The Jacksonville Jaguars are preparing to face the Minnesota Vikings this Sunday, and it’s a much more difficult game than it looked heading into the season.
The Vikings have been one of the NFL’s most surprising teams this year, thanks much in part to the extraordinary play of quarterback Sam Darnold.
Darnold, a former No. 3 overall pick, was largely viewed as a bust, as he was a massive disappointment for the New York Jets, bombed with the Carolina Panthers and served as a backup for the San Francisco 49ers in 2023.
But now, the USC product has turned things around.
Or has he?
When asked about the secret to Darnold’s head-turning performance thus far in 2024, Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson offered a simple explanation.
“Justin Jefferson,” Pederson said before laughing.
He then expounded upon his point.
“I think the talent around him, that helps, right?” added Pederson. “Having the run game, the defense, the way the defense has played, being in coach O’Connell’s system. … And look, he’s always been a solid quarterback. … I just think now he’s learning, he’s maturing and showing he’s capable of doing it.”
Jaguars HC Doug Pederson was asked how #Vikings QB Sam Darnold has turned it around this year:
“Justin Jefferson.” 😳
Extremely disrespectful.pic.twitter.com/xoeYBXUMjF
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) November 7, 2024
While Pederson did provide a little bit of a compliment to Darnold at the end there, his words made it seem like he doesn’t think much of Darnold as an individual talent.
And to be fair, Darnold has come back down to earth a bit after a scintillating start, as he has totaled six touchdown passes and four interceptions over his last four games.
On the season overall, the 27-year-old has thrown for 1,900 yards, 17 touchdowns and seven picks while completing 69.5 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 107.8.
The Vikings signed Darnold with the hope that he would serve as a bridge to rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy, but a season-ending knee injury to McCarthy changed Minnesota’s plans.
Of course, having Jefferson and other weapons like fellow wide receiver Jordan Addison and recently healthy tight end T.J. Hockenson has been pivotal for Darnold. But he definitely deserves some credit for getting the ball to where it needs to be.
We’ll see if Darnold uses this as bulletin-board material for Sunday.
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