Darnold MVP!?!?

[glenwo2]

Until Darnold learns how to throw the ball away SAFELY, instead of bouncing it off someone's feet or helmet, his interception numbers will be too high for any big prizes.

The only big prize that matters is the Lombardi trophy.

But I get what you're saying.

 

[Maelstrom787]

He legitimately deserves consideration at this early stage. He's been lights out. Everything people saw in him as a prospect coming into the league - that upside is showing.

I will say this, however: Please, all, do not start putting everything as his feet if the hot start cools into reliable but not-red-burning-hot results.

Sam isn't lucking into any of this. He's been incredible. Just hard to maintain this pace forever, especially if stuff gets messy on the OL or we lose some skill players to injury.

My only worry for Sam is that we've seen him look great before (in Minnesota but he's been even better here) until the stakes got as high as they did. But I believe, especially with Kubiak's system really looking like a winner, that it can be mitigated and his confidence in win-or-lose, live-or-die situations can be rebuilt.

 

[Maelstrom787]

Until Darnold learns how to throw the ball away SAFELY, instead of bouncing it off someone's feet or helmet, his interception numbers will be too high for any big prizes.

I'm going to defend him on this one, considering he's only got 2 other picks on the year.

No one is perfect in a messy pocket. Yeah, that really sucked bad, and it was his mistake, but even the MVPs make some real bonehead plays. Just comes with the territory. Sam doesnt seem especially prone to them compared to other high quality passers.

 

[glenwo2]

He legitimately deserves consideration at this early stage. He's been lights out. Everything people saw in him as a prospect coming into the league - that upside is showing.

I will say this, however: Please, all, do not start putting everything as his feet if the hot start cools into reliable but not-red-burning-hot results.

Sam isn't lucking into any of this. He's been incredible. Just hard to maintain this pace forever, especially if stuff gets messy on the OL or we lose some skill players to injury.

My only worry for Sam is that we've seen him look great before (in Minnesota but he's been even better here) until the stakes got as high as they did. But I believe, especially with Kubiak's system really looking like a winner, that it can be mitigated and his confidence in win-or-lose, live-or-die situations can be rebuilt.

I think what will help mitigate any possible instances of what happened at the end of last year are several things :

1.) Kubiak will keep him at throwing quick passes instead of waiting a day and a half to throw like he had to in Minnesota.

2.) The OL is playing well as far as Pass-blocking goes.

3.) The Defense is way better than anything the Vikings had so if he stumbles a bit, the Defense can get the ball right back for him to try again.

 

[glenwo2]

I'm going to defend him on this one, considering he's only got 2 other picks on the year.

No one is perfect in a messy pocket. Yeah, that really sucked bad, and it was his mistake, but even the MVPs make some real bonehead plays. Just comes with the territory. Sam doesnt seem especially prone to them compared to other high quality passers.

Though Sam almost had a brain-fart moment at 4:20 of the 4th Quarter where he was being sacked and he, for some reason, threw the ball up in the air (weakly) that could've just as easily been picked off if the Jags defender wasn't just standing there daydreaming (wtf was he doing?) instead of going after the ball.

Aside from that, he's been (for the most part) careful with the football.

 

[Smellyman]

Just 12 more games to go

 

[LeveeBreak]

Writer from the Northwest thinks Seattle's QB is the MVP, never would have guessed. Personally, think it's way to early for this kind of chatter. Darnold is playing pretty good right now, let's see how he's doing by midseason.

I don't think it's too early for Mayfield. That dude is willing the bucs to wins and is one of the toughtest SOB's I've seen play. Nothing but mad respect for him.

Too early for Darnold? Not IMO to start the discussion. He's in almost all the top QB passing stats, has a winning record, and isn't making many mistakes.

For pundits like F'n Prisco, who will continue to use the crappy argument that he couldn't handle pressure ( like Farve or Wilson) during their playoff run last year...yea, probably too early. Sorry, but most QB's couldn't do that, which is why Minny invested so heavily on OL this offseason.

We're only 2.5 games shy of the 1/2 way mark.

 

[Appyhawk]

I'm going to defend him on this one, considering he's only got 2 other picks on the year.

No one is perfect in a messy pocket. Yeah, that really sucked bad, and it was his mistake, but even the MVPs make some real bonehead plays. Just comes with the territory. Sam doesnt seem especially prone to them compared to other high quality passers.

