4 debatable excuses for Sam Darnold’s poor production in 2021
By Dean Jones
Sam Darnold played behind a dismal OL
Although one only has to look at Joe Burrow guiding the Cincinnati Bengals to the Super Bowl to see what an elite quarterback can do behind a poor offensive line. Unfortunately for the Carolina Panthers, Sam Darnold is not in the same stratosphere and he folded like a cheap suit behind arguably the worst protection unit in football.
Darnold has been a rabbit in the headlights throughout his career when pressure comes his way. This was plentiful during his time under center in Carolina, with only right tackle Taylor Moton providing any sort of consistency and unless this positional group is strengthened during the offseason, the same complications are sure to emerge next time around.
The No. 3 overall selection in 2018 was sacked 35 times in 11 starts and was pressured on 29.1 percent of snaps. Darnold had just 2.5 seconds of pocket time on average, which isn’t ideal considering how much the player struggles with processing.
This is a viable excuse. But if the signal-caller expected anything less with the options at Carolina’s disposal, his optimism was misplaced.
General manager Scott Fitterer and head coach Matt Rhule both conceded the offensive line needs to be prioritized during the 2022 preparation period. Whether Darnold is going to be the primary beneficiary is still undecided.