"Never Been Wired That Way," NFL Executives on Sam Darnold's Regression, Tee Higgins' Future, More | MAILBAG

Wildcards, Turnovers, and Rising Stars: Navigating the NFL Playoff Race

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With just seven games remaining in the NFL regular season, the playoff picture is starting to take shape.

The race for wildcard spots is as fierce as ever, with franchises fighting to either secure their place in January or stave off elimination. From star quarterbacks hitting their stride to others struggling to maintain their early-season success, the stakes have never been higher.

This week’s mailbag tackles some of the most pressing questions heading into the home stretch. Can the Vikings count on Sam Darnold to rediscover his early-season magic and protect the football? Are the Panthers finally seeing a glimmer of hope in Bryce Young’s development? And what will the future hold for Amari Cooper and Tee Higgins as the offseason looms?

Let’s dive right into your questions!

Is Sam Darnold’s regression his issue alone, or are studious and prepared defensive coordinators making him uncomfortable (smlarsonatmsu on Threads)

SamTember feels like a distant memory, and the Vikings’ new reality is clinging to a wildcard berth on the strength of a consistently dominant defense, hoping that Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison can make enough big plays to tip the scales in their favor—rather than relying on Sam Darnold, who was the catalyst for success during the season’s first month.

After kicking the door down on the 2024 season and mounting a Comeback Player of The Year campaign (if the award were handed down to players bouncing back from being worse than mediocre), Darnold has passed for 771 yards with five touchdowns to five interceptions over the past three weeks. During that span, the Vikings are two and one, but genuine cracks have begun to form on offense and Darnold’s stellar start to the season has given way to a reversion back to his career mean since being chosen No. 3 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft by the New York Jets.

“I can tell you a couple things,” an NFL personnel executive told me by phone, when I asked him his thoughts on Darnold’s recent play. “I’m sure that defensive coordinators have taken some of his fastball away, so to speak.

“He’s always struggled to make that next step, to reinvent himself; throw a curve or a slider. That’s what the greatest quarterbacks do. They reinvent themselves, if you take something away that they do to beat you, they find a new way. Same has never been wired that way.”