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It was quite the week for Kevin O'Connell.

The Vikings announced he agreed to terms on a multiyear contract extension on Tuesday.

He was named NFC Coach of the Year by the 101 Awards Wednesday and the NFL Coach of the Year by the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA) on Thursday. Additionally, he is one of five finalists for Coach of the Year in The Associated Press' awards, which will be announced Feb. 6 during NFL Honors.

And last Friday, Sam Darnold was announced as the Most Improved Player by the PFWA.

The last one should be a particular point of pride for O'Connell and the Vikings coaching staff, as well as reinforcement for the way the Vikings have approached the QB position in three seasons under O'Connell.

The extension news — just eight days after Minnesota's season wrapped and in contrast to speculation by some media outlets/personalities — also is encouraging because of the potential continuity with the coaching staff, the implementation of long-term plans and the creativity to succeed when shorter-term fixes are required at spots on the roster.

Prospective free agents who were with the team in 2024 can consider how much they enjoyed this past season with what might be offered by another organization. Players from other teams who might receive offers from Minnesota in March have heard through the grapevine how much players like playing for O'Connell. There's also been two years of exceptional ratings for the organization in the first two NFLPA surveys.

Vikings Ownership consistently said they planned for Justin Jefferson to be on the team and delivered the contract extension. Same for Christian Darrisaw. And now O'Connell. All since June.

For the second week in a row, I'm wrapping this Mailbag before the NFL Playoff Games, so there's nothing that will be mentioned from either Conference Championship Game.

But there's plenty to cover regarding the Vikings, so let's get to the comments and questions.

Another season of highs and lows gone by, and ultimately nothing has really changed. Sure, the math quiz used different integers, but the results are still the same. 3+1+1 and 2+3 both equal 5. In other words, even though the players, coaches and opponents have changed, as well as a million other game day variables, at the end of the season Vikings fans are left with the same empty feeling.

I'm convinced that the root cause is that "Minnesota Nice" gene, which is born into every lifelong fan, and is transmitted to players and coaches through either airborne or handshake mechanisms. C'mon, admit it, Midwesterners, and especially Minnesotans, are too nice and polite. Almost as though it'd be rude to steal a game from another fan base.

Detroit's coach wanted his players to bite kneecaps like junkyard dogs (although against Washington they acted more like ankle biters). The playoffs are more like a sinking ship, where civilized people might whack someone with an oar to steal their seat in the lifeboat. In simple terms, being nice in sudden death doesn't work.

But that's why players and coaches shake hands after the game. AFTER the game is over. The NFL is not like Pee Wee Soccer, where they don't keep score and everyone a participation trophy. The winner advances, and the loser clears out their locker.

I was too young to really understand and appreciate the Purple People Eaters. I do recall the next transcendent group of Vikings defenders, featuring Chris Doleman, Scott Studwell and such. And then there's the group of guys Brian Flores has assembled the past two seasons.

On offense the Vikings have had enough star players over the course of the team's history to fill a jumbo jet. Especially the roster they had this year. So why is it that the fight goes out of the team(s) right when it matters most? Why are there no Lombardi Trophies at TCO Performance Center? There could have been as many as seven or more, if we counted the losses in the Super Bowl and NFC Championship Games. And that doesn't take into account losses in the Wild Card games (twice in past three years alone).

But getting back to the hereditary thing, this genetic defect has been lurking for well over a century. After all, it was our milktoast ancestors who chose a rodent as the state animal, to the eternal chagrin of our university's sports teams, when all along we had the majestic and maligned Timber Wolf that would have been far superior.

But, again, there's always next year. And if somehow we manage to retain Flores and the rest of our coaching staff, and re-sign the essential elements of our offense and defense, then maybe Vikings fans will dig down ever deeper to muster hope for a Lombardi.

— David A. from the North Shore but stuck in the South

And

Lessons in Mediocrity or why the Vikings can't win the big one!!

As I prepare for a weekend of playoff football, I'm reflecting on a 64^th season of Vikings disappointment. Another good regular season, with performance above expectations, lots of excitement and surprises. Many reasons for hope, however, were obliterated in Detroit and then Arizona. Another Vikings season ends in disappointment and fans are left wondering why? What are they not doing that so many others do well? What's missing from the team's DNA that the 49ers, Patriots, Steelers and Cowboys all have?

The Numbers

The Minnesota Vikings started play in the NFL in 1961. Since that time there have been 64 seasons of mostly above-average play, multiple playoff opportunities, 4 Super Bowls and exactly 0 championships. Specifically, their all-time (regular-season) record is 537 wins, 438 losses and 11 ties. In the playoffs, they have a record of 21 wins and 32 losses (most playofflosses of any team). In terms of all-time winning percentage the Vikings are at 54.6%. This is the eighth best all-time, just in front of the San Francisco 49ers at 53.2%. The top 7 are: Dallas 57.3%, Green Bay 57.1%, Baltimore 56.7%, Chicago 55.6%, New England 55.5%, Miami 55.2% and Kansas City 54.7%. All Super Bowl winners! What's the probability that the 8th best team of all-time cannot win the league championship in 64 tries (notwithstanding that the Vikings won the NFL Championship in 1969 but lost that Super Bowl to the Kansas City Chiefs 23-7)?

To keep things simple, I calculated the probability using the number of teams in the league (adjusting for different eras) and the Vikings winning percentage over time. This ignores changes to the playoff format and variability in the Vikings winning percentage from year-to-year. For any given year, the probability is equal to 1-1/NWvikes/.5, where N is the number of teams, and Wvikes is the Vikings winning percentage. Calculating this across all eras, the approximate likelihood of the Minnesota Vikings not winning a Super Bowl over all those years is around 7%. In other words, the Vikings have had about a 93% chance of at least winning one world championship. This failure is not a result of bad luck. There must be other systemic organizational weaknesses preventing the ultimate success.

Is it coaching?

Four of the Vikings assistant coaches have gone on to coach Super Bowl winners. Pete Carroll was the Vikings defensive backs coach from 1985-1989. He later coached the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl win in 2013. Brian Billick was the Vikings tight end coach in 1992-93 and the O*ff*ensive Coordinator 1993-98. He went on to coach the Baltimore Ravens to a Super Bowl victory in 2000. Tony Dungy was the Defensive Coordinator from 1992-95, and he led the Indianapolis Colts to a Super Bowl win in 2006. And finally, Mike Tomlin went from Viking Defensive Coordinator in 2006 to world champion in 2008 with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Bud Grant was the most successful coach in Vikings history. He won 168 games, has a winning percentage of 62%, won 11 division titles, made 4 Super Bowls and won 4 league championships in the Canadian Football League and won one NBA championship as a player with the Minneapolis Lakers (later L.A. Lakers). He obviously knew how to win the big one, so why didn't he with the Vikings? The Vikings coaches have demonstrated the ability to win championships. The Vikings organization has failed in other areas.

Is it player talent?

Historically the Vikings have had more than adequate results: eighth best winning percentage and have the sixth most playoff appearances since joining the NFL. Top ten in playoff participation are: Green Bay with 37 appearances, Dallas 36, Pittsburgh 35, L.A. Rams 33, New York Giants 33, Minnesota 32, Philadelphia 31, San Francisco 30, Indianapolis 29 and New England 28 — of course, except for the Vikings, all Super Bowl Champions.

Since their debut, the Vikings have had 32 All-Pros and another 76 selected to the Pro bowl. The Dallas Cowboys entered the league the year before Minnesota and have won 5 Super Bowls, so a useful benchmark. The Cowboys have had 48 All-Pros and another 66 selected to the Pro Bowl. They have been able to select and develop 16 more exceptional players than the Vikings. For further comparison the Steelers have had 36 All-Pros, the 49ers have had 49, Packers 45, Bears 36, and Miami Dolphins have 36 in six fewer seasons. Another team, that like the Vikings, has not won a Super Bowl but has lost 4 is the Buffalo Bills. The Bills have had 38 All-Pros in that period. The Detroit Lions have had 26, the Tennessee Titans 47 (the former Houston Oilers did win the AFL Championship in 1960 & 1961). The Vikings have had fewer All-Pros than all the teams listed above, except for the Lions. The Vikings do not have a good history of getting and developing All-Pro talent. If you look at the numbers for specific games, you can see that the Vikings have not out-numbered their opponents in talent in any Super Bowl. In 1970, the Vikings had two All-Pros and 8 Pro Bowlers, the Chiefs had three All-Pros and 6 Pro Bowlers, in 1973 the Vikings had two All-Pros and 5 Pro Bowlers, the Dolphins had two All-Pros and 9 Pro Bowlers; in 1974 the Vikings had two All-Pros and 5 Pro Bowlers, the Steelers had two All-Pros and 10 Pro Bowlers and in 1976 the Vikings had one All-Pro and 6 Pro Bowlers, the Raiders had two All-Pros and 7 Pro Bowlers. Player talent doesn't determine whether you'll win the Super Bowl, but superior talent makes a difference. The Vikings have been consistently out-manned in the most important games.

