4 critical observations from Sam Darnold’s performance vs. the Vikings

Sam Darnold’s awful first half

If the Carolina Panthers were hoping things would get better for Sam Darnold as the half progressed, they were sorely mistaken. This was arguably the worst first-half performance of the quarterback’s career with the team so far and how the Minnesota Vikings were only up by two points at the interval was a testament to how well the defense was playing yet again.

Darnold is clearly lacking in confidence right now. There were a few notable drops that didn’t help his cause, but his processing on the field is something that left a lot to be desired.

The former USC star’s first-half stats were abysmal.

• 5/18 passing (27.77%)
• 60 yards
• 0 touchdowns
• 1 interception
• 1 sack against
• 17.8 passer rating (ESPN)

There was even a time midway through the second quarter where Darnold’s passer rating stood at 0.0. The protection in front of the signal-caller wasn’t the worst in the world, so there was simply no excuse for this type of production.

Darold attempting to call consecutive time-outs late on was a microcosm of how things went in the first half. He did nothing to silence the doubters, so the second half was undeniably his most important in a Carolina uniform.