has been high on the Vikings since before this season started. When JJ McCarthy was injured, Orlovsky expressed great confidence in Sam Darnold and what he was going to do this season under Kevin O’Connell.
So far, it’s been spot on. The Vikings are 3-0, Darnold leads the NFL in touchdown passes, and Orlovsky looks very smart. He even got teammate Steven Smith. To see the light.
This week, Dan Au lavished more praise on the Vikings, ranking Darnold third on his list of the five best players in the league right now. Only Josh Allen and Aaron Rodgers are above Darnold on the list.
“Don’t play man coverage against him. If you play man coverage against Sam Darnold, he’s going to score 30-plus points on you,” Orlovsky said. “His association (with) Justin Jefferson…He’s doing it without Addison, he’s doing it without Hockenson. Kevin O’Connell, he’s arguably the coach of the year right now with Matt LaFleur, which makes things very good for Sam Darnold.”
.@danorlovsky7The top five NFL QBs right now 👀
1. Josh Allen
2. Aaron Rodgers
3. Sam Darnold
4. Kyler Murray
5. Gino Smith pic.twitter.com/hhqXerFEC2
– First Take (@FirstTake) September 26, 2024
If you just look at these past three weeks, Darnold has a legitimate case to be in the top five. He’s first in passing touchdowns, second behind Allen in passer rating, fifth in yards per attempt, fifth in QBR, and fourth in PFF passing grade.
Of course, if you’re ranking quarterbacks from a forward-looking perspective, Patrick Mahomes is still No. 1 and Darnold is probably in the 12-16 range behind more established players. That’s still just a three-game sample size for a guy who has struggled to sustain any success in New York or Carolina.
Then again, given the situation he’s in with the Vikings, there’s little reason to believe his play through three weeks has been inconsistent. Darnold looks very good in O’Connell’s offense, which he executes with comfort, poise, and confidence. Sunday’s trip to Lambeau Field will be another tough test.
