Frank Sinatra sang