New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold endured his worst outing of the 2018 NFL season against the Minnesota Vikings. It seems defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson has an idea of why he struggled so much.
Darnold simply could not get anything going for the Jets offense. According to Steve Serby of the New York Post, Richardson feels the cold may have played a factor in his poor performance:
“He looked like he was cold, he looked like he was frustrated a little bit, was frustrated with play-calling, frustrated with his line a little bit. He was frustrated,” Richardson told The Post. “That’s what I can tell you. I don’t know if he’s good or bad off of that.”
Was it something you saw or heard or both?
“A little bit of both,” Richardson said.
Although Richardson's criticisms may stem from all the hype surrounding the young quarterback, there is certainly some truth to them. Darnold grew up on the beaches of Southern California before starring at USC. It is safe to say that he has spent his football career playing in fair weather. He looked about as flustered as a rookie quarterback can against this stout Vikings defense after completing just 17-of-42 attempts for 206 yards, a touchdown, and three interceptions.
However, it is still a bit of a stretch to assume that the cold played such a factor. Many quarterbacks from California have managed to thrive in inclement weather throughout their careers. Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers are widely considered the two best quarterbacks in the NFL despite playing in arguably its coldest places. If the weather is an issue for Darnold, it will only be a matter of time before he gets used to it.
While such an abysmal showing is never ideal, it is hardly surprising. Darnold has already developed a reputation for being a bit of a gunslinger. disastrous games like these are bound to happen while he develops into a potential franchise quarterback. Regardless, New York will need to come up with a different approach if they want to get him in a rhythm early. Unfortunately, things will not get any easier when they visit the Chicago Bears next week.
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