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On Sunday night, Sam Darnold’s strengths and weaknesses were on full show in the Vikings’ game against the Colts. Darnold had a solid statistical performance with 290 yards passing, three touchdowns, and 28 completions, but he also had two nasty turnovers and several sacks due to holding onto the ball too long. Head coach Kevin O’Connell has stated unequivocally that he is confident in his quarterback going ahead, despite the mixed bag.

“If he can throw the pill flat out, that’s a 28 out of 34,” O’Connell remarked. Every part of this guy’s play in our offense right now is fantastic, and he’s a great passer. I’ll be aggressive with Sam even though I know he’ll be hard on himself for those two interceptions; I truly believe my faith in him is legitimate and will provide us an advantage going ahead.

Over the course of the season, Darnold’s arm talent has been showcased. Nearly 70% of his passes are completed, he has 107.8 quarterback rating (fourth in the NFL), tied for fourth with 17 passing touchdowns, and he is behind only Lamar Jackson, Jared Goff, and Joe Burrow. Though his chemistry with league leader Justin Jefferson has been plain to see, Darnold had nine receptions for touchdowns versus the Colts, including Jordan Addison, Jalen Nailor, and Josh Oliver.

If the Vikings want to help Darnold mitigate some of the disadvantages, they just need to figure out how. With the fourth-worst sack rate in the NFL, he has thrown seven interceptions. He is somewhat to blame for the sacks because he did not dispose of the ball fast enough; nevertheless, the offensive line also has some responsibility.

Darnold has been a disappointment with his head-scratching blunders ever since he was selected third overall in 2018. The failure of his stints as a Jets and Panthers coach was largely attributable to his decision-making abilities. Even while he’s flourishing in O’Connell’s playbook with the Vikings’ arsenal surrounding him, that could be the price you pay for having Darnold as your quarterback.

His poorest throw and decision of the season thus far was the first interception. When he attempted to make a left-handed catch to set up T.J. Hockenson for the touchdown, the ball instead sailed straight to Colts LB Zaire Franklin. Cornerback Nick Cross will likely have caught it if he hadn’t. Depending on the situation, Darnold had to either immediately deliver the underneath crosser to Addison, attempt to dump it off to Nailor, or, at the very least, raise it to a height where Hockenson had a chance.

“Thought I had a throw to T.J. in the back of the end zone,” said Darnold. All we have to do is convince that backer. Just couldn’t get the ball to drop. I just need to be cautious while I’m down there, especially in the beginning of the game, because we have points. “I want him to be aggressive on those scrambles because he’s a very talented thrower,” said O’Connell. At -01:38 with closed captions and fullscreen, Kevin O’Connell discusses his faith in Sam Darnold.

It was Cross’s job to make the play on the second interception, as Darnold attempted to connect with Jefferson on one of their successful in-breaking routes. According to the replay, he had Addison racing free downfield for a possible large gain, and Cam Akers was similarly unblocked as a checkdown in the flat. It was “just a bad decision,” he stated.

“He’s aggressive on those dagger throws and he throws them about as well as anybody I’ve ever been around,” said O’Connell. It’s a toss that he loves. Being aggressive as a playcaller should be your first and tenth priority. On that play, I thought the defense was outstanding. Defenses might make you say no, put the ball down, and move on, no matter how good it feels to rip those dagger cuts.

The key point from Sunday night was Darnold’s ability to shrug off the picks and the return of his own fumble for a touchdown. He simply continued to play. Aside from those mistakes, he played really well, particularly in the second half. The Vikings will continue to use his arm strength to advance the ball downfield, but they are also trying to find a happy medium where he can avoid sacks and, ideally, handle the football better. Each week, they add that piece to the puzzle.

“I think Sam has demonstrated the ability to make some really high-level throws, to show some of the ability to climb in the pocket, to use his legs, use his athleticism when we need it,” O’Connell said earlier this week. I had six unfinished tasks yesterday night. The other side received two of them. Such things must not occur; we must ensure it. However, there were numerous instances of explosive plays and completions that he took. In my opinion, he had excellent passing skills and a strong command of the offense.