The Minnesota Vikings looked much better than most people anticipated during their season debut.
Granted, the New York Giants also looked significantly worse, so perhaps analysts should take that game with a grain of salt.
Nonetheless, there were some clear indicators of potential success, especially from Sam Darnold.
The former New York Jets first-round pick was almost perfect in the first half, completing 13 of 14 passes for 157 yards and a touchdown.
With that in mind, former NFL QB Dan Orlovsky dug deep into his tape to find the keys behind his success, and he believes it all has to do with his footwork.
Sam Darnold
The man reason why he played so well for @Vikings
A lost art in Week 1#nfllive pic.twitter.com/1cOPwuKNec
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) September 11, 2024
Talking on ESPN, Orlovsky showed several clips of Darnold doing what he called ‘marrying’ his feet with the route.
He showed how Darnold adapted and adjusted in different drop-back situations to make sure to be in rhythm and ready to throw as soon as his receiver was ready.
Orlovsky claimed that Darnold struggled with that kind of timing with his feet earlier in his career, often leading to throws that were made before the wideout was where he was supposed to be.
For months, people talked about how Kevin O’Connell’s QB-friendly system could help J.J. McCarthy find the most success right out of the gate among all rookie quarterbacks.
Darnold, however, seems to be reaping the rewards from it.
Of course, we’re talking about Week 1, and there’s still plenty of football to be played, but the early returns were very encouraging, and we might see the best version of Sam Darnold yet.
NEXT: Justin Jefferson Gushes About Sam Darnold After Sunday Win
