When the Minnesota Vikigns signed quarterback Sam Darnold, the move received little to no fanfare. 

The fanbase didn't really love the move due to Darnold's past struggles with the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers and the sticker price of $10 million for a bridge quarterback didn't appear to be great.

Well, it's turned out to be an incredible move for the Vikings and he has played arguably his best two performances in the last two week against the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Vikings Film Room: Sam Darnold’s performance vs. Titans was a bold statement toward a potential Super Bowl

It was a tremendous game from Darnold in a way you wouldn’t expect

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With Darnold having a renaissance season and leading a 9-2 football team, he hasn't been getting the love that he should when it comes to awards. Should he be getting talk for Most Valuable Player? Probably not, but Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff is third in betting odds at +600 with Darnold being at +9000. When you look at the numbers, they aren't too far apart.

Sam Darnold has as good of an MVP case as Jared Goff

Seriously? Darnold is as good of a candidate for MVP as Goff? Well, when you look at the metrics, it's closer than you might think.

Yards
Goff: 2,761
Darnold: 2,717

Passing Touchdowns
Goff: 20
Darnold: 22

Interceptions
Goff: 9
Darnold: 10 

EPA/play (neutral situations)
Goff: 0.163 (11th)
Darnold: 0.225 (5th)

Success Rate (neutral situations)
Goff: 51.1% (8th)
Darnold: 53.4% (2nd)

CPOE (Completion Percentage Over Expected)
Goff: 4.7 (8th)
Darnold: 9.0% (1st)

Air Yards/Attempt
Goff: 6.6 (27th)
Darnold: 9.0 (4th)

Yards After Catch percentage
Goff: 57.2% (8th)
Darnold: 40.3% (37th)

PFF Big Time Throws
Goff: 9 (23rd)
Darnold: 17 (7th)

Turnover Worthy Plays
Goff: 12 (T-9th worst)
Darnold: 15 (T-3rd worst)

QBR
Goff: 57.8
Darnold: 59.4

Passer Rating
Goff: 109.9
Darnold: 101.7

Team Record
Goff: 10-1
Darnold: 9-2

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Metrics don't tell you the entire story, but when one players is a candidate and the other isn't, looking at the comparison between the two is really important. 

The one area where I take the most stock is the underlying metrics. Now, it's important to note what neutral situations means. I use it to eliminate garbage time, so the win probability is between 10 and 90%. It essentially means the game is still in doubt and you get to see what they do in those situations.

In those metrics, Darnold is significantly better than Goff. He attacks down the field more than Goff does and receives significantly less help from his receivers after the catch. 

This is where the idea of scheme comes into play. Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson does a great job getting Goff easy passes with guys in space so they can eat up yards with ease. They are able to that with an elite offensive line and a running game that is the envy of the entire NFL. 

Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell is less focused on the yards after catch element and attacks space in coverage with option and inbreaking routes. Same with the Lions, it also requires the offensive line to play well.

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Both guys have great weapons at their disposal, which makes that aspect a wash. However, there are other factors as to why Goff is viewed so much differently than Darnold: it's the preseason narrative. 

Goff has become the darling of the NFL with his improvement since the Lions traded for him and Dan Campbell's team has become beloved by many across the nation and national media.

That element is something that Darnold does not have. He's a journeyman quarterback who has seen nothing other than failure with his time in New York and Carolina. 

If you go by resume, neither of these two should garner heavy consideration for Most Valuable Player. The three players who should get that consideration are Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen and Saquon Barkley.

The other element that hasn't been discussed with the MVP race is how explosive the Lions are in the running game. They are first in the NFL in EPA/rush and success rate/rush in neutral situations, with the EPA/play being an astounding 0.017 EPA/rush. Johnson has a great case for Assistant Coach of the Year because of how he runs the offense, which Goff isn't elevating but simply operating at a very high level.

However, if you are going to include Goff, you better include Darnold, as his case is arguably better.

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