Getty A New York Giants' Pro Bowler sent his teammates a warning about Minnesota Vikings' QB Sam Darnold before Week 1.
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he New York Giants may be relishing facing much-travelled draft flop Sam Darnold in Week 1, but Brian Burns has warned his new teammates about the hidden talents of the Minnesota Vikings’ quarterback.
Burns, the Giants’ Pro Bowl-level edge-rusher, knows what Darnold brings to the field. They played together for two seasons with the Carolina Panthers.
That experience prompted Burns to caution the Giants ahead of Darnold and the Vikings visiting MetLife Stadium in Week 1 on Sunday, September 8. Burns said Darnold’s “definitely not a guy to sleep on,” per Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post.
You could forgive the Giants for snoozing on Darnold’s potential. The third-overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft has flopped for both the New York Jets and Panthers, before spending 2023 as a backup with the San Francisco 49ers. Now, the 27-year-old is only being given a chance with the Vikings because rookie J.J. McCarthy is on injured reserve with a torn meniscus.
Burns still believes in Darnold enough to rate him as “talented. He can run and he’s sneaky athletic. The best thing we can do … is to affect him, get in his face, disrupt his timing. If you give him a clean pocket, he can tear you up.”
Getting dissected by Darnold would be an inauspicious start for a new-look Giants defense expected to be the strength of the team. Yet, Darnold has enough playmakers to throw to and the raw tools to cause Big Blue problems.
Those attributes are endorsed by another member of the Giants who also knows Darnold well and shares Burns’ sentiments.
Brian Burns Right to Sound Warning
The Giants can’t take Darnold lightly, even though he’s on his fourth team since entering the pros. Darnold’s endured his share of struggles, but the former BYU standout has one trait sure to trouble the Giants.
Impressive arm strength explains why teams keep giving Darnold chances to finally reach his full potential. He’s averaged 11.1 yards per completion for his career, according to Pro Football Reference, with the same source also crediting Darnold with 7.3 or more intended air yards per completion every year he’s been in the league.
Darnold is somebody who can stretch the field with one throw. It’s something that’s already impressed elite Vikings’ wide receiver Justin Jefferson.
He told Dianna Russini of The Athletic Darnold’s deep passes land “like a soft pillow.”
QB Sam Darnold will lead the Vikings this season. His best weapon —Justin Jefferson has some thoughts. 👀
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Jefferson will be the target for most “go balls” as a former All-Pro who led the NFL in receptions and receiving yards in 2022. Unfortunately for the Giants, Jefferson is just one reason Darnold can thrive.
Another Giants Player Believes in Sam Darnold
Burns’ teammate, tight end Lawrence Cager, is also a believer in Darnold. Cager was a member of the Jets in 2020 and knows Darnold “can make any throw. I know he can make it in this league. The fact that he has an amazing play-calling coach (O’Connell), a lot of weapons around him and a great system that I think fits him is going to be good to see. After this week, when we beat him, he can do well the rest of the season. I’m rooting for him,” according to Cannizzaro.
Cager’s reference to Vikings’ head coach Kevin O’Connell is telling. He’s a QB guru who helped Matthew Stafford win a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams, before overseeing Kirk Cousins throwing for 4,547 yards and 29 touchdowns for the Vikes in 2022.
O’Connell is a designer of expansive pass attacks, and he’ll have enough ways for Darnold and a star-studded receiving corps to harm the Giants’ remade secondary. Those marquee receivers include 2023 first-round pick Jordan Addison, who told Russini’s colleague Alec Lewis he’s ready for the opening weekend after dealing with an ankle injury.
As Dan Duggan of The Athletic put it, “Justin Jefferson’s running mate will put the Giants’ secondary to the test.”
Keeping this level of receiving talent under wraps won’t be easy for the Giants. Not when supposed top cornerback Deonte Banks has been struggling this offseason. Nor when the spot across from Banks could go to one of inexperienced duo Nick McCloud or Cor’Dale Flott, or else to returning veteran Adoree’ Jackson, who’s back after a disappointing 2023 campaign.
A swarming pass rush is how the will Giants survive and thrive in a different scheme under new defensive coordinator Shane Bowen. That’s where two-time Pro Bowler Burns enters the picture. He needs to use his knowledge of Darnold to get his Giants career started in style.
Burns’ combination with fellow edge defender Kayvon Thibodeaux and All-Pro nose tackle Dexter Lawrence II should wreck any unheralded quarterback.
