Should Vikings have kept Sam Darnold? Let’s overreact to Week 7 games, fantasy performances
ARLINGTON, Texas — Week 7 in the NFL carries a significant weight. The season is no longer in its infancy; we’re deeply entrenched, armed with nearly two months of evidence to fortify our opinions on teams and players. What might have seemed like an overreaction back in Week 2 now feels considerably more grounded.
This juncture of the season also marks a point where coaches grow weary of underreacting. On Sunday, Jets coach Aaron Glenn appeared to reach his limit with Justin Fields’ apparent inability to recognize or respond to pressure, opting to bench him in favor of Tyrod Taylor during the second half of New York’s latest underwhelming loss.
Miami coach Mike McDaniel made the call to sit Tua Tagovailoa down for Quinn Ewers in the fourth quarter of a game that saw Tagovailoa throw three interceptions and the Dolphins suffer a 31-6 defeat against a Browns team that had struggled to score more than 17 points since the previous December. Trevor Lawrence, Spencer Rattler, and Geno Smith weren’t pulled from their respective games, but legitimate questions surround their performances, questions their coaches will undoubtedly have to address this week.
Indeed, Week 7 feels like when things start to get serious. With that in mind, let’s dive into the Overreactions column, where we sift through the weekly overreactions, attempting to discern which ones might hold water and which are mere illusions.
The Vikings should have re-signed Sam Darnold
Minnesota’s decision to let Darnold walk in free agency, despite his impressive 35 touchdown passes and leading the team to 14 wins, stemmed from a desire to hand the starting QB job to their 2024 first-round pick, J.J. McCarthy. Darnold, meanwhile, is thriving in Seattle, currently ranking third in QBR, passer rating, and passing yards. McCarthy, on the other hand, played two shaky games to begin the season, sustained an injury in the second, and hasn’t seen the field since. His backup, Carson Wentz, threw two first-half interceptions in Sunday’s loss to the Eagles.
The Vikings’ quarterback room also includes undrafted rookie Max Brosmer. The team has stated that a decision on McCarthy’s return to the starting role won’t be made until his sprained ankle has fully healed. However, what we’ve witnessed from the Vikings’ 2025 quarterback situation hasn’t instilled much confidence. Adding insult to injury, Daniel Jones, who served as Darnold’s backup in 2024, is performing admirably as the starter for the Colts.
Verdict: NOT AN OVERREACTION
This marks a change of heart on my part. I initially supported the Vikings’ decision to move forward with McCarthy, the 10th overall pick in last year’s draft, allowing both Darnold and Jones to depart and declining Aaron Rodgers’ advances. It was a vote of confidence in head coach Kevin O’Connell and his established ability to generate offense with various quarterbacks. I reasoned that if O’Connell believed this was the right path, he deserved the benefit of the doubt. And perhaps, in time, he’ll be proven right.
However, it’s time to move beyond predictions and embrace reality. The Vikings made six trips to the red zone in Sunday’s game against the Eagles, only to emerge with a single touchdown and five field goals, contributing to a winnable game slipping through their fingers. Darnold, meanwhile, ranks fourth in the NFL in red zone QBR this season. The Vikings have 11 games remaining to validate O’Connell’s decision. But the initial six games have cast significant doubt.
The Chiefs are going back to the Super Bowl
Remember when the Chiefs were 0-2, struggling to score, and everyone was questioning the end of their dynasty? It feels like ages ago, despite being only five weeks in the past.
With Rashee Rice back from his six-game suspension, the Chiefs dominated their division rivals, the Raiders, with a 31-0 victory, improving their record to 4-3. It was a display of dominance unseen from the Chiefs in recent times. They outgained Las Vegas 434-95 and recorded 30 first downs. The Raiders ran a mere 30 offensive plays in total. Since that 0-2 start, the Chiefs are 4-1, averaging 29.6 points per game. Perhaps those who expressed concerns after Week 2 were, dare I say, overreacting?
Verdict: NOT AN OVERREACTION
Which other AFC team inspires confidence? The Bills have lost two consecutive games after a 4-0 start and appear vulnerable. The Patriots look strong, but it’s still early to make definitive judgments. The Colts? Possibly. The Broncos and Chargers? Not exactly offensive juggernauts. Any team from the AFC North? Not at the moment.
Remember that if Patrick Mahomes were to lose this season’s AFC Championship Game in regulation, it would mark the earliest end to a Chiefs season since he became the starter in 2018. There’s a long road ahead, and a victory over the Raiders doesn’t guarantee a Super Bowl appearance. But in a season where the best teams are unclear, the Chiefs have a track record to trust.
The Bengals can still win the AFC North
The week began with a significant AFC North result – a victory by Joe Flacco and the Bengals over the first-place Steelers on Thursday night. It ended a four-game Bengals losing streak following Joe Burrow’s injury and brought the Steelers back closer to a pack of division teams whose seasons haven’t gone as expected.
The 1-5 Ravens, who will likely have Lamar Jackson back from injury next week after their bye and have both head-to-head matchups against the Steelers left to play, have some level of hope now that Pittsburgh is 4-2 instead of 5-1. As for the Bengals, whose offense has shown life in the two games since they acquired Flacco to replace the struggling Jake Browning, being 3-4 and only 1 ½ games out of first place feels worlds better than being 2-5 and 3 ½ games behind Pittsburgh.
Verdict: NOT AN OVERREACTION
I maintain that the Steelers are overperforming. They should have lost to the Jets in Week 1 and barely beat the Patriots in Week 3, when New England committed five turnovers. Pittsburgh’s defense has been subpar outside of one game against the Browns. Rodgers is playing well, but the offense still has limitations and requires an elite defense to be a true contender.
This vulnerability gives the rest of the division reason for hope, regardless of their struggles thus far. And if the Bengals believe there’s a chance of Burrow returning before the season’s end, they have as much reason for optimism as anyone. All Flacco must do is keep them afloat, and if Pittsburgh regresses, this division could witness a frantic finish.
Three teams from the NFC South will make the playoffs
The four-time defending division champion Buccaneers enter Monday night’s game with a 5-1 record and Baker Mayfield playing like the league MVP. The Falcons enter Sunday night’s game with a 3-2 record and on a two-game win streak, with Michael Penix Jr. playing much better and the offense and defense both humming.
The Panthers are the story here, though. After Sunday’s 13-6 victory over the woebegone Jets, Carolina is 4-3 and on a three-game winning streak. It also has a very convincing 30-0 division victory over the Falcons in its pocket. It’s hard to truly know how the Panthers are doing it, but they’re finding ways to win games around third-year quarterback Bryce Young (who left Sunday’s game with an ankle injury, which could dampen things) and an improved defense, and there’s always a team that emerges which no one saw coming.
Verdict: OVERREACTION
Do we need to see the Falcons actually finish off one of these seasons before we fully buy in? They beat Tampa Bay twice last season and still couldn’t win the division. And Carolina still has road games to play in Green Bay, San Francisco, Atlanta and Tampa as well as home games against the Bills, Rams, Bucs and Seahawks. And even if he’s healthy, Young still hasn’t shown enough week-to-week consistency over the course of his career that we are ready to buy in on his chances to lead a team to the playoffs.
The Panthers deserve credit for surprising us so far, but it’d be a much bigger surprise if they can keep this going once the schedule gets tougher in the second half. Maybe they sneak in. Maybe this is the year the Falcons get in. But both? In addition to Tampa Bay? Feels like too much to ask.
