Overreaction Monday: Sam Darnold has a chance to challenge Josh Allen for MVP

At times, there is more discussion about the future in the National Football League than there is the present. Some would prefer to talk about where a potential free agent could wind a year from now, even though the current season is still underway.

It’s the same with the league’s awards (via the AP voters), where NFL MVP seems to be an almost daily discussion. This year, it’s gone from Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry, to Philadelphia’s Saquon Barkley, and most recently to Buffalo’s Josh Allen.

Of course, there’s still two games to play in Week 15, and three more weeks of action. So why not take a closer look at a rejuvenated signal-caller who is easily having his best NFL campaign.

Sam Darnold is having a career year with the Vikings

The one-time USC standout was the third overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, picked four spots ahead of Allen. Sam Darnold’s tenure with the Jets lasted three seasons and 38 games and starts. There were 45 touchdown passes and 39 interceptions. He lost seven of his 20 fumbles, and was sacked 98 times. Being counted on to be a savior was a tall order for a franchise that still owns the NFL’s longest active playoff drought.

Darnold was dealt to Carolina in 2021, and things only got worse in his two years with that club. He latched on with the 49ers last season, and signed with the Vikings this offseason. Kevin O’Connell’s club was coming off a 7-10 year in which the club used four different starting quarterbacks.

The 31-year-old pro hasn’t always been perfect, but he was just what the doctor ordered in the Twin Cities. He’s helped lead the team to an 11-2 record as the team prepares for Monday night’s visit from the Bears. When the Packers defeated Seattle on Sunday night, Minnesota clinched a playoff berth.

Darnold’s numbers can’t be ignored. His 68.4 completion percentage is easily his career-best, as are his 3,299 passing yards and 28 aerial scores. There have been 10 interceptions, and four lost fumbles, but he’s also run for 194 yards and a touchdown in his 13 outings.

Of course, Allen’s numbers are quite imposing. In one more game, he’s totaled 3,395 yards through the air, connecting for 25 touchdowns while being picked off only five times and losing only two fumbles. It’s hard to ignore his 484 yards on the ground and 11 rushing TDs.

Meanwhile, Jackson comes off a big effort vs. the Giants, and Barkley has now run for an NFL-best 1,688 yards. Darnold and his 11-2 club will be in the Monday night spotlight vs. the Bears, and another big performance from him and his team and it may be unwise to keep him out of the MVP discussion.