Sam Darnold thriving in Seattle only reopens old wounds in Minnesota, where timing, luck, and trust failed yet again.
The Minnesota Vikings got one final gut punch right before their 2025 season ended.
Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks clinched the NFC's No. 1 spot on Saturday night after beating the San Francisco 49ers 13-3. The Seahawks finished the season with a 14-3 record, one year after Darnold led the Vikings to the same record in his lone season as a starter.
But Minnesota didn't secure the home-field advantage in the playoffs. Like Seattle on Saturday, the Vikings entered Week 18 needing a win to get the NFC's top seed. Instead, they lost 31-9 to the Detroit Lions, tumbling all the way down to the No. 5 seed, forcing them to go on the road in the Wild Card round.
The Vikings would play the Los Angeles Rams in Arizona, losing 27-9.
Darnold's performance in the two losses gave Minnesota pause on bringing him back in 2025. They offered him a short-term deal to return, but weren't able to compete with Seattle's three-year, $100 million offer.
Minnesota rolled with second-year J.J. McCarthy in 2025. Erratic play and injuries derailed both his and the Vikings' season. They were eliminated from the playoffs in Week 15, sitting at 4-8.
It feels like a no-brainer now, but Darnold was very poor in last year's losses to Detroit and LA. He was 18-of-41 for 166 yards in the loss to the Lions, failing to score touchdowns on any of Minnesota's five red zone trips. He accounted for -26.0 EPA (expected points added) in the performance, per Next Gen Stats.
The next week wasn't much better, as he completed 25-of-40 passes for 245 yards, one touchdown, and an interception against the Rams. But he also lost a fumble that was returned for a score and took nine sacks. Darnold was attributed -27.4 EPA in that loss.
This year, in another big Week 18 game, Darnold wasn't necessarily spectacular. He didn't throw for any touchdowns and only had 198 yards passing. But he was 20-of-26 and made enough throws on third down.
There were some bad moments, like a sack on 1st-and-goal at the 1-yard line. He missed an opportunity to connect on a touchdown three plays later, turning the ball over on downs. And at one point he tripped on a handoff, fumbling the ball, only for it to be recovered by running back Zach Charbonnet.
Two plays later, on 3rd-and-17, running back Kenneth Walker took a pitch and picked up 19 yards to give the Seahawks a first down. They would end up kicking a field goal on the drive, extending their lead to 13-3.
The 49ers then put together their best drive of the night, marching 64 yards to the Seahawks' 6-yard line. But that's when Brock Purdy's pass to Christian McCaffrey was tipped at the line and intercepted by Seattle linebacker Drake Thomas. Had the ball not been tipped, McCaffrey likely would have scored.
These moments could have turned the tide, but the Seahawks ultimately dominated the game. They ran 39 times for 180 yards and scored the lone touchdown of the game. The 49ers were held to 173 total yards on the night.
Darnold didn't have to be spectacular or special. The rest of the team took care of that. And when the ball was left to chance, the Seahawks were on the winning side every time.
Sometimes, it's better to be lucky than good. This year, Darnold has the luxury of both in Seattle. Minnesota had neither.
It feels like the Vikings never have it, either. The Seahawks have the No. 1 seed for the fourth time since 2005. They reached the Super Bowl each of their previous three seasons achieving that.
Minnesota has had the NFC's top seed once since their last Super Bowl appearance in January 1977. They finished 15-1 in 1998, and although they were good, they weren't lucky. The Vikings were upset by the Atlanta Falcons in overtime, 30-27, after Gary Anderson missed his first kick of the season with just over two minutes left in overtime.
Had he made the kick, Minnesota would have led by ten points. Instead, the Falcons drove the length of the field to tie it.
It should feel somewhat rewarding to see Darnold have success in Seattle. He has won 28 games over the past two seasons after being declared a bust with the New York Jets.
Instead, it just hurts to see everything go right for him one year after potentially seeing the same success in Minnesota.
So is life as a Vikings fan. Maybe someday I'll learn and stop caring. With my luck, that'd be the day the team's fortunes change.