Jason Pauley at medium.com completed an analysis of drafts from 2000-2020 by looking at the players' actual approximate value (AV) as a percent of the total AV for a draft class. He calls this measure AV Share. To compare teams' abilities to draft quality players, he then created a metric that compared the players AV Share to the expected AV Share given the players' draft positions. For example, Tom Brady has an AV Share of 3.94% and because he was selected 199^th in that draft had an expected AV Share of only 0.18%, this gave the Patriots an AV Share difference of 3.76. Pauley then averaged the AV Share difference for all teams over that 20-year period to come up with a ranking. The Vikings came in 15^th of the 32 teams. The top 5 being Baltimore, Green Bay, Pittsburgh, Carolina and New Orleans. Four of those 5 are Super Bowl winners in the evaluation period, with Carolina making the Super Bowl in 2003 and 2015.

It is clear the Vikings failure to find and develop top talent is a major factor in losing all their Super Bowls and inability to win most of their other important games!

Culture of Mediocrity

How do the Vikings measure success? Management is generally changed when an organization believes it's not achieving optimal performance. The Vikings have had 10 General Managers over 64 years. Certain forums show that the average tenure for a GM in the NFL is between 2-8 years. Over the same period the Green Bay Packers have had 14 acting GMs. The Pittsburgh Steelers have had 7 and the San Francisco 49ers have had 10. It seems like the Vikings change management at the same degree as the rest of the league. Given the Vikings regular season success this is as expected. However, is the organization somehow more accepting of good but not great performance than other high achieving teams? For example, why did the Vikings have the same general manager from 2006 to 2021 when they did not make the Super Bowl, had relatively fewer stand out players and consistently completed mediocre drafts? The Vikings organization is content being competitive — not dominant! This culture of mediocrity needs to change.

Advice for the ownership

Make your management accountable for great results. Year over year improvement with a consistent focus on winning a championship. Win every draft, win every trade, win every play. That has to be the focus. This year the team focused on going 1-0 very week — that's not good enough. The team needs focus on winning every down in every game. Continuous improvement with an unwavering focus on winning is required. Vince Lombardi said: "Winning isn't everything. It's the only thing!!" That's the championship culture you need to instill.

All the best,

Andy H.

OK, quite a bit offered from David and Andy to start us off, but their passion for the Vikings and trying to resolve the franchise's quest for a Lombardi Trophy is palpable.

I guess it's one thing for the franchise to be considered long overdue to win it all versus if the franchise was categorized as never deserving.

The goals and the investments to consistently compete for championships have been demonstrated in the 20 seasons of leadership under the Wilf family. Vikings Ownership really wants to win it all for Vikings fans and has a strong record of supporting those goals with strategic plans.

The Vikings have made the playoffs twice (and would have if Kirk Cousins did not get injured in 2023) while undergoing a reshaping of the roster and implementing new offensive and defensive systems. Minnesota's potential continuity is something the team can continue to build on, even with some changes to the roster again this season.

Along the lines with David's comments, some said this year's squad needed to enhance its killer instinct to put away teams instead of letting them linger. O'Connell emphasized play style, and I think it helped to a degree, but there's still more gains needed.

His 1-0 messaging, I do believe, extends to all the things required to go 1-0 in a particular week.

The good and bad about football playoffs, compared to most sports with multigame series is that there is just one three-hour window on one day to execute better than another good team.

The Vikings should treat K.O. like Pitsburgh treats Tomlin and every coach they ever had. All 3 of them (since 1969). Pittsburgh's coaches left when they were ready. The Vikings have had 10 coaches. Pittsburgh understands that it takes time to build a winning team. They have a tradition of winning. Consistency seems to be the formula. The Vikings had a great coach in Denny Green (rest in peace). They fired him because of players and the fan base. A team shouldn't dump a coach because of fans. We should also remember Tony Dungy was on Denny Green's defensive staff. Loyalty is everything.

