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00:00There are many questions to be answered for the Minnesota Vikings.
00:03A successful season beyond even the wildest expectations entering this year.
00:09A preseason win total of seven and a half.
00:11The Vikings nearly doubled that with 14.
00:14But despite a 14 and three regular season record,
00:19their final two losses in the regular season finale against Detroit.
00:23And of course, here to begin the postseason against Los Angeles will be
00:28what is remembered.
00:29And perhaps the individual's performance as well in Sam Darnold.
00:35Scott last night sacked nine times by the Rams.
00:3825 of 40 for 245.
00:41A touchdown but with an interception and a fumble that was recovered by LA's Jared Burse.
00:48And taken back the other way for a defensive touchdown.
00:52Scott, Sam Darnold was not supposed to be the starter
00:54all year long this year in Minneapolis.
00:57More than likely that was going to be the 10th overall pick, J.J. McCarthy.
01:01Sam Darnold was acquired this offseason after a solid year as the backup in San Francisco.
01:07Maybe to be that bridge quarterback to give J.J. a few weeks to learn on the fly.
01:13And then lend things over to the rookie.
01:16That's not what happened after J.J. McCarthy was injured early in the preseason.
01:22It became Sam Darnold's show and one that he starred in for about 17 weeks.
01:28But he will be remembered by the final two performances.
01:32Scott, what do you think Sam Darnold's future is in Minnesota and perhaps around the NFL?
01:38Yeah, a couple things, Ben.
01:39You know, here's a question I don't think anyone's really asked.
01:42And I'll throw it out there.
01:44Let's just say J.J. McCarthy didn't get hurt.
01:47And he just wasn't ready to be the starter starting of the year.
01:50Would he have come in at anywhere in this line knowing that,
01:54OK, we want J.J. to be our starter?
01:56But I think Sam Darnold played so well that even if McCarthy didn't get hurt,
02:00we'd probably be in the same spot.
02:02The only thing is, McCarthy really hasn't been able to practice.
02:05Let's look at it from two different ways.
02:07Let's look at it from the negative way and the positive way.
02:10The negative way with Sam Darnold, you went 14-3.
02:15But you bomb out the last two games, you're one and done.
02:17But that's the negative.
02:18How about the positive?
02:20Because that's me, Ben.
02:21I'm Mr. Positive, as everyone knows around the office.
02:24Maybe the Vikings lost the battle, but they won the war.
02:28Because the war would have been bringing Sam Darnold back, signing him to maybe a franchise,
02:36but maybe signing him to a four-year deal.
02:38You make the commitment to him.
02:40Maybe you trade McCarthy because you're going to get a bunch of offers.
02:43And then next year, you find out this is the Sam Darnold that we've seen the last two games.
02:49You lose the battle, you lost the game, but maybe you won the war in that I think Minnesota
02:54is going to move on from him and go with McCarthy because of what we've seen these last two games.
03:00I know it's tough for Viking fans to accept right now, but I don't think he's coming back.
03:07I think he probably cost himself, honestly, probably a half a year, Ben, of guaranteed
03:14money.
03:14Someone's still going to sign him.
03:16There's going to be some team out there that still thinks Sam Darnold is the greatest thing
03:19in the world, but he's got to, I think, get a Danny Nichols contract, as I like to call
03:23him.
03:24Four-year deal, maybe two years guaranteed, where maybe he would have gotten a two and
03:29a half, three-year guarantee.
03:31I think that's down to maybe one and a half to two after what we've seen these last two
03:36weeks.