5 crucial observations from Sam Darnold’s performance at the Falcons

An early end to a nice bounce-back from Sam Darnold

As it turned out, the running play where Sam Darnold got his clock cleaned would be the quarterback’s final contribution. He was ruled out with a concussion upon further testing, so the Carolina Panthers will be anxiously awaiting his recovery this week before confirming his status for Week 9 against the New England Patriots.

There was a lot riding on this game for Darnold. All things considered, the No. 3 overall selection in 2018 can be pleased with his performance.

Darnold was efficient with the football and wasn’t responsible for a turnover. This was a huge step in the right direction after a torrid four-week spell.

His final stat line would have looked much better had it not been for some key drops and individual errors in the first half. Whether this is enough to get fans back onside is up for debate, but it was always going to be baby steps for Darnold after such a rough time under center.

There is still a long way to go for Darnold. However, considering another poor performance could have spelled the end of his long-term aspirations in Carolina, he handled the additional pressure well under immense scrutiny.