Sam Darnold’s Wild Card moment was more like a ghost story. With the weight of the Minnesota Vikings’ postseason on his shoulders, fans were quick to say it: “He’s seeing ghosts.”
After a stellar season, Darnold was expected to shine. But under the playoff lights, his mistakes piled up faster than a horror movie plot twist.
Sam Darnold Faces Pressure in Playoff Start: Fans React to Must-Win Wild Card Game
Darnold got a serious spotlight on him. The Vikings QB is finally getting his first postseason start, but it’s coming with some serious pressure. The team’s Wild Card game against the Rams was a do-or-die. And fans are not holding back.
One post summed it up: “Darnold seeing ghosts,” hinting that Darnold might be cracking under the weight.
Darnold seeing ghosts
— cdawg 🔺 (@cdawg06701381) January 14, 2025
Darnold’s been on fire all year, throwing for 4,319 yards, 35 TDs, and a solid 102.5 passer rating. But when the lights get bright, can he deliver? One fan is already calling it: “He’s seeing ghosts again. If he fails on this opening series, yes their season is on the line.” That’s how fast things can turn in the NFL.
He’s seeing ghosts again. If he fails on this opening series , yes their season is on the line
— Maximus Dave (@Canadave21) January 14, 2025
But not everyone’s hitting the panic button. Some fans think it’s all about chemistry. “No, that would be stupid. He got you there, he has chemistry with the WR. You play through it,” they said, defending Darnold’s ability to bounce back.
But then, of course, there’s the pessimism one fan chipped: “He turned into a pumpkin last week and is still a pumpkin today.”
Darnold’s got a solid crew behind him, and head coach Kevin O’Connell has praised his leadership. But this is crunch time. After his Wild Card loss, the next few months could either be the start of something huge with a new deal or just another what-could-have-been story for Darnold in Minnesota.
One Stat Puts Darnold’s First Half Against the Rams in Perspective
© Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Vikings’ Wild Card showdown with the Rams was a mess, but Darnold’s first-half performance? Absolute disaster. One statistic summed it up perfectly.
Dan Pizzuta from “The 33rd Team” dropped a bombshell on Bluesky: Darnold ranks dead last in Expected Points Added (EPA) per play among 557 playoff performances. For a guy who had MVP buzz earlier this season, that’s a brutal reality check. EPA basically measures how much a player helps (or hurts) scoring chances on every play.
Unfortunately for Darnold and Minnesota, things didn’t get much better. He finished the game with a 65.3, his third-worst game of the season, according to PFN’s QB+ metric. It was the second-worst of the weekend, only above Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Herbert, who has received endless flak for his poor playoff outing.