Another look at Sam Darnold, Colts bottom out, more Week 17 thoughts: Quick Outs

As the season winds to a close, this weeks Quick Outs is a good spot to take a wider look at some things.

In the case of Sam Darnold and the Minnesota Vikings, its worth digging into how good this passing game can really be down the stretch.

The same can be asked of Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders, particularly in the red zone.

Advertisement Likewise, its a good time to appreciate Baker Mayfield, a player who has had a storybook season that wont get rewarded with any serious hardware.

On the flip side, this is as good a chance as any as I will get to vent my frustrations with an Indianapolis Colts team that could have and should have been so much more.

QB charting: Sam Darnold For a majority of this season, Ive tried to avoid charting any quarterback twice.

The more unique stories to be told via the charting, the better.

Darnold earned himself another week in the spotlight anyway.

It was only four short weeks ago that Darnold first earned his way into the column with a volatile, albeit net-positive game against the Arizona Cardinals.

Darnolds charting tells a different story this time around.

Two key points stand out in Darnolds Week 17 profile, the first being his work over the middle of the field.

Minnesota coach Kevin OConnell orchestrated a game plan Sunday that attacked that area relentlessly, and Darnold delivered.

The amount of times Darnold threw directly over Packers linebacker Eric Wilsons head went from comical to rude at some point in the third quarter.

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@jalennailor puts us on top! #Skol : @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/wF0p5IGCuq Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) December 29, 2024 Darnold even found success down the deep middle.

The Packers were forced to kick nickel Javon Bullard up to safety in this game due to other injuries, and Minnesota picked on his inexperience.

The second pillar of Darnolds success was his work against the blitz.

Part of Green Bays defensive surge in the second half of the season has come because of its blitzing effort.

Thats been out of necessity, though, because the Packers four-man pass rush gets after the quarterback like its moving in quicksand.

Darnold was lights out versus the blitz.

He finished 5-of-7 on throws against the blitz, and one of his two misses was a poor throw on the last play of the game to Cam Akers, who still found a way to make a miraculous catch.

Two of those completions were just well-timed screens, but Darnold also wasnt afraid to attack the blitzes over the top.

His touchdown throw to Jordan Addison came late in the down versus a five-man rush, as Addison converted his short spot route into a wheel route down the right sideline.

Jordan Addison.

My goodness.

: @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/aM1msezXyx Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) December 29, 2024 Darnold still had his blemishes in this game.

The interception he threw was a boneheaded mistake, and he gave the Packers at least a couple other chances at the ball.

He managed the pocket better than ever, though, and found enough of those chunk explosive plays to keep the Packers down multiple scores for most of the game.

Advertisement If thats the version of Darnold we get for the next month or so, the Vikings just might have the goods to get themselves to New Orleans in February.

Stat check: The history of 40-plus TD passers (and Baker Mayfield) After a five-touchdown performance against the Carolina Panthers, Mayfield is now on the doorstep of a club exclusive to Hall of Fame passers.

Mayfield is up to 39 passing touchdowns on the season, and its almost a certainty that he will throw at least one more against the New Orleans Saints in Week 18 to join the 40-touchdown club.

Not to rain on Mayfields parade, but hes going to look like an oddity on the list of passers whove accomplished that feat.

Almost everyone else who has crossed the 40-touchdown mark is already in the Hall of Fame or well on their way.

Baker Mayfield named Week 17 NFC Offensive Player of the Week He is 1-of-4 quarterbacks in 2024 with 4,000+ passing yards and 35+ passing touchdowns, along with Joe Burrow, Jared Goff and Lamar Jackson.

Full Release: https://t.co/zBUy3ZIr19 pic.twitter.com/KOTiAclYF7 Buccaneers Communications (@BuccaneersComms) December 31, 2024 According to Pro Football Reference, just 11 quarterbacks have thrown at least 40 touchdowns in a season.

Three of those QBs Dan Marino, Kurt Warner and Peyton Manning are in the Hall of Fame.

Four others are locks to get in at some point: Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes.

That leaves Matthew Stafford, Andrew Luck, Russell Wilson and Joe Burrow.

Staffords volume stats and late-career ring may get him into Canton.

Wilsons Super Bowl ring and iconic legacy with the Legion of Boom Seattle teams give him a fighting chance.

Burrow, while still early in his career, is the caliber of player who could rack up the necessary Hall of Fame accomplishments down the line.

Even Luck, the least accomplished of that group by far, was every bit as good as his generational prospect billing suggested until injuries pushed him out of the league.

GO DEEPER He went from future NFL head coach to perceived scapegoat.

Now Byron Leftwich wants back in Through a career-wide lens, Mayfield obviously isnt anywhere near these players.

Im not even sure Mayfields season, individually, is as impressive as any of those other 40-TD seasons.

At the same time, I cant help but admire how far Mayfield has come to put himself in this territory.

This time in 2022, he was randomly starting games for a Los Angeles Rams team with which he did not begin the season.

