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The Minnesota Vikings are now 2-0 and Sam Darnold is the man under center. No one gave Darnold or the Vikings much hope this season, but they are on a weekly venture to change that narrative. It will probably take a few more weeks to stick, but the early results have been positive.
Prior to the season Sam Darnold polled as one of the worst starting quarterbacks across the entire NFL. Of course that was rooted in everything that he has been to this point in his career. In a more ideal situation, there was always a reason to believe he could be better.
Sam Darnold making believers out of doubters?
The Athletic’s Jeff Howe recently published his Week 3 QB stock report and the Vikings undefeated quarterback is starting to make his way up the rankings. Darnold started the season at 28th, and now ranks 19th, through two weeks.
Sam Darnold could lay claim to the biggest gripe in the rankings … Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell runs a QB-friendly offense, and wide receiver Justin Jefferson makes everyone around him better at their jobs — 20.4 percent of Darnold’s passing yards this season occurred on one throw to Jefferson on Sunday, after all.
Darnold appears to be set up for success more than any other point in his career, and it wouldn’t be too difficult to argue Darnold is off to a better start than some of the quarterbacks who are ranked ahead of him. So why the low ranking?
It’s still too small of a sample for a QB who has shown flashes like this at various points in his career, notably during a solid 3-0 start with the Panthers in 2021 before it all came crashing down. If Darnold sustains this pace, he’ll move up the rankings.
Jeff Howe on Sam Darnold’s Week 3 QB stock ranking (The Athletic)
The end zone view of the 97-yard TD is unsurprisingly very cool pic.twitter.com/H5HCpsV3fZ
— Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) September 16, 2024
Darnold has had a much better year than being the 19th best quarterback in the league, but the year is just two weeks old. If he can continue to substantiate this performance, there’s no reason why he can’t inch closer to the top ten.
Minnesota hosts the Houston Texans on Sunday. They do so as home underdogs once again. Another big performance by Darnold will only continue to generate belief behind Kevin O’Connell’s group.
How high can Vikings Sam Darnold climb?
Realistically there is a ceiling to Sam Darnold’s placement amongst NFL quarterbacks. Even if he were to challenge for an MVP award this season, he simply won’t overtake some of the other signal callers across the league. Looking at the Week 3 stock report though, there is an area for him to settle in.
- 1. Patrick Mahomes
- ….
- 6. Aaron Rodgers
- ….
- 12. Brock Purdy
- ….
- 17. Kirk Cousins
- 18. Trevor Lawrence
- 19. Sam Darnold
- 20. Caleb Williams
- ….
- 27. DeShaun Watson
- 28. Bo Nix
- ….
- 30. Will Levis
Darnold finds himself just behind Trevor Lawrence and former Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins. Brock Purdy, Derek Carr, and Geno Smith are all ahead of him, and seemingly passable, if Darnold can perform in week three vs the Houston Texans.
Sam Darnold. 4th quarter. 3rd and 8. No Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison or TJ Hockenson on the field.
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) September 16, 2024
pic.twitter.com/czIeoIwUt0
Kyler Murray had the biggest jump of any QB in week two, going from 17th to 7th, after a strong performance against the Los Angeles Rams. The greatest thing holding Darnold back is the bias evaluators will have regarding his past stops in the league.
But through two games, Sam appears to be a different guy, in head coach Kevin O’Connell’s system. When Cousins was under center in Minnesota, he usually ranked in the 10-15 range, among his peers. That feels like a realistic landing spot for Darnold as well… and at a fraction of the cost.
*Whispers Sam Darnold is playing winning football
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) September 16, 2024
If the Vikings can get a top-third, or even top-half quarterback performance out of Darnold for the remainder of this season, they should find themselves in the playoff conversation, come January. You can’t make the playoffs with two wins, but stacking them now will certainly help later.