— Rodger W. in Sacramento, California

The Wilf family hasn't been shy about wanting to consistently compete for championships, and the group also has said they drew inspiration from how they'd lead an organization from the Rooney family (Steelers).

Extending O'Connell helps prove their belief in continuity, as well as honestly assessing the job O'Connell has done so far.

So I don't get the panic surrounding Darnold's play in the last 2 games.

C.J. Stroud looked worse with 8 sacks. What about Jared Goff? 3 interceptions and a fumble in their playoff game.

Matthew Stafford had 5 sacks, and Jalen Hurts 7?

Give Darnold a break because he didn't have any blocking against top-tier defenses.

Keep Darnold and groom J.J. McCarthy as Brett Favre did with Aaron Rodgers.

— Charlie H.

Stroud, Goff and Stafford can join Darnold in the names of QBs who finished the season with games they'll think about and lament this offseason. All but one QB is likely to leave wanting more from the final game each season. The other will have the opportunity to make confetti snow angels.

Bringing back Darnold on a new deal and continuing to develop McCarthy is one option for the Vikings.

It was a sad final two weeks.

The team "peaked" far too early. That is on the coaches.

Sam Darnold was a different QB the last two games. Something or someone got into his head. The team I watched did not remotely look like the team we saw win 14 games.

Only Coach and Sam know all the facts, and they should stay under "Lock and Key" in the locker room.

The biggest disappointment for me as a lifelong fan going back to the '70s is simple. The team "folded" again down the stretch when the opportunity to do something special was right in front of them in Detroit. Big time QBs step up and ENJOY the opportunity. Sure, there are butterflies, but stepping into the huddle should be a "comfort" to big game QBs — a.k.a. Joe Montana and Patrick Mahomes.

Sam has talent, and he showed it a lot. But, when the chips were down, he did not know what to do. That is the definition of "STRESS". When you are up against it and you have no idea what to actually do. His eyes were WIDE and his feet always "happy." His accuracy was terrible even when he had time to throw. It was very tough to watch, and I felt terrible for him.

Coaching must take some blame. I was so hopeful that the team would make all the adjustments at halftime in Detroit. Instead, they totally collapsed. Defense, too. A total let down.

I am sure Sam and the O-LINE must feel terrible. They performed terribly, too. But Sam must play faster, use his legs, extend plays, and find the "hot" receivers FAST. He just did not have a clue of how to do that in that huge game in Detroit.

The Rams game was a forgone conclusion. I knew the outcome before the kickoff. Went to bed at half time.

The coaches did not prepare this team to play their best in AZ. They must look in the mirror and figure all that out. They were totally out coached. They brought nothing to the table to help the team. No surprises, no game plan adjustments. Zip. Boring. I think Coach is totally at a loss against his old friend (Sean McVay). I don't think he really wanted to beat him. Yikes. They probably went to dinner together after the game.

— MB Shaw in San Antonio, Texas

I'd argue that the entire offense struggled at Detroit, which was particularly disappointing, given the struggles the Lions defense (injuries played a big part) had experienced on the way to that Week 18 game.

It seems to be a tough draw when the Vikings go against McVay's Rams because McVay is good at what he does and he's so familiar with the system and O'Connell.

I have been through four Super Bowl losses most were over at halftime. I been through two overtime playoff games to go to other Super Bowls and we came up short, and I been through the Vikings-at-Washington NFC Championship Game where we went for it on fourth down-and-11 with a Super Bowl trip on the line, and Darrin Nelson ran a 10.5-yard route and we lost. We got to be better prepared for the teams we play and make better in game adjustments. In the last 50 years we have never done any of these things better. Something has got to change.

— Alfred A.

Based on the photo with the awesome cake that Alfred sent, his fandom is strong enough for the tough days to be a Vikings fan.

That 1987 team that made it almost to the Super Bowl really caught fire in the postseason after finishing the regular season at 8-7, which included an 0-3 mark with replacement players during the players' strike.

Yes, it is ultimately disappointing to lose in the playoffs in the manner that the Vikings did this year.

Yes, it is EASY to blame Sam Darnold for his performance on the last two games.

Yes, it is EASY to question the defense that did not show up as it did during the regular season in the last two games.

But, given where we began the season, this HAS TO BE CONSIDERED a successful season for the Vikings.