For Mayfield to rebuild himself to the point that he can put up historic scoring numbers, with a little bit of help around him, is a huge testament to his perseverance and adaptability as a player.

Advertisement Mayfield wont win any awards for the season hes had, but he deserves his flowers for resuscitating his career and finding a new home in Tampa Bay.

Scramble drill: The Colts were not ready to take control of their season The Indianapolis Colts had a chance to right their wrongs from the first three months of the season.

Despite quarterback turmoil and their horrific run defense to start the season, they still entered Week 15 with a 6-7 record.

They had a bye in Week 14, leading them straight into a de facto playoff matchup with the Denver Broncos, the only above-.500 team left on their schedule.

This was their moment to take the season by the horns a chance for a young team to grow up right in front of our eyes.

GO DEEPER Colts choke again as their playoffs hopes die in 'embarrassing' loss to Giants When met with that kind of pressure, however, the Colts crumbled.

They looked unprepared in more ways than one and found every avenue to throw their season away against the Broncos and, now this week, the putrid New York Giants.

The young offense can shoulder most of the blame for the loss against Denver.

On top of Anthony Richardsons usual inconsistencies, veteran running back Jonathan Taylor carelessly dropped a touchdown at the goal line by celebrating too early, and rookie wide receiver Adonai Mitchell threw a pick six on a double pass.

Call overturned! This TD was ruled a touchback pic.twitter.com/jRlTeq9QQs NFL (@NFL) December 15, 2024 Against the Giants, Gus Bradleys otherwise solid defense completely fell apart.

Bradley is supposed to be the stable, if boring, defensive mind to complement head coach Shane Steichens offense.

Though the run defense was bad to start the year, the Colts defense overall had been decent for a majority of the season right up until it had to face Drew Lock in what was effectively a win-or-go-home game for Indianapolis.

Advertisement Its not even about any of the particular schematic things that went wrong for the Colts.

Its that this team had such a clear opportunity and wasted it.

The Colts looked like a young team with a first-time head coach in all of the worst ways they were undisciplined and ill-prepared for the moment.

There was so much optimism to peddle about this Colts team a year ago.

Steichens offensive play-calling was inspired, Richardson showed flashes, and you could sell yourself on the defense having just enough to support the offense if it took a step forward.

None of that feels true anymore, and now weve seen this team fall apart under the pressure of a playoff push.

Anatomy of a highlight: Washingtons red-zone play calls Kliff Kingsbury was on a red-zone heater against the Atlanta Falcons.

Every time the Commanders needed a play to get over the line, Kingsbury found something at the bottom of his bag.

That red-zone creativity was impressive in the moment, and it could be even more so heading into the playoffs.

Washingtons passing offense has been just okay in the red zone this year not bad, but worse than its been between the 20s, especially if you take out Daniels scrambling.

To be able to kick into a new gear in one of the last games of the season is an encouraging sign.

Two plays stand out: Danielss first touchdown of the day to Olamide Zaccheaus and the game-winning touchdown to Zach Ertz in overtime.

Lets start with the Zaccheaus touchdown.

JD5 OZ #ATLvsWAS @SNFonNBC pic.twitter.com/K7Lblyn6PO Washington Commanders (@Commanders) December 30, 2024 At the snap, it looks like Washington is just running a zone read.

Its a good call to let Daniels squeak out two yards in a fourth-and-2 scenario like this.

To Atlantas surprise (and demise), thats not all this play turns out to be.

The Commanders also draw up a smash concept to the read side, with the two receivers crossing paths at the line of scrimmage.

Ertz, the attached tight end, sprints to the flat, while Zaccheaus bends his route stem inside before turning back out for the short-corner route.

All the commotion leaves the cornerback spinning and flailing for an answer, only to be met with a Daniels dart to Zaccheaus.

Washington used a different kind of commotion to catch the Falcons slipping at the end of the game, as well.

HELLO, WILD CARD ROUND!!!!!! #WASvsDAL : TBD next week pic.twitter.com/8uPbCJC3fo Washington Commanders (@Commanders) December 30, 2024 The Commanders start with two tight ends to the left side of the formation and a wide receiver lined up just outside of them.

Its effectively a bunch formation, even if it looks a little different.

Both the tight end on the line of scrimmage and the near-split receiver immediately race across the formation, pulling Atlantas defense away from the left hash.

Advertisement That leaves Ertz with a one-on-one.

His initial path is towards the flat, but he quickly fires back to the vacated area over the left hash the moment the Falcons defender leverages himself too far to the outside, opening up just enough of a window for Daniels to rifle it in there.

Both plays serve as great examples of how the Commanders offense can create workable throws when its really rolling.

Kingsbury is going to need to find a few more of those plays if the Commanders want to make some serious noise in a loaded NFC playoff race.

(Top photo of Sam Darnold: Brace Hemmelgarn / Getty Images).

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