This is an issue I addressed in a preseason (?) Darnold post. The point is, for every player, to learn how to get better. This is a repetitive issue of his That I noted could be the difference in winning or losing games. That has already proven to be true. So if he can improve in that way he will be that much closer to consideration as one of the elite QBs in the game today.

 

[Trackhawk]

I'm not sure why we even bother hoping for the Sam Darnolds and Baker Mayfields of the world to win MVP and pretending it's not going to be Dak Prescott.

 

[LeveeBreak]

I'm not sure why we even bother hoping for the Sam Darnolds and Baker Mayfields of the world to win MVP and pretending it's not going to be Dak Prescott.

Hard to win MVP on a losing team. Can happen, but odds are long.

 

[Trackhawk]

Hard to win MVP on a losing team. Can happen, but odds are long.

Yes, but, COWBOYS!

If the leading contenders continue to produce at the same level, I can absolutely see Dak getting it, despite having a losing record.

 

[keasley45]

Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield finished 10th and 11th in MVP voting last year. And those two could finish 1 and 2 this year, if they keep it up. (A big if.)

Russell Wilson famously never received an MVP vote.

Problem is the knob-slobbing the media is doing around Mayfield. It's disgusting. They keep on referencing how he went into Seattle and beat us and our high powered defense but neglect to mention how many key players we had out on D. Sure, they had players injured as well, but our injuries don't factor into the media's assignment of 'credit'.

As to Sam, the dude is absolutely playing at a level worthy of MVP status. Issue is that he doesn't do it with the highlight flash that Baker does. If he strings together a few more plays like the insane escape and TD toss against Tampa and the impossibly perfect tosses he had to Jax and Coop at Jacksonville, he will be hard to deny. He has been downright surgical so far this year and having JSN lighting the league up doesn't hurt his chances.

If there is a knock, it's that he has had 2 games end now in TOs from his hand. Fair criticism or not folks will argue he could have gotten the ball out faster against the 9ers and that he should never had attempted to throw the ball away over the line against the Bucs. Add to that the awkward scramble to evade a sack, batted INT against Pittsburgh and he might have to show a bit more of the magic to make people forget those errors. Had he not melted down last year in the playoffs I don't think folks look at those mistakes as bring all that big. But given the reality of his last few games last year, there is a healthy skepticism as to whether he still has a case of the woopsies waiting when things get too hot.

 

[bileever]

Too early to predict the MVP race, but it is wide open this year. Joe Burrow is out, Lamar Jackson has been hurt and is playing on a team with a terrible defense, the Chiefs are not the powerhouse that they used to be, and Stafford and Rodgers are too old.

Still a lot of contenders, though: Josh Allen, Baker Mayfield, Justin Herbert, Jared Goff, Daniel Jones and Patrick Mahomes.

 

[NoGain]

If there is a knock, it's that he has had 2 games end now in TOs from his hand. Fair criticism or not folks will argue he could have gotten the ball out faster against the 9ers and that he should never had attempted to throw the ball away over the line against the Bucs. Add to that the awkward scramble to evade a sack, batted INT against Pittsburgh and he might have to show a bit more of the magic to make people forget those errors. Had he not melted down last year in the playoffs I don't think folks look at those mistakes as bring all that big. But given the reality of his last few games last year, there is a healthy skepticism as to whether he still has a case of the woopsies waiting when things get too hot.

Yeah, that's kind of my way of thinking. I can't argue with his stat lines, and how effective he's been this year so far for us. But like you said, fair criticism or not, our two losses ended with two turnovers when the ball was in his hands. And then, also like you said, there are the memories of him turning into a pumpkin at the stroke of midnight last year when the stakes were the highest.

Having said all that, I've been very impressed with how he's been playing the position for us so far this year. I was in wait-and-see mode with him and our offense when the season started. He's checked off most of the boxes my healthy skepticism had of him going into the season. I'd still like to see us get a quality vet OLman in trade to help with protecting him and opening some more holes for our running game. Our offense, and Sam, need more consistency in that department.

In the meantime, I'm just enjoying what I'm seeing from him and our passing game which has exceeded my hopes and expectations so far. He's been so good I've moved from thinking we were short in the receiving corp department to thinking we can go with and win with what we've got there.

 

[keasley45]

Yeah, that's kind of my way of thinking. I can't argue with his stat lines, and how effective he's been this year so far for us. But like you said, fair criticism or not, our two losses ended with two turnovers when the ball was in his hands. And then, also like you said, there are the memories of him turning into a pumpkin at the stroke of midnight last year when the stakes were the highest.