More must-reads:
- The Big Five: NFL’s biggest surprises of the 2025 season — for better or worse
- Eagles receive good and bad injury news ahead of matchup with Giants
- The 'Most NFL QB two-rushing-TD games' quiz
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The Big Five: NFL’s biggest surprises of the 2025 season — for better or worse
The 2025 NFL season has already produced unexpected plot twists, with projected playoff teams struggling and preseason afterthoughts becoming the talk of the town. For better or worse, here are the NFL's most surprising teams entering Week 6. 1. Baltimore Ravens (1-4) When things can't possibly get worse for the Ravens, they reach new depths. By losing 44-10 in Week 5 to the Houston Texans, a team it has historically dominated, Baltimore tied for its worst home loss in franchise history. The Ravens made moves this week to improve a putrid secondary, acquiring safety Alohi Gilman from the Los Angeles Chargers for edge-rusher Odafe Oweh and signing free-agent safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, but that's unlikely to provide immediate relief. In Week 6, Baltimore hosts the Los Angeles Rams, who have the league's second-ranked pass offense, so QB Matthew Stafford should carve up the defensive backfield with wideouts Puka Nacua (who is on a pace for a record-shattering season) and Davante Adams. Baltimore's offense, which is likely to be without two-time MVP starting quarterback Lamar Jackson (hamstring) for the second consecutive week, won't be able to keep up in a shootout. Oddsmakers agree, with Los Angeles an 8.5-point favorite, per ESPN BET. The Ravens appear headed for a 1-5 record entering their Week 7 bye, but they have a much more favorable schedule when they return. According to ESPN's NFL Football Power Index, Baltimore ranks No. 25 in remaining strength of schedule. With a healthy Jackson and an AFC North up for grabs, don't rule out a second-half surge. Yet it's just as likely Baltimore spends all season in a hole it can't get out of. 2. Indianapolis Colts (4-1) The most surprising success story of the season is in Indianapolis, which has surpassed all expectations. Quarterback Daniel Jones, who entered 2025 3-13 in his past 16 starts, is playing like an MVP candidate. Through five games, the No. 6 overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft is 107-of-150 (71.3 percent) for 1,290 yards, nine total touchdowns and two interceptions. The offense has generated most of the headlines, and for good reason, but the defense has been a revelation as well. The unit has held three of its first five opponents under 300 yards and forced a turnover in each game. Indy's fortune might not change in Week 6 as it hosts the Arizona Cardinals, who are coming off one of the most embarrassing collapses in recent history, blowing an 18-point lead at home to the previously winless Tennessee Titans. Arizona (2-3) has turned the ball over five times in its past two games. With road games remaining against the Chargers, Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs, Jacksonville Jaguars and Seattle Seahawks, the Colts will soon provide a more accurate gauge on where they stand. But rather than being a Week 1 flash in the pan, Indianapolis looks built for the long haul. 3. San Francisco 49ers (4-1) Colts head coach Shane Steichen's main competition for Coach of the Year should be Kyle Shanahan, who has done a masterful job of leading a hobbled 49ers squad to the top of the NFC West. San Francisco is 3-0 without starting quarterback Brock Purdy, with Mac Jones joining Daniel Jones as one of the year's great reclamation projects. The Niners are also thriving without elite production in the run game from Christian McCaffrey, who is averaging 3.1 yards per carry. San Francisco is already 3-0 in division games, but to maintain its edge in the NFC West, the offense must become more balanced. Through Week 5, the Niners are first in pass offense (290.6 yards per game) but rank last in yards per rush attempt (3.1) and are the league's only team without a rushing touchdown. (Every other team has at least two.) 4. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-1) The Jaguars made the AFC South the only NFL division with two one-loss teams after coming back to win at home against the three-time defending AFC champion Chiefs in Week 5. Jacksonville ranks in the top 10 in the NFL in both scoring offense and scoring defense. The Jaguars have ascending talent on both sides of the ball, with running back Travis Etienne (443 rushing yards) averaging career highs in yards per carry (5.8) and rush yards per game (88.6). First-year head coach Liam Coen has done a good job of running him in advantageous situations, with Etienne only facing a stacked box (eight or more defenders near the line of scrimmage) on 13 percent of his carries, the sixth-lowest rate among qualifying running backs, per NFL Pro. The defense, led by first-year defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile, a former Green Bay Packers linebackers coach/run game coordinator, has more than held up on its end, forcing an NFL-high 14 turnovers. Linebacker Devin Lloyd (four interceptions, one fumble recovery) is one of the league's most improved players. ESPN's FPI gives the Jaguars a 75.4 percent chance to reach the playoffs, the third-highest odds in the AFC, trailing the Buffalo Bills (92.2 percent) and Colts (85 percent). 5. Las Vegas Raiders (1-4) "I'm processing it poorly to tell you the truth," first-year Raiders head coach Pete Carroll, 74, told reporters after his team's 40-6 trouncing at the Colts last Sunday. "I did expect to win right out of the chutes," Carroll added. Technically, Las Vegas did, defeating the New England Patriots (3-2) in Week 1. But four consecutive losses have dimmed hopes of a playoff run and instead raised significant questions, particularly at quarterback. Geno Smith, acquired in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks in the offseason, has regressed significantly after a strong three-year run as Seahawks starter. Through five games, Smith leads the NFL in interceptions (nine), throwing one on 5.5 percent of his pass attempts, more than double his rate from 2022-24 (2.1 percent). Instead of contending for a postseason spot, the Raiders, a longtime doormat, are closer to the No. 1 pick. Las Vegas is projected to end the season with the league's fifth-worst record, per ESPN. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Why HC Andy Reid is to blame for Chiefs' collapse vs. Jaguars
