Postmortem: Sea v Lambs - The One That Got Away

[Donn Beach]

If it was only the Rams that gave Darnold fits? Fine. But it's pretty much every big game. If he wants to change the narrative he is going to have to produce in big games. Until then? Get used to the press talking about how he folds under pressure.

Every big game, what constitutes a big game? I consider them to have already played a number of big games this season and he's played well. I know, that was like a really really big game. So suddenly he comes totally unglued. For me the analysis is backwards. He plays a poor game and the judgment is it's because it's a big game. When perhaps the reason he has a poor game is because he's playing a very good team in that big game. Sorry but that's how I am going to look at it. It's the size of the team he's playing against, not the size of the game.

[Captain 97]

I too think the big game narrative is over blown. Making a sweeping generalization on a couple of games is weak. Especially since the two games against the Ram's were entirely different. Last year he was running for his life sacked 9 times. You really going to put 9 sacks completely on him not being able to handle big games? That was the second time they played the Rams that year and even though they lost he played very well in the first game with a rating of 128.7 (his second highest of the season).

This game this year was a case of making some bad decisions and trying to do too much. 4 picks is absolutely disastrous no doubt but if you put those aside it's not like he shrunk up into a wimpering ball and became completely ineffective. a 66% completion rate and 279 yards is totally respectable against a top defensive team like the Rams. The only team that has more passing yards on them this season is Santa Clara. Jalen Hurts completed 65% for 226 yards against them. Daniel Jones was 72% for 248 yards.

You know who else had a bad game? Matthew Stafford. 53.6% Completions and 130 yards. How come nobody is talking about how he crumbles under pressure?

[Donn Beach]

I too think the big game narrative is over blown. Making a sweeping generalization on a couple of games is weak. Especially since the two games against the Ram's were entirely different. Last year he was running for his life sacked 9 times. You really going to put 9 sacks completely on him not being able to handle big games? That was the second time they played the Rams that year and even though they lost he played very well in the first game with a rating of 128.7 (his second highest of the season).

This game this year was a case of making some bad decisions and trying to do too much. 4 picks is absolutely disastrous no doubt but if you put those aside it's not like he shrunk up into a wimpering ball and became completely ineffective. a 66% completion rate and 279 yards is totally respectable against a top defensive team like the Rams. The only team that has more passing yards on them this season is Santa Clara. Jalen Hurts completed 65% for 226 yards against them. Daniel Jones was 72% for 248 yards.

You know who else had a bad game? Matthew Stafford. 53.6% Completions and 130 yards. How come nobody is talking about how he crumbles under pressure?

Thank you for the more elegant explanation. Yeah, you do not get to be a NFL qb by curling up in a fetal position when faced with a big game. It's an unlikely narrative

[XpertDBA]

I too think the big game narrative is over blown. Making a sweeping generalization on a couple of games is weak. Especially since the two games against the Ram's were entirely different. Last year he was running for his life sacked 9 times. You really going to put 9 sacks completely on him not being able to handle big games? That was the second time they played the Rams that year and even though they lost he played very well in the first game with a rating of 128.7 (his second highest of the season).

This game this year was a case of making some bad decisions and trying to do too much. 4 picks is absolutely disastrous no doubt but if you put those aside it's not like he shrunk up into a wimpering ball and became completely ineffective. a 66% completion rate and 279 yards is totally respectable against a top defensive team like the Rams. The only team that has more passing yards on them this season is Santa Clara. Jalen Hurts completed 65% for 226 yards against them. Daniel Jones was 72% for 248 yards.

You know who else had a bad game? Matthew Stafford. 53.6% Completions and 130 yards. How come nobody is talking about how he crumbles under pressure?

Thank you for the more elegant explanation. Yeah, you do not get to be a NFL qb by curling up in a fetal position when faced with a big game. It's an unlikely narrative

He didnt curl up in a fetal position. He shit the bed. Learn the difference.

[Michael K.]

He didnt curl up in a fetal position. He shit the bed. Learn the difference.

LOL. The bottom line is? The narrative is he chokes in big games...who the FUCK expects that narrative to go away after he throws four picks in the next big game?

[DavidGee24]

Up until Sunday the seahawks were 4-0 on the road, not only did they beat Pittsburgh, Arizona, Jacksonville and Washington on the road they took them apart. The Seahawks are 3-0 in prime time games this season. But none of them involved any pressure. All it took was for the Rams game to get talked about on the radio and all Darnold could do after that was chuck the ball to the Rams, go figure

You had to go back to USC in 2017 to find a high pressure moment where he excelled. And? They were down 49 to 35 going into the 4th due to what I recall as a bad INT by Darnold. Good on him for the great 4th quarter, but for you to find a time he excelled in that moment? You had to go back to his last game in college. You don't think that makes his many flops in big moments news worthy? Yean, at Arizona, where we damn near blew the game....that is the same as a battle for first place in LA. Come on man.

This game was a big one, and the entire week leading up the conversation was on how Sam folds in these moments. But you expected that narrative to go away after he throws four picks?

