4 debatable excuses for Sam Darnold’s poor production in 2021
By Dean Jones
Sam Darnold had Christian McCaffrey for 7 games
This excuse can also be said of Teddy Bridgewater in 2020. But Sam Darnold went to pieces when Christian McCaffrey suffered even more injury problems that began in Week 3 at the Houston Texans.
Darnold actually looked quite comfortable against less than stellar opposition with McCaffrey alongside him in the backfield. For all his problems staying healthy over the last two seasons, the All-Pro remains one of the league’s best dual-threat weapons and the Carolina Panthers had no convincing contingency plan in his absence once again.
This is a coaching flaw more than anything else. After McCaffrey turned out just three times in 2020, more should have been done from a game plan standpoint if the same happened again.
Matt Rhule and others couldn’t figure this out. Darnold paid the price more than most and with more responsibility on his shoulders, the quarterback crumbled in no uncertain terms.
The Panthers simply have to come up with a better solution to keep McCaffrey fit. Another campaign of frustration on the sidelines could be his last with the organization.
Again, it might not be Darnold under center in 2022. Nothing is guaranteed and team owner David Tepper might push for another big name in the trade market with pressure mounting to get this franchise trending in the right direction.
Had Darnold had the luxury of McCaffrey for an entire season, things might have been different. But this is probably something Bridgewater is saying, too.