The Kansas City Chiefs seemed to be in total control on "Monday Night Football." They jumped to an early 14-0 lead over the Jacksonville Jaguars and were dominating on both sides of the ball before it all went downhill. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was 29-of-41 with a touchdown and an interception, while Jaguars signal-caller Trevor Lawrence was 18-of-25, also with a TD and an interception. Despite similar stat lines, it was Lawrence who rallied his squad to a 31-28 win. The difference? The Chiefs drew a whopping 13 penalties, making it incredibly difficult for them to pull out a win as they constantly went backwards and gave up yards. That said, Kansas City head coach Andy Reid didn't seem to agree with some of the calls: "We had 13 penalties, to their 4," Reid said, per Harold R. Kuntz. "Whether I agree with them or don't agree w/ them, it doesn't matter. They called them. So, you have that many penalties, you give up field position, you can out stat them to death, but that doesn't matter. It's the score that matters." Andy Reid must be held accountable Reid is entitled to his opinion, but Monday night's game wasn't an outlier. The Chiefs have become one of the most undisciplined teams in the league, and that ultimately falls on the coach. Reid has also stuck with Jawaan Taylor at right tackle, even though he's leading the league in penalties for yet another season. As pointed out by Josh Dubow of Associated Press, the Chiefs are currently tied sixth for the most enforced penalties per game (8.4), fifth in enforced penalty yards per game (70), tied for the second-worst penalty differential (-13) and the third-worst team in penalty yard differential (-90). It's too early to sound the alarms, but undisciplined teams rarely go the distance. Reid is one of the greatest NFL head coaches of all time, but he needs to be held accountable and, more importantly, get to work to fix these issues.
Yankees Nation Turns On Aaron Boone As Anthony Volpe Gamble Sparks Fear After Paul Goldschmidt Call
Raiders Made Three Moves Including Signing LB Jamin Davis
The Las Vegas Raiders announced they have signed LB Jon Rhattigan from the Steelers practice squad and also added LB Jamin Davis to the practice squad. The Raiders cut QB Jeff Driskel to make room on the practice squad. Davis, 26, is a former first-round pick of the Commanders back in 2021 out of Kentucky. He was in the final year of his four-year rookie contract after having the team decline his fifth-year option when Washington elected to waive him in October 2024. Davis then caught on with the Packers’ practice squad a few weeks later. The Vikings signed him to their active roster before waiving him in December when he was claimed by the Jets. The Jets cut Davis loose coming out of the preseason this year. In 2024, Davis appeared in nine games for the Commanders and Vikings, recording 18 total tackles and a sack.
MLB playoff takeaways: Yankees stay alive; Mariners inch closer to ALCS
The 2025 MLB playoffs continued on Tuesday with both American League Division Series matchups in action. The Seattle Mariners dominated the Detroit Tigers with an 8–4 victory, taking a 2–1 lead in the series. The New York Yankees stayed alive against the Toronto Blue Jays, rallying from a five-run deficit to win 9–6 and trim the series gap to 2–1. Here are key takeaways from Tuesday's games: Mariners jump out early and never look back The Mariners wasted no time taking control in Game 3, plating four runs in the first two innings, immediately putting the Tigers on their heels. J.P. Crawford opened the scoring with a third-inning single that brought home Victor Robles, aided by a throwing error from Riley Greene. Detroit never recovered from the early miscue, as Seattle set the tone for a commanding offensive performance — posting its highest run total in a road game since Sept. 17. The long ball was present in the win for the Mariners, with Seattle launching three home runs. Eugenio Suárez struck the first homer with a solo shot in the fourth inning, and Cal Raleigh capped Seattle's scoring with a ninth-inning blast that landed in the hands of a Mariners fan. On the mound, Logan Gilbert was sharp, tossing six strong innings while allowing just one run and striking out seven. With the win, Seattle takes a 2–1 lead in the series and moves within one victory of its first AL Championship Series appearance since 2001. Aaron Judge earns his moment in historic comeback win Facing elimination at home, the Yankees roared back from a five-run deficit — the largest comeback in franchise history in a postseason elimination game, per Fox Sports — to stun the Toronto Blue Jays, 9–6. Trailing 6–1 after the top of the third inning, the Yankees ignited a rally with two runs in the bottom half to narrow the deficit to three. In the fourth, Judge delivered his long-awaited postseason moment, blasting a three-run home run off the left foul pole to tie the game at 6–6. New York tacked on three more runs across the fifth and sixth innings to grab a 9–6 lead, sealing the comeback. David Bednar slammed the door with a five-out save, ending Toronto’s attempt at a late push. With the win, the Yankees narrow the series gap to 2–1 and head into Wednesday’s Game 4 with a chance to send the series back to Toronto for a winner-take-all Game 5.
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