Having said all that, I've been very impressed with how he's been playing the position for us so far this year. I was in wait-and-see mode with him and our offense when the season started. He's checked off most of the boxes my healthy skepticism had of him going into the season. I'd still like to see us get a quality vet OLman in trade to help with protecting him and opening some more holes for our running game. Our offense, and Sam, need more consistency in that department.

In the meantime, I'm just enjoying what I'm seeing from him and our passing game which has exceeded my hopes and expectations so far. He's been so good I've moved from thinking we were short in the receiving corp department to thinking we can go with and win with what we've got there.

200% I caught a lot of flack when Russ was here and I was critical of his sandlot play and then more when Geno ran things for praising how well he played the position (mostly). But much of the sentiment in both cases stemmed from appreciating high level QB play, the chess match that is offensive game planning and in game adjustment and being able to actually see the intricacies of a play work (or not) based on high level conception and execution. Russ won, but you couldn't ever actually qualify his play from a strategic perspective or as it related to actual running of the plays. Geno executed at a high level, was very cerebral, but over emotional and prone to dumb errors (and I'm not even talking about INTs when I say that). Sam? The dude is operating the offense to the best it can be run from what I can see. Absent the last pass against Tampa and the INTs in Pittsburgh, he has been masterful and done so showing mobility, escapability and improvisation. It's been a lot of fun to watch.
But yeah. Hoping that at the very least he opts for the sack when prudent to avoid the unnecessary TOs. Otherwise, he is playing as well as anyone in the game at the moment. Well beyond what I thought he might at this stage of the season and with a relatively inexperienced play caller setting things up for him.

 

[94Smith]

Baker in the driving seat right now. He played spectacular against the 49ers and against the Seahawks

 

[LeveeBreak]

200% I caught a lot of flack when Russ was here and I was critical of his sandlot play and then more when Geno ran things for praising how well he played the position (mostly). But much of the sentiment in both cases stemmed from appreciating high level QB play, the chess match that is offensive game planning and in game adjustment and being able to actually see the intricacies of a play work (or not) based on high level conception and execution. Russ won, but you couldn't ever actually qualify his play from a strategic perspective or as it related to actual running of the plays. Geno executed at a high level, was very cerebral, but over emotional and prone to dumb errors (and I'm not even talking about INTs when I say that). Sam? The dude is operating the offense to the best it can be run from what I can see. Absent the last pass against Tampa and the INTs in Pittsburgh, he has been masterful and done so showing mobility, escapability and improvisation. It's been a lot of fun to watch.
But yeah. Hoping that at the very least he opts for the sack when prudent to avoid the unnecessary TOs. Otherwise, he is playing as well as anyone in the game at the moment. Well beyond what I thought he might at this stage of the season and with a relatively inexperienced play caller setting things up for him.

Spot on with Russ. When he was mobile, he was the strategy. That's why he's failing everywhere now...he has 2 flat tires and can't work in a system. Payton sacrificed $85m in dead cap (most in NFL history) to get rid of him and the Stealers didn't want him at a bargain basement price. Gmen learned the same.

Not sure if I'd call Geno cerebral b/c he struggled to control his emotions to the degree needed...but definitely a gifted system passer when the stars align. Unfortunately DC's found ways to mix it up enough for him to fail in consistent ways.

Sam is the anti-Russ with most of the gifts Geno has and exceptional EQ. Crazy thing is, he still has significant upside potential if we can get the run game going. Hawks are #1 on play-action yds with a subpar run game. MacDaddy said teams are consistently stacking the box, which makes it difficult to run between the tackles...but we should be able to exploit the edges in addition to play-action, especially with an athletic OL. I assume teams think Darnold will turn into a pumpkin and crumble...but those strategies are failing and will likely change soon. If so, it should help our RB's find some daylight.

Hard to not be excited for this team right now.

 

[glenwo2]

It seems to me the root cause of all the skepticism stems from last season so the only way he gets rid of the skepticism is to win at least one playoff game.

People can be so fickle but that's the way it is. meh.

 

[Seak]

Writer from the Northwest thinks Seattle's QB is the MVP, never would have guessed. Personally, think it's way to early for this kind of chatter. Darnold is playing pretty good right now, let's see how he's doing by midseason.

Gotta enjoy the ride while it happens though! season only so long

 

[Hawkstorian]

Sam Darnold is good at football.