The quarterback has one of the best downfield arms in the game. The roster boasts the top receiver in the game The No. 2 receiver is awfully good himself. The scheme is designed for chunk plays, and the coach considers them central to his winning formula.
So here’s the dilemma: The quarterback’s history of turnovers helped scuttle his previous two starting opportunities elsewhere and the habit has reappeared in his new team’s offense — even as he has made more big plays than at any time in his career. What should the team do?
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold led the NFL in turnovers (13) through Week 10 but also was tied for No. 4 in touchdown passes (17) and No. 2 in completed passes that traveled at least 20 yards in the air (17). Darnold’s arm has helped receiver Justin Jefferson compile the second-most receiving yards in the NFL (831), and it has been one of the primary reasons the Vikings have jumped out to an unexpected 7-2 record.
But turnovers have come in bunches his past two games, including five interceptions — three in the end zone — and a fumble returned for a touchdown. Darnold now has a higher average of turnovers per play (0.04) this season than in any other of his career, and it prompted a noticeable shift toward the running game last week in the second half of the an ugly 12-7 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Coach Kevin O’Connell had been attempting to balance the big-play potential Darnold’s arm provides with the decision-making that has made the past two games much closer than they otherwise would have been. He has maintained full support in Darnold as his starter, and he said last week that he wants Darnold to be aggressive because “He’s, in my opinion, throwing the ball as well as many, many guys in this league right now.”
But in a revealing exchange during an interview Tuesday with KFAN-1130, O’Connell acknowledged he intentionally flipped his run-pass ratio against the Jaguars, shifting from 37% designed runs in the first half to 57.4% in the second. It led to the Vikings’ lowest rate of designed passes in a game (52.5%) since a Week 1 blowout of the New York Giants and was a sign that he can and will adjust away from the pass if Darnold can’t stem the tide of turnovers.
“I think there’s a layer sometimes where in my mind I’m trying to have some growth as the head coach,” O’Connell said, “and not just the playcaller, not just the egomaniac of wanting to score points and constantly show everybody how smart we are.
“There was a mode that I think you have to go into sometimes to ensure victory. When your defense is playing the way we were playing, I made the decision in the second half we were going to commit and run the football.”
After throwing five interceptions in his first seven games with the Vikings, Sam Darnold threw that many in the past two games. Chris Leduc/Icon Sportswire)
Indeed, were it not for a defense that has allowed 10 points per game and forced five turnovers over the past two weeks, and a place-kicker transition that led to Parker Romo’s 4-for-4 performance in his NFL debut, the Vikings might have absorbed a season-crushing pair of losses rather than wins over the Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts.
The turnovers have muted what were the team’s two best offensive performances of the season in terms of moving the ball, with a combined 57 first downs — the most in the NFL over that period.
The Vikings (7-2) might not need high-scoring efforts to win their next two games, against the Tennessee Titans (2-7) and Chicago Bears (4-5), who rank No. 27 and No. 25, respectively, in offensive scoring.
Soon, however, they’ll need Darnold to settle in. In 24 previous seasons this century, the NFL turnover leader has entered the playoffs as a starter three times (12.5%). Backup Nick Mullens might not provide a specific cure, as his career rate of 0.039 turnovers per play is essentially the same as Darnold’s this season.
“I’ve just got to continue to take what they give me,” Darnold said this week, “and if I am going to try to force one in there, make it an ‘us or nobody’ kind of throw. I think that’s pretty much it. … Things happen during this game. Obviously, we don’t want to turn the ball over, but when things happen on the football field, which they’re gonna happen, [I need to] be able to move on and get ready for the next play.”
The Vikings have built their offense around Jefferson, for good reason, and Darnold has targeted him on a higher percentage of his passes (31.7) than any other NFL QB-receiver combination this season. That emphasis prompted the Jaguars to use a two-deep shell defense on Jefferson for 39 of 42 dropbacks All three of Darnold’s interceptions came on passes he directed Jefferson’s way.
Later, when the Vikings faced third down in the red zone during the third quarter, O’Connell called a play for Jefferson to run a fade on the right side of the formation. Darnold instinctively threw toward Jefferson, who was bracketed by two defenders. The ball fell incomplete, nearly 10 yards away from Jefferson — just as No. 2 receiver Jordan Addison broke open on an in-cut on the other side of the field.
“I told Sam coming off the field, ‘No matter how much we want it to change, they’re not changing [their defense],'” O’Connell said in the radio interview. “So we’ve got to see that, we’ve got to diagnose that, we’ve got to put the ball in play. Had a chance at Jordan on the backside. In my mind as the playcaller, I’m thinking the backside could be the frontside if we see it and progress, but that’s a lot sometimes to put on Sam. That’s where I’ve got to get better at the minute-to-minute communication.”
Offensive coordinator Wes Phillips described that communication as ensuring that Darnold knows and understands the “intent” of the play. Absent that, it’s not out of the question that the Vikings make their shift toward the running backs Aaron Jones and Cam Akers more permanent.
“It is a balance, and sometimes the turnovers are a concern,” Phillips said. “Certainly. It’s not something we brush over. … There’s a lot of factors there, but we’re just going to keep coaching and keep trying to make sure that we’re getting to the plays that we’re rock solid on what the intent is from our standpoint — from Kevin’s standpoint when he calls a play — so that Sam is on the same page. And hopefully we can set it up in a way that we get the guys open for him.”
CINCINNATI — A conversation with Cincinnati Bengals veteran defensive end Trey Hendrickson stuck with rookie defensive tackle McKinnley Jackson.
“Don’t ever let no one disrespect the name on the back of the jersey,” Jackson recalled. “Front means a lot, but the back to me is more because it’s just a big story behind it.
“I kind of took that and ran with it.”
That message offers a window into someone who has developed into one of the game’s best edge rushers. Since arriving in Cincinnati in 2021, Hendrickson has been a Pro Bowl selection in his first three years and leads the league in sacks this season with 11.
“You only have one name,” Hendrickson told ESPN. “You can have up and down years, but protecting yourself as in being on time, being a crucial part of a defense, raising your game, being a good teammate, those are things that you carry on with forever.”
Hendrickson’s high school jersey at Apopka (Florida) High School didn’t have a nameplate. Only when he arrived at Florida Atlantic as a 2-star recruit, according to 247Sports, did he have his name stitched across the back of his jersey.
When he wrapped up his four years with the Owls, he was the Conference USA’s Defensive Player of the Year and was drafted in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft by the New Orleans Saints.
Early in his pro career, Hendrickson’s production was limited. He had three starts and just 6.5 total sacks in his first three seasons in the league. But at practice, his tenacity was on full display on a daily basis.
“His rookie minicamp practice, I’m sure he got kicked out for fighting,” said defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins, Hendrickson’s former teammate in New Orleans who signed with the Bengals in free agency. “To a degree, I was unofficially Trey’s wrangler in New Orleans,” Rankins said, referring to someone who breaks up fights.
When the Bengals evaluated Hendrickson in free agency entering the 2021 season, the tape said everything they needed to know. Even though he had only one year of production, Cincinnati’s coaches saw an edge rusher who was relentless and also had great performances against Tampa Bay’s Tristan Wirfs, a three-time Pro Bowler and an All-Pro selection.
Back then, Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said the tape showed Hendrickson consistently winning his one-on-one matchups. These days, Hendrickson has to beat an offensive tackle and then another offensive player, usually a tight end or a running back, in order to get a shot at sacking a quarterback.
“When he does get a free rush, it’s pretty few and far between,” Anarumo said. “Those are things we work on now with him.”
Cincinnati’s initial deal for four years, $60 million proved to be a bargain. Since 2021, Hendrickson leads the NFL in sacks created (53.0), according to ESPN Research, putting him above names such as the Kansas City Chiefs’ Chris Jones, Cleveland Browns’ Myles Garrett and San Francisco 49ers’ Nick Bosa.
For years, he was known amongst his teammates for his double-swipe rush move, which features him swiping both arms across his body to dislodge an offensive tackle and get to the quarterback. Devin Cochran, a practice squad offensive tackle who serves as Hendrickson’s scout team matchup each week, notes that Hendrickson has added some new moves to his pass rush arsenal. Namely, a bull rush that eventually turns into an inside swipe.
Cochran noted how the finest of details can make the difference between a successful block and a successful pass rush. Usually, a rep can be won or lost in the first two steps.
That showed up on tape in the team’s Week 10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley, another All-Pro player, was whistled for a false start when matched up against Hendrickson.
“You can just tell by the way he went into the game, he sees Trey on film getting off the ball really fast,” Cochran said. “So if you don’t do that, if you don’t utilize the cadence, you’re screwed.”
Being lined up against him every day, Cochran isn’t surprised at the consistency and production Hendrickson has produced in four seasons with the Bengals. Hendrickson will also look to exploit every advantage, including mentally. During Cochran’s first year with the team, Hendrickson asked him how many times he expected to win a set of 10 reps that day. Knowing Hendrickson was wanting to hear 10 out of 10, Cochran lowballed him to avoid giving Hendrickson extra ammo.
“When he thinks he’s being held, he will say anything he wants to say and you have to deal with it and you can’t let him get in your head,” Cochran said. “Because he’s really good at it.”
Hendrickson’s talent has been unquestioned in three seasons with the Bengals. And this one might be his best yet. His 11 sacks through the first 10 weeks is his highest total in a season.
However, the future remains a bit more in doubt. Last offseason, he requested a trade after he was unable to get a new contract. In 2023, the Bengals gave Hendrickson a 1-year extension that puts him with the team until 2025. According to Roster Management System, his average contract value of $21 million a year ranks 10th among defensive ends.
While the situation is settled for now, it is something that will be revisited after the season.
“It’s ‘a one day at a time’ thing,” Hendrickson told ESPN. “I take care of business, take care of my own, and I try to protect the name on the back of my jersey. How I carry myself as a football player and as a person matters.”
By the end of the year, Hendrickson’s name could be above all others at his position as he makes a push for his first All-Pro season. He hears the debates about where he stands among his peers. But as long as he continues to pursue the level of consistency that has marked his whole career, he feels his name will be in good standing.
Said Hendrickson: “If I just do my job to the best of my ability and continue to want to be better, just let the chips fall.”