Vegas Has Sam Darnold Leading NFL in Interceptions, Coaching Staff Disagrees
By Peter Dewey
Sam Darnold is facing a pivotal season in his career in 2021, as he’s finally out from New York and his time with Adam Gase.
Now, Darnold is looking to lead the Carolina Panthers back into the playoff conversation in 2021, and Panthers head coach Matt Rhule has been extremely happy with his new quarterback this offseason.
"He just has to worry about playing quarterback right now,” Rhule said on Friday. “We've got great leaders...we've got all these veteran guys. What I'm really looking for from Sam right now is to be the first guy in the building and the last guy to leave. I want him to just absolutely grind and out-work the competition...the more you're around the great quarterbacks, or the more you hear about them, their level of preparation sets a tone way beyond anything else. Sam looked like a guy that was very well prepared today. And that to me is how he's going to lead this team."
The Panthers will take on the Indianapolis Colts today in their first preseason game, but Darnold won’t take the field as the Panthers try to keep him healthy this offseason. Fans certainly would like to see Darnold get some reps this preseason, but they will likely have to wait until closer to the 2021 regular season.
Darnold, who is the co-favorite to lead the NFL in interceptions this season at WynnBET with Ryan Fitzpatrick (+750), has done a good job with ball security in training camp, and it has Rhule excited for his 2021 outlook.
“I thought Sam was good,” Rhule said after the team’s joint practice with the Colts. “A: We weren't always winning and B: Just not precise, what we want it to be. We'll correct it tonight and come out tomorrow and look much sharper. I thought Sam protected the football and we were a play or two away from a couple of deep balls so we just got to connect on those."
Darnold threw 11 interceptions last season and has thrown 39 in the first three seasons of his career (38 games). He will have to improve his ball security if the Panthers want any shot at making the playoffs, but hopefully the change of scenery will help the USC product turn his career around.
The Panthers are projected to win 7.5 games this season at WynnBET, with the over (+105) as the underdog to the under (-125). A lot will fall on Darnold if the Panthers want to hit the over on that projection this season.
Will Darnold turn things around this season? Get in on the action with the WynnBET app.