Picked to finish either 3^rd or 4^th in the NFC North during the preseason.

Picked to win 5.5 games for the season.

So let's look at this season in perspective and not just the last two games.

— Von A.

The final two games were hard to find words to explain, but I know I'll always have a sincere gratitude when thinking about the majority of moments delivered by the 2024 Vikings.

Coach O'Connell,

You and your staff did an outstanding job with Sam Darnold. You resurrected his career. You can now move forward and put forth the same work and effort in preparing J.J. as the Vikings starting QB. It is time. I'm a life-long Vikes fan. Let's get J.J. the reps and coaching necessary to be the leader of your offense.

I've been watching the playoffs, paying close attention to QB play. Bo Nix in Denver, Jayden Daniels in Washington — great leaders and tremendous players, both rookies. I'm not sure about this, but my gut tells me J.J. has these same qualities.

It is time.

BTW you are a great head coach, and we are fortunate to have you.

— Maury Balder

One of the great things about O'Connell's approach is that I genuinely believe the organization has been developing McCarthy, even if it has not been through on-the-field opportunities since his injury in August.

McCarthy's time to make an initial impression ran shorter than Nix and Daniels, who were Week 1 starters and helped their respective teams make the playoffs, but McCarthy has impressed at multiple turns.

Why do you think the Lions and the Rams outplayed us so much in the last two games of our season and playoffs?

— Ken C.

I've mentioned a time or two that matchups in football don't get mentioned as much as they might in basketball, but I do believe teams can really generate success by maximizing their effectiveness against what might be a weakness of an opponent.

The Lions and Rams both succeeded in applying pressure before Darnold could get the ball to the playmakers.

I still love my team. I am praying for the administration to be able to make great decisions at this transitional time.

I did get one of my prayers answered this year. I prayed that no one get hurt in a way that would keep them from living their every-day lives and that everyone stay good human beings and thankful for their God-given talents.

Best female Vikings fan in North Dakota!!

— Sherrie Schaefer in Grand Forks

These are all worthwhile considerations for prayers, and the team appreciates these sentiments.

Do you think the Vikings will keep Darnold and give him a massive deal and let J.J. McCarthy walk? Personally I like Darnold, but I think when he gets pressured early he loses his ability to play well. What do you think the Vikings will do? I think they may keep him and use as backup QB. Otherwise let him go.

— Chester A.

I'm not going to pretend to know how everything will shake out, but the Vikings invested considerable time and resources in evaluating McCarthy and the 2024 class of quarterbacks, and O'Connell has spoken in belief of the Vikings landing a QB of the future with the use of that pick.

Multiple factors could come into play, including the types of offers Darnold receives from prospective suitors, as well as his comfort level at any of his options.

To have K.O. mention that the interior pocket needs to be addressed is something us Vikings fans have known for the last 12 to 15 years! We need to bring back the Minnesota Moving Company! Get this addressed as it should have been seasons ago, and we may get over the HUMP and win a playoff game. SKOL!

— Rick O. in Stillwater, Oklahoma

And

The Rams and the Lions played bully ball with the Vikings and then the Rams and the Lions got ejected from the playoffs, the physicality of the Vikings has to be better.

— Sandy H.

And

I've been a life-long fan since '73. I still am. But early in the season I could tell our offensive line was in need. Even last year. I was very surprised that we didn't improve. Sure, we got a free agent because Christian Darrisaw went down. But he's only one man. You can look at the Eagles, Ravens and sorry to say, Lions. They are pushing at least 5 yards and beyond, which enables the running back room to roam. Our offensive line killed us. The Vikings need to improve. Just heartbreaking to see my team play all these years and come up short.

— Carlos R.

And

I was watching Mekhi Becton push the Rams DL around, and I was very impressed by his ability to move inside and play guard. I understand there are reasons why guys play tackle and other guys play guard that make that moving inside uncommon. The Vikings don't have a lot of picks in the draft, and offensive linemen are not cheap. I wonder if Cam Robinson would be willing to move inside? He said in an interview that he really liked it in Minnesota. My understanding is that they are very high on Walter Rouse. I wonder if he would be willing to do the same. Worth a look?

I am surprised every year that Bradbury remains the starting center. He gets high praise from the coaches, but man, I get tired of seeing his blocking create problems during games.

Maybe the team could focus on trying to get a top-notch center via free agency, spend some money on Cam Robinson, and really work hard to find a workhorse running back in the draft. Wouldn't it be great to catch lightning in a bottle with a running back in the draft?

Sam Darnold: I think he will play better in his second year in the system, especially if the team can shore up the interior offensive line. It would be a shame to add the Vikings to the list of "organizations that have failed" Sam Darnold. I saw a lot of submissions to Monday Morning Mailbag complaining about the short passing game in losses to Detroit and L.A. K.O. acknowledged that a key part of the strategy of both those teams' defenses was to take away the first options in the passing game and make Sam hold the ball. Short routes are not always available just because you want them, and what needs to happen is Sam making smart, fast decisions instead of smart, slow decisions. I think he is capable of being that quarterback. If somebody else throws a big sack of money at him and he takes it, so be it, but I know he loves being a Minnesota Viking.

Does anyone know why his finger on his throwing hand was taped for much of the year?

— Gary L.

After the Rams game, O'Connell said the following:

"We've got to find a way to solidify just the interior of the pocket starting first and foremost. There could be a thousand excuses made, whether it's losing 'C.D.' (Vikings OL Christian Darrisaw) or even midway through the game losing 'B.O.' (Vikings OL Brian O'Neill) tonight. For me, it's the foundation of the interior of the pocket that we're going to have to take a long look at. I thought those guys battled. That's a good, young, fast athletic front (on the Rams)."

The Vikings were a good team, but they also will be authentic in evaluating aspects where the team can continue to improve. I think the team will explore multiple avenues as potential solutions.

I'm not sure if Robinson has any interest in switching positions at this point in his career. He also is probably interested in exploring offers from other teams to be their left tackle.

We have been rolling out position-by-position recaps, and that continued on Friday with the offensive line. Lindsey Young included pass and run blocking grades from Pro Football Focus.

I feel that, as a team, the Vikings have improved so much. Please don't make too many changes.

— Merrill F.

Inevitably, there are changes to rosters every year. The Vikings will lean on the foundation and probably be mindful of the importance of team chemistry when making any new additions to the group.

SKOL, my friends. We have a Vikings Club here in El Paso, Texas. I am a Minnesota native and lifetime "Skoldier." Like most fans, we are thankful for a great season but frustrated by the ending. I wondered all year why we never use the play action and roll out with Sam Darnold that was so successful and often used with Kirk Cousins during his time with the Vikings. It seems it could have been great the last two games. Just curious. Looking forward to next year. Skol.

— Mark Marnach in El Paso, Texas

SKOL to the folks in the adopted hometown of Aaron Jones, Sr.

Cousins is one of the best in the game with play-action rollouts, so Minnesota played to his strengths when he was at QB. Darnold showed what he could do with pocket protection, and he also navigated it well in some critical moments — thinking of the winning TD pass to Justin Jefferson at Seattle.

Why are the Vikings such a "soft" team? Four passes from the 4-yard line? A running game that is largely insignificant. And a head coach who would do better coaching Oregon?

— Mark B.

Another aspect where the Vikings can improve is running the ball in the red zone. Minnesota made some strides in 2024 over 2023, including scoring a rushing touchdown in Week 1 at New York instead of the previous season when the Vikings didn't have a rushing score until midseason.

It is important in that part of the field to be able to redefine the line of scrimmage and keep defenses honest since they're able to rely so heavily on the space restraints created by the back of the end zone.

Rob Kleifield mentioned the opportunity to improve in this aspect in his review of the Vikings running backs.

Watching the playoffs and seeing all these teams use a QUICK RELEASE......

We have never had an offense with quick release play calls.

Plus, our receivers rarely keep their eyes on the QB. They take off, working to get to their spot. We need to be watching the QB especially on blitzing plays.

Unless we upgrade our play-calling scheme we can expect more of the same kind of results.

A nice season we had, but a lot of smoke and mirrors, which showed up in how we played our final two games.

Get a quick release QB and not a pocket passer. If you have a pocket passer, then the OL must drop back and protect not just stand at the line leaving gaps for the defense.

— "Vikingjoe" in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

The Vikings were able to design game plans that resulted in 14 wins during the regular season, even though Darnold was usually among QBs with longer time to throw.

It really is impressive how this was just his first season in the system. Would more time on task result in more opportunities to weave in some quick throws?