Colin Cowherd Says Sam Darnold Will Lead Vikings to the Playoffs

Colin Cowherd: “Many of you believe I have the Vikings as a top 10 team and the ‘surprise team of the NFL’ next year because Sam Darnold is their quarterback. That’s not entirely it. It’s a small part of it. Minnesota has I think the smartest young coach in football that you don’t talk about, Kevin O’Connell, the best receiver in Justin Jefferson, a top two or three left tackle, running back/tight end/o-line/no. 2 receiver/no. 3 receiver... They are completely stacked.

I believe Sam Darnold can win games and find a way, if healthy, to engineer a possible wildcard spot. ‘Find out where the chef eats.’ What do I mean by that? Sean McVay LOVED Matt Stafford, but fans were cool on him because he was 74-90-1. He was a losing quarterback. Sean McVay really liked Baker Mayfield. A year and a half later he signed a massive contract. McVay knows where the good ones are. Kevin O’Connell, Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan – all really, really like Kirk Cousins. Raheem Morris gets the Atlanta job, leans on his offensive friends, and gets Kirk Cousins. Raheem knows that THEY know. ‘Find out where the chef eats.’

Brian Flores is a defensive coach, he couldn’t stand Tua. Mike McDaniel is an offensive coach, he really liked him. Tua led the league in passing yards and Flores didn’t think he could play. I'm not interested in Pete Carroll, Sean McDermott, Brian Flores, or Mike Tomlin's insight on o-line or quarterback play. They know the other side. Belichick doesn't know offense and battled with Brady.

When it comes to quarterback play, Sam Darnold – Shanahan likes him, Kevin O’Connell likes him, and a lot of smart people in the league I know on the offensive side like Sam Darnold, and they feel the same way they did about Baker Mayfield. You’re not going to pay him massive game-changing, five-year Patrick Mahomes money. Darnold can play according to the people who know offense. Never forget McVay loves Stafford. You guys all banged on him. He was 74-90-1 -- ‘THE GUY DOESN’T WIN GAMES!’... I’m going to go with Sean over Reddit board guy.” 

Watch Colin Cowherd of FS1’s The Herd discuss the Minnesota Vikings’ signing of former San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback Sam Darnold, as Colin says he believes Darnold can guide to the Vikings to the playoffs even in the wake of Kirk Cousins' exodus to the Atlanta Falcons.

Many believe the Vikings will potentially trade up in April’s Draft to select Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy, but Colin thinks Darnold could complete the task of getting the Vikings to the playoffs without the help of a rookie quarterback, even ranking the Vikings no. 10 on his post-free agency Herd Hierarchy rankings.

Check out the segment above as Colin details why he thinks the Vikings will be the 'surprise team' of the NFL this season.

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