Prepare to Ride the Sam Darnold Experience to the End

Kevin O'Connell sent out a clear message on Sunday: Prepare to ride the Sam Darnold experience to the end. It was a rough night for Darnold in Jacksonville, but the Vikings head coach stuck by him.

Prepare to Ride the Sam Darnold Experience to the End

The chances of getting through a 17-game season without Darnold having a really bad day at the office always seemed slim. Darnold's career is littered with such games. Sunday was the eighth time in his career that Darnold had thrown 3+ interceptions. Amazingly, the Vikings won anyway, the only time that happened in those eight games. All the credit goes to Brian Flores and his defense for making the Jaguars offense nonexistent apart from one drive. In addition to the kicking unit, John Parker Romo went a perfect four for four on his debut.

The Vikings moved the ball consistently up to the red zone but couldn't find a way to score a touchdown. If Darnold wasn't turning the ball over the Vikings were back to committing pre-snap penalties to stall their drives. There were calls across social media platforms for Darnold to be benched, but that never materialized. Minnesota's QB2 is Nick Mullens, and he isn't exactly a safe pair of hands to turn to with his own nack of putting the ball in harm's way.

Coach and Teammates Stand behind Darnold

Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell was firm in his stance that he still has faith in his QB1. Postgame, O'Connell said, "We're still 100% confident in Sam. It would be craziness not to be."

When asked whether there was a moment he considered making a change during the game, the Vikings coach was adamant it didn't cross his mind. "Not one," O'Connell said. "Not one all day long." O'Connell went on to speak about Darnold's performance and the opportunity to see growth."

"We're going to check back on this moment and use it the right way," he said. "Sam is going to be better off for it. I truly do believe that." Therein lies the big question. Can O'Connell keep Darnold's mistakes to a minimum? It wasn't just the coach that pledged support to the Vikings QB. Aaron pledged himself 110% behind Darnold on the Up & Adams Show .

Can KOC Keep Darnold on the Right Path?

The Vikings got away with that offensive performance in Jacksonville, but they certainly wouldn't be against the likes of Detroit or Green Bay. As impressive as Brian Flores' defense has been at times this season, you can't expect them to hold a team to seven points every week. The Vikings' offense stuttering didn't appear for the first time in Week 10; it has been a problem for a while now . The offense needs to find consistency, and that starts with the quarterback.

Coach O'Connell has done a good job of getting the best out of Darnold so far, but his game has some obvious flaws. There are times that he doesn't read the field well. He stares down his receivers, which leads to defenders reading his intentions and getting in place for interceptions. There has already been talk of O'Connell simplifying the offense, and that may need to continue. The Vikings have a host of playmakers, getting the ball quickly into their hands should be a point of emphasis as Minnesota heads to Tennessee this week.

The other issue Darnold had on Sunday was that he seemed to be trying to make up for the previous mistakes that caused the next one. He ended up looking rattled, which is something that O'Connell has been good at nipping in the bud before it gets out of hand. Darnold needs a bounce-back game that restores some faith in his ability to lead this offense. The Titans might not be a good team with only two wins on the board, but their defense is actually quite decent. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Vikings come out and take some shots to try and boost confidence.

Whatever happens, don't expect the Vikings to turn to Mullens soon.