I'm not concerned about the narrative. Yeah, the narrative is he rattles in big games. I honestly don't see how a guy could get to the NFL and not be able to handle a big game. The other way to look at it is big games tend to be against great teams. Maybe it's the ability of a great team to defense him that rattles him. If I am a DC I'd be more focused on rattling him with a defensive twist than letting the newspapers handle it. Sorry but in my mind, his inability to read defenses is a bigger issue than him checking his cellphone

Matt Stafford was playing QB for the other team against an equally formidable opponent in a big game. While he didn't come up with his usual big numbers, how many interceptions did he throw? Zero? Okay, well how many interceptions did he almost throw? Zero? And how many times did he get a ball to a receiver who ended up in the end zone? Two? Well then, looks like the other guy handled an equally big game quite nicely.

You just can't help yourself, it really is an addiction, isn't it?

[Captain 97]

You had to go back to USC in 2017 to find a high pressure moment where he excelled. And? They were down 49 to 35 going into the 4th due to what I recall as a bad INT by Darnold. Good on him for the great 4th quarter, but for you to find a time he excelled in that moment? You had to go back to his last game in college. You don't think that makes his many flops in big moments news worthy? Yean, at Arizona, where we damn near blew the game....that is the same as a battle for first place in LA. Come on man.

This game was a big one, and the entire week leading up the conversation was on how Sam folds in these moments. But you expected that narrative to go away after he throws four picks?

I'm not concerned about the narrative. Yeah, the narrative is he rattles in big games. I honestly don't see how a guy could get to the NFL and not be able to handle a big game. The other way to look at it is big games tend to be against great teams. Maybe it's the ability of a great team to defense him that rattles him. If I am a DC I'd be more focused on rattling him with a defensive twist than letting the newspapers handle it. Sorry but in my mind, his inability to read defenses is a bigger issue than him checking his cellphone

Matt Stafford was playing QB for the other team against an equally formidable opponent in a big game. While he didn't come up with his usual big numbers, how many interceptions did he throw? Zero? Okay, well how many interceptions did he almost throw? Zero? And how many times did he get a ball to a receiver who ended up in the end zone? Two? Well then, looks like the other guy handled an equally big game quite nicely.

You just can't help yourself, it really is an addiction, isn't it?

53% and 130 yards is handling a big game "quite nicely"? OK

[DavidGee24]

I'm not concerned about the narrative. Yeah, the narrative is he rattles in big games. I honestly don't see how a guy could get to the NFL and not be able to handle a big game. The other way to look at it is big games tend to be against great teams. Maybe it's the ability of a great team to defense him that rattles him. If I am a DC I'd be more focused on rattling him with a defensive twist than letting the newspapers handle it. Sorry but in my mind, his inability to read defenses is a bigger issue than him checking his cellphone

Matt Stafford was playing QB for the other team against an equally formidable opponent in a big game. While he didn't come up with his usual big numbers, how many interceptions did he throw? Zero? Okay, well how many interceptions did he almost throw? Zero? And how many times did he get a ball to a receiver who ended up in the end zone? Two? Well then, looks like the other guy handled an equally big game quite nicely.

You just can't help yourself, it really is an addiction, isn't it?

53% and 130 yards is handling a big game "quite nicely"? OK

Like I said, it wasn't big numbers but he didn't make any critical mistakes and he got the ball to where his receivers could get into the end zone with it twice against a really tough defense. Look, even if it was just game managing he did his job. So yes, quite nicely.

[D-train]

I too think the big game narrative is over blown. Making a sweeping generalization on a couple of games is weak. Especially since the two games against the Ram's were entirely different. Last year he was running for his life sacked 9 times. You really going to put 9 sacks completely on him not being able to handle big games? That was the second time they played the Rams that year and even though they lost he played very well in the first game with a rating of 128.7 (his second highest of the season).

This game this year was a case of making some bad decisions and trying to do too much. 4 picks is absolutely disastrous no doubt but if you put those aside it's not like he shrunk up into a wimpering ball and became completely ineffective. a 66% completion rate and 279 yards is totally respectable against a top defensive team like the Rams. The only team that has more passing yards on them this season is Santa Clara. Jalen Hurts completed 65% for 226 yards against them. Daniel Jones was 72% for 248 yards.

You know who else had a bad game? Matthew Stafford. 53.6% Completions and 130 yards. How come nobody is talking about how he crumbles under pressure?

Thank you for the more elegant explanation. Yeah, you do not get to be a NFL qb by curling up in a fetal position when faced with a big game. It's an unlikely narrative

Great stuff guys. I agree as well..

[Michael K.]

Again, the story leading up to the game was he can't win big games. So, in the biggest game of the season, he throws four picks in a game they lose by less than a FG, and there are people surprised it's still a story? OK.

Until he does something in what is considered a big game besides shit on his shoes? That is going to be the label he carries. Fuck, Steve Young lost two NFCCG's to a Cowboys Dynasty, and when he finally won one? He himself asked someone to take the monkey off his back! Donn mentions the last college game that Darnold played in as a big game that he has performed well in, and THAT is the proof? He has not won a big game in the NFL. He has barely played in any big games in the NFL because he was either a back up or played on a shitty team. So? When he performs horribly in the game that cost the Vikings the Division and then performs horribly as they get bounced from the playoffs....then folllows it up with this? Of course the Media is going to talk about it.

But yeah, almost a decade ago he played well in the Rose Bowl, so all of this should just be a non issue? Why?