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Daniel Jones wanted to go to a contender, and that is exactly what happened after his release from the New York Giants. Jones hit waivers and ended up signing with the Minnesota Vikings. This move for the Vikings now creates some conversation surrounding the quarterback position.
Right now, it is currently Sam Darnold leading the way for the Vikings. With him under center this season he has revitalized his career leading Minnesota to a 9-2 record, and second place in the NFC North. During that stretch, this season he has thrown for 2,717 yards and 21 touchdowns over a 67.6% completion percentage. While he has been able to effectively produce in this Kevin O’Connell offense, Darnold has also had some issues come up as of late that have hindered the offense, and could’ve led to more losses than what have happened.
Darnold isn’t necessarily the best at processing when his receivers timing is disrupted due to getting jammed at the line of scrimmage. Once teams got more film on Darnold in the O’Connell system he has failed to adjust to what defenses are throwing at him, this has led to him looking more like the player that was on the New York Jets. The main issue is the turnovers which have spiked, as he’s thrown 10 on the season, throwing seven over the last seven weeks. Darnold also isn’t necessarily the best rushing quarterback, which limits the Vikings at points, and is something that could be an issue come playoff time.
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With the Vikings having a Super Bowl contending team, they need to make sure Darnold doesn’t hold them back. That is why they will bench him for Jones.
Jones showed potential in 2022 where he threw for 3,205 yards, 15 touchdowns and just five interceptions can still be tapped into. Jones has clearly regressed since that season, and it’s led to him throwing seven touchdowns to just eight touchdowns this season with 2,070 yards over a 63.3% completion percentage.
Still, Jones has shown flashes of athleticism,with being able to rush for first downs when plays break down or extend plays outside the pocket. He also has shown decent accuracy, but that area is still sporadic as it all depends on his confidence. When Jones has time, and is confident in the throw he is making, he is able to make outstanding plays. It’s only when he isn’t confident that the issues for Jones start to show with inconsistency in his decision-making.
For Jones, he lands in an ideal situation with Justin Jefferson as his top wide receiver which will help make things extremely ideal for Jones. The Vikings from the skill position to even the offensive line, provide Jones with the best situation to show he is still a capable quarterback, and ensure the Vikings make a deep playoff run.