In the latest episode of Two Old Bloggers, Darren Campbell and Dave Stefano dive deep into the hot-button issue surrounding Sam Darnold, the newly crowned starting quarterback for the Vikings. Their conversation provides a nuanced examination of Darnold’s past performances, his potential for growth, and the inevitable comparison with the future quarterback of the Vikings, J.J. McCarthy.
Dissecting Darnold’s Past Performances: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Darren kickstarts the conversation by dissecting Darnold’s past performances. His analysis does not paint an optimistic picture. Darnold, he says, has struggled with the mental aspect of the game, despite showing flashes of talent.
Darren does not mince his words when he critiques Darnold’s track record, “His teams are 21 and 35 in the 56 games he started. He’s got a career completion percentage just under 60%. He’s thrown almost as many interceptions as touchdown passes. So the evidence after six NFL seasons is that Darnold isn’t very good.”
He further elaborates on Darnold’s performance in specific games, highlighting instances where Darnold’s performance has been underwhelming against both winning and losing teams. The detailed analysis brings into sharp focus Darnold’s inconsistencies and his struggles in pressure situations.
Darnold’s Last Chance: The Make-or-Break Season
The stakes are high for Darnold. This season could be his last chance to prove he’s a starting quarterback in the NFL. The pressure is on, but as one of the viewers, Drew, comments, “This is Darnold’s last chance to prove he’s a starting quarterback in the NFL before he becomes journeyman backup guy for the rest of his career.”
Darren readily agrees with this sentiment, stating, “any competitor wants to be out there. And I believe that Sam Darnold is no different than that.” This season, therefore, will be a litmus test for Darnold’s mettle as a quarterback and his determination to solidify his position in the league.
Can Darnold Rise to the Occasion?
Dave adds another dimension to the conversation by discussing the potential for Darnold to improve under the new coaching system. Dave reflects, “I advocate that Kirk Cousins did under KOC (Kevin O’Connell). If Sam does, Sam will be in there a while.”
The key question, therefore, is whether Darnold can step up his game under pressure and deliver a performance that can silence his critics. Dave emphasizes, “Can all those good things we talked about make Sam Darnold into a good quarterback? Or what we just talked about in his five seasons in the NFL, are they going to materialize?”
The Transition to J.J. McCarthy: When is the Right Time?
The Vikings have drafted J.J. McCarthy with a clear vision – to be their quarterback of the future. But when does this ‘future’ start? Dave ponders, “Now the question is, when does the future start?”
Should Darnold fail to impress, the transition to McCarthy might happen sooner than expected. Dave explores this possibility, stressing the importance of timing and the potential pressure from the fans to start McCarthy.
Summer-Break Roster Analysis
The episode kicks off with Darren Campbell providing a comprehensive overview of the Vikings’ roster after the draft and free agency are essentially done. He explains, “The NFL draft is over. The Vikings 90-person roster right now is pretty much set, although there’ll be a few comings and goings between now and training camp.”
Darren then transitions into an in-depth analysis of the Vikings’ positional units. He discusses his confidence level with each unit, bringing to light the potential vulnerabilities and strengths of the team.
Analyzing The Positional Units: The Good
Darren gives a detailed account of the units he feels confident about, starting with the safeties.
Safety Unit: A Stronghold
The safety unit gets a vote of confidence from Darren. He mentions, “First off, we’ll start with the ones that I do feel good about right now, safeties. I think this is a very strong unit.” The unit’s strength, according to Darren, lies in players like Harrison Smith, Cam Bynum, Josh Metellus, and Theo Jackson. He elaborates on their individual strengths, making it clear why he considers this unit a robust one.
Quarterbacks: The Dynamics of Competition
Darren also expresses optimism about the quarterbacks, describing the competitive dynamics that could arise in the quarterback room. The presence of Sam Darnold, J. J. McCarthy, Nick Mullens, and Jaren Hall in the team creates an environment of competition and growth that Darren appreciates.
He states, “What I like about this quarterback room, Dave, is why I think we’ve got four guys, again, that they’re going to push each other. There is no washed up veteran who’s taking snaps from amongst this bunch, or no-hopers.”
Tight Ends: Depth and Potential
The tight end room also gets a nod of approval from Darren. T.J. Hockenson may still be recovering from last season’s knee injury, but the addition of Robert Tonyan to the team significantly boosts the depth of this unit. Darren also mentions Josh Oliver, Johnny Mundt, Nick Muse, and N’Keal Harry as players who could potentially make a difference in the team’s performance.
The Units of Concern
While Darren expresses confidence in certain units, he also shares his concerns about others, notably the wide receiver and defensive line units.
Wide Receivers: A Need for Depth
Darren voices concern about the wide receiver unit, especially beyond the duo of Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. He states, “Sure, you got Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, that’s a hell of a one-two punch. But after that, what do we got?”
Defensive Line: A Call for Quality
The defensive line unit also raises concerns for Darren. He emphasizes the need for quality players who can hold their gaps, occupy blockers, and help with the run. He expresses his worry, saying, “Outside of Harrison Phillips, I don’t see a whole lot of that ability there after him.”
Opening the Vikings Vault: A Journey into the Past
The segment began with a warm welcome from Dave, inviting listeners into what he referred to as the “Vikings Vault”.
In this episode, Darren elaborated on the concept of the vault, describing it as a place where they delve into “Viking seasons or players or transactions from the past that were notable.” The main goal is not just to revisit past achievements and setbacks but also to initiate conversations and evoke a sense of nostalgia among their audience.
Darren emphasized the importance of knowing one’s history, emphasizing that it is always beneficial. The focus of this particular episode was on the early 1960s, a pivotal time for the Vikings franchise as they were establishing their identity in the NFL.
The spotlight of the episode was on Paul Flatley, the first “Deep Threat Wide Receiver” for the Vikings. Darren and Dave painted a vivid picture of Flatley’s career, highlighting a time when the passing game was not as prevalent in NFL offenses as it is today.
Despite his brief tenure with the Vikings, Flatley’s impact on the team was significant. His impressive yards per catch average set him apart from other great receivers in Vikings history. The episode served as a reminder that every player, regardless of their recognition, contributes uniquely to the team’s overall narrative.
The hosts concluded the segment by appreciating the Vikings’ history of drafting and developing wide receivers, expressing hope for similar success in developing quarterbacks. They also teased future episodes, hinting at discussions about the signing of defensive lineman Jalen Redman.
In addition to the focus on Paul Flatley, the episode delved into an in-depth analysis of Sam Darnold’s NFL performances, the Vikings’ positional units post-draft and free agency, and a retrospective look at the team’s history in the early ’60s. The podcast offers a fresh perspective on the Minnesota Vikings, exploring forgotten stories and emphasizing the importance of every player’s contribution to the franchise’s legacy.
Listeners are encouraged to tune in for future episodes and share their thoughts. SKOL Vikings!
Join the conversation with the Two Old Bloggers, Darren (@KickassblogVike) and Dave (@Luft_Krigare), at Vikings 1st & SKOL (@Vikings1stSKOL) and Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN), where sports takes for the fans, from the fans, are shared. I need to rewrite the sentence for you, but you haven’t provided the original sentence. Please provide the original sentence so I can rewrite it for you.