Sam Darnold's Struggles: Thursday Night Analysis & Insights

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Sam Darnold’s Struggles and Denver’s Puzzling Success

Sam Darnold’s recent performance reinforced the argument that he is a good NFL quarterback, but not a franchise quarterback who can consistently win games on his own. Last season, Clint Kubiak’s offense protected him with a dominant running game led by Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet. The play-action game worked to perfection and limited the number of difficult pressure throws Darnold needed to make.

That support allowed Darnold to play decisively and manage games effectively. Now that he is being asked to create more on his own, familiar problems have returned. Despite producing plenty of yards, he threw costly interceptions when his team needed him to deliver.

Two of those interceptions came as Darnold tried to make off-platform throws requiring elite arm strength, including passes from the opposite hash toward the far sideline. He was attempting the kinds of plays associated with quarterbacks such as Caleb Williams, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen, but those throws are not consistently within his skill set.

Darnold is believed to have 12 interceptions through six games, not including lost fumbles. His successful seasons were aided by strong offensive coaching. Kevin O’Connell helped him thrive in Minnesota, while Kubiak’s system put him in position to succeed in Seattle. Those stretches showed that Darnold can manage an offense, but his current play suggests he struggles when asked to carry one.

Kubiak’s work in Vegas also supports the belief that his coaching made a major difference. The offense with Kirk Cousins has been respectable and disciplined, with Cousins avoiding the interceptions that previously hurt him. Darnold, meanwhile, has looked more like Jameis Winston, occasionally making throws that leave observers wondering what he saw.

The Broncos present a different puzzle. Bo Nix completed 17 of 27 passes for 107 yards, with no touchdowns, no interceptions and a 71 quarterback rating on Thursday. Denver’s offense then punted on five of six possessions after a decent first half, yet the team still found a way to win.

That is difficult to reconcile with the Rams, who rank near the top of several offensive categories but sit at 2-3, while the Broncos are 4-2 despite an offense that has often struggled. Denver’s success may have more to do with its defense and strong play at home than its offense.

Sean Payton taking back play-calling duties was treated as a significant change, but the offense produced another lackluster performance. If the results remain the same, the move does little to distinguish Payton’s play-calling from what came before and raises further questions about his impact on the offense.