X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Tape Tells All: Sam Darnold's Rushing Ability

sam darnold fantasy football rankings NFL DFS lineup picks

Justin Carter breaks down Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold's performance in Week 4 and evaluates his fantasy football upside going forward in the 2021 NFL season.

Welcome back to Tape Tells All, the weekly series where I look at film for something that happened in the NFL this week.

So, Sam Darnold runs now. He has more rushing touchdowns through four games than any quarterback ever has.

What's going on with Darnold? Is he good now? Is he going to keep running? Is this just another example of the Adam Gase reverse curse? Let's investigate.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Background Information

You all know Sam Darnold. He's the former Jets quarterback whose NFL career was consistently disappointing. Here are his career passing numbers per Pro Football Reference:

and here are his rushing numbers

Well, those numbers sure seem to have taken a notable uptick this season!

I'm mainly going to be looking at the rushing of Darnold because that's what can set him apart from other quarterbacks, but let's talk about the passing for a little bit first.

Darnold has seen increases across the board. The completion percentage went from 59.6 percent last year to 67.8 percent this year. He has five touchdowns in four games -- last year, he had nine in 12 games. He's at 297.3 yards per game, a huge increase from his 184.0 last season.

And if we want to get into some advanced stats -- courtesy of PlayerProfiler -- and how Darnold compares in passing categories to other guys, then we'd see that he is:

  • 15th in accuracy rating
  • 11th in yards per attempt
  • 12th in true completion percentage
  • 5th in pressured completion percentage
  • 6th in total QBR

Solid numbers that show Darnold isn't, like, an elite passer or anything, but that he also can be a productive, mid-level thrower with upside.

But that isn't the reason we're talking about Darnold today.

No, we're talking about the five touchdown runs. The five carries per game. Is Sam Darnold going to keep adding value on the ground, even if the touchdown rate itself is unsustainable?

 

The Game Tape

Let's look at some various rushing attempts from Sam Darnold.

Here was that fifth touchdown run, which came against Dallas. When you think about quarterbacks finding the end zone on the ground and those quarterbacks aren't the Lamar Jacksons and Josh Allens of the world, you likely turn to one of two possibilities: a scramble or a sneak.

But this a designed run from outside of the 10-yard line. Darnold takes the shotgun step, drops back on step, then immediately takes off over the middle. The Panthers offensive line has blocked off the line of scrimmage, allowing Darnold to easily scoot to the second level. There, he has two players to beat, but he runs diagonally right, getting him out of the path of the Cowboys linebacker. Then, it's just Darnold trying to beat a DB to the pylon. D.J. Moore helps hold things up at the goal line and Darnold runs in.

Here was his other touchdown against the Cowboys:

WE'VE GOT A REAL LIVE OPTION PLAY FOLKS. Not some RPO handoff, but an actual, college football-style option, with Darnold running right with a back behind him ready for the pitch.

But Darnold keeps it, spotting a hole up the middle and pivoting perfectly to hit that open hole and get in for the score.

That's been what's impressed me most about Darnold as a runner: his vision. Matt Rhule is coming from the college ranks and is going to put plays like this in the playbook, but that doesn't mean they'll magically work. You need a quarterback who can make them work. And so far, these designed red zone runs for Darnold are definitely working.

 

Fantasy Impact

Now look, Sam Darnold won't probably won't lead the NFL in rushing touchdowns this season.

But his usage so far feels sustainable in that the Panthers will continue to generate opportunities for Darnold to run the ball, and sometimes those opportunities will be in the red zone and will turn into a touchdown.

The Panthers also will be getting Christian McCaffrey back, which cuts into some of those Darnold opportunities. But the team also doesn't have the best red-zone receiving threats -- like, if you're Sam Darnold, you're running for the end zone all day long instead of throwing to Ian Thomas or Tommy Tremble, right?

D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson are very good receivers, but when the field shrinks, neither has the ideal build for that more-physical brand of football. Moore, for example, is fourth among receivers in targets, but 19th in red zone targets. Anderson has 22 targets, but none in red zone.

Darnold being able to move the ball with his feet down there opens things up for the Panthers.

In terms of fantasy, Darnold sits as the overall QB5. That's probably not sustainable. But the combination of his accurate passing with his ability to generate yards on the ground has taken him from being someone who was on the fringe of being rosterable to someone who can be your starting QB when he has a good matchup and who you can probably survive with in a bad matchup. Consider him a high-end QB2 with QB1 upside going forward right now.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

TreVeyon Henderson

Signs Rookie Contract
Christian Watson

Goes on PUP List
Austin Riley

Hopes to be Activated Next Week
Ketel Marte

Lands on Restricted List After Burglary
Ricky Pearsall

Heads to PUP List
Brandon Aiyuk

Placed on PUP List
Luther Burden III

Signs Rookie Deal
Washington Nationals

Eli Willits Expected to Sign Contract on Saturday
Grayson Rodriguez

Being Shut Down Again - Will We See Him Again This Year?
Ezequiel Tovar

Activated and Back in Lineup on Friday
Max Fried

"Hopeful" to Pitch Next Week - Looks Like He'll Avoid IL Stint
Steven Kwan

Receives Injection in Wrist, Considered Day-to-Day
CJ Abrams

Back to Start Second Half
Alec Bohm

Back From Rib Injury on Friday
Trey Hendrickson

Holdout to Spill into Regular Season?
Jalen McMillan

Bucs Offensive Coordinator Not Forgetting About Jalen McMillan
Levi Onwuzurike

to Miss at Least Four Games
Nick Emmanwori

Seahawks, Nick Emmanwori Reach Agreement on Rookie Deal
Max Holloway

Set For Main Event
Brandon Lowe

Back From 10-Day Injured List
Dustin Poirier

Set For His Final UFC Fight
Roman Kopylov

Set For Co-Main Event
Paulo Costa

Returns At UFC 318
Luis L. Ortiz

to Remain on Leave for Another Month - Will he Pitch Again?
Daniel Rodriguez

Looks For Third Win In A Row
Kevin Holland

Set For His Fourth Fight This Year
Dan Ige

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
MMA

Patricio Freire Set For His Second UFC Fight
Daniel Zellhuber

Set To Open Up UFC 318 Main Card
Michael Johnson

Looks For Third Consecutive Win
Elijah Arroyo

Signs Rookie Deal
Jaydon Blue

Described as "Borderline Lazy"
T.J. Sanders

Bills Sign T.J. Sanders to Rookie Deal
Christian Wilkins

Raiders Put Christian Wilkins on PUP List
Jabari Small

Lions Add Jabari Small to Backfield
Quinshon Judkins

Remains Unsigned, Won't Report With Rest of Rookies
Mason Taylor

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Jets
Hendon Hooker

Leading Lions QB2 Battle Entering Training Camp
Ozzy Trapilo

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Bears
Tate Ratledge

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Lions
Jack Bech

Signs Rookie Contract with Raiders
Yegor Chinakhov

Requests Trade
Dakota Joshua

Maple Leafs Acquire Dakota Joshua
Lukas Dostal

Signs Five-Year Extension with Ducks
Shemar Stewart

Not Practicing With College Team
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Expected Back Friday
Damian Lillard

Returning to Portland
Paul Skenes

Pirates Could Preserve Paul Skenes in Second Half
Brooks Barnhizer

Grabs 19 Points, Nine Boards in Summer League Win
Jeremiah Fears

Scores 22 Points in Summer League Loss to Thunder
Isaiah Collier

Collects 17 Points In Summer League Win
Caleb Houstan

Joins Hawks
AJ Johnson

Erupts for 25 Points in Summer League Loss
Washington Wizards

Leaky Black Logs Double-Double in Loss to Jazz
Connor Norby

Undergoes Surgery, Expected to Miss 6-8 Weeks
Trey Alexander

Tallies 25 Points in Losing Effort
Johni Broome

Records Second Consecutive Double-Double
Jahmir Young

Has Historic Summer League Outing
Rob Dillingham

Plays Big Role in Wednesday's Win
Tyrese Proctor

Erupts for 35 Points Against Kings
Cody Williams

Leads Jazz to Victory Against Wizards
LeBron James

Mavs Not Interested in "Gutting its Roster" For LeBron James
Josh Hart

Undergoes a Procedure on Right Finger
Jake Burger

Goes on 10-Day Injured List With Quad Strain
Sal Frelick

Dealing With Grade 1 Hamstring Strain, TBD for Start of Second Half
Chris Sale

Plays Catch
Los Angeles Clippers

Bradley Beal Heading to Los Angeles to Join Clippers After Contract Buyout
Rayan Rupert

Scores 24 Points in Summer League Win
Derik Queen

Collects Third Consecutive Double-Double in Summer League Loss
GG Jackson II

Records 13 Points in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Johni Broome

Logs Double-Double Against Wizards
DaRon Holmes II

Records Double-Double in Summer League Loss to Raptors
Kyle Schwarber

Named All-Star Game MVP
Harris English

Takes Stellar 2025 Performance to The Open Championship
Aldrich Potgieter

Seeks Better Result in Northern Ireland
Cameron Young

Likely to Hang Around at The Open Championship
Cameron Smith

Just Trying to Make the Cut at Royal Portrush
Jordan Spieth

Is Jordan Spieth Still a Natural for Links Style Golf?
Patrick Reed

a Viable Option at The Open Championship
PGA

Sungjae Im Wants to Rebound from Last Experience at Royal Portrush
Xander Schauffele

Looks to Defend His Claret Jug at Royal Portrush
Tony Finau

Trying to Turn Tide at Royal Portrush
Daniel Brown

Seeks a Rebound at The Open Championship
Rory McIlroy

Will be the Most Watched Player This Week at Royal Portrush
Daniel Berger

Trending Poorly as The Open Championship Looms
Clayton Kershaw

Retires Both Batters In ASG Appearance
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Hit In Pinky In All-Star Game, X-Rays Negative
MLB

NL All-Stars Win On Tie-Breaker Home Run Swing-Off
Robert MacIntyre

Hoping to Bounce Back at Open Championship
Shane Lowry

Hopes to Repeat at Royal Portrush
Brian Harman

Hopes to Rekindle Some Magic at the 153rd Open
UTA

Michael Carcone Returns to Utah on One-Year Contract
Bowen Byram

Signs Two-Year Deal with Sabres
Morgan Barron

Jets Re-Sign Morgan Barron for Two Years
PGA

Chris Gotterup Punches Ticket to Royal Portrush With Win at Scottish Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Hopes to Reverse Links Golf Struggle at the 153rd Open
Keegan Bradley

Needs to Find The Weekend at Royal Portrush for Ryder Cup Hopes
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF