The Minnesota Vikings hadn’t lost a game since Week 8.
Their nine-game winning streak came to an end at the worst possible time.
More than that, it wasn’t just that they lost to the Detroit Lions for the second time this season, but also how they lost the game.
Kevin O’Connell’s offense struggled to get much going, leaving points on the board multiple times.
That’s why Stephen A. Smith doesn’t like their chances with Sam Darnold.
On Monday’s edition of ESPN’s “First Take,” the controversial pundit stated that he didn’t trust Darnold to win in the playoffs.
.@stephenasmith says he doesn’t trust Sam Darnold in the playoffs 😯
“Sam Darnold has the capability to win playoff games. … The question is, do you trust him? … HELL NO!” pic.twitter.com/RnPX0mqUMm
— First Take (@FirstTake) January 6, 2025
While he argued that Darnold had a great season and could win a playoff game, he simply didn’t trust him to do so.
He stated that Darnold threw six straight incompletions in the red zone.
Truth be told, that’s not a fair assessment.
As much as Darnold has struggled in his career, he’s looked much better this season.
If anything, Aaron Glenn and the Lions’ defense deserve a lot of credit for holding the Vikings’ offense back.
They shut down Justin Jefferson and their myriad of pass-catchers, and some of those incompletions weren’t on Darnold.
There are valid reasons to have second thoughts about a player who hasn’t proven himself in the postseason.
But for now, Darnold deserves the benefit of the doubt, at the very least, as he’s had one of the best seasons by any quarterback in the league this year.