The NFL Pro Bowl games began Thursday evening on ESPN. Things kicked off with the “Passing the Test” competition between each conference’s respective quarterbacks. The NFC claimed victory in the event with 44 points from Jared Goff. His division rival, Sam Darnold, poured in 39 points for second place. Darnold flexed his muscles by drilling six consecutive throws during his turn.
His impressive display was a fun viewing experience. At the same time, Minnesota Vikings fans were disappointed Darnold didn’t pass that sharply in the playoffs. They, and other Twitter/X users, pounced on Darnold for not producing a similar performance against the Los Angeles Rams’ intense pass rush.
Easy when there’s no real pressure. Right, Sam?
— Hashtagmath (@MathHashtag) January 31, 2025
Someone must of told him he wasn’t playing in the playoffs
— WebberNEWS (@HuskerNandR) January 31, 2025
So he can hit a few targets standing still with no pressure coming at him what’s the big deal. We already know how we buckled under pressure this is coming from a Vikings fan
— Chance Poitra (@mr_poitra) January 31, 2025
Darnold threw for 245 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in the Vikings’ 27-9 loss. He also absorbed nine sacks and lost a fumble in the game. The dud followed an awful 166-yard performance in Week 18 with the NFC’s No. 1 seed on the line.
Those poor showings have likely impacted the contract Darnold will get this offseason. He signed a one-year, $10 million dollar deal with Minnesota in free agency last year. His season stats – 361/545 (66.2%), 4,319 passing yards, 35 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, 102.5 passer rating – had him in the running for the league’s Comeback Player of the Year award.
None of the other four Pro Bowl quarterbacks came particularly close to matching Goff’s or Darnold’s point total. Russell Wilson (31) recorded the third-highest score. Joe Burrow and Baker Mayfield (27) tied for fourth, while Drake Maye (22) rounded out the field.
The NFC leads the AFC 14-7 in the Pro Bowl Games after Thursday’s skills competitions. Sunday’s battles – Punt Perfect, The Great Football Race, Tug-of-War and Flag Football – will decide the winner. Those contests begin at 3:00 p.m. E.T. on ABC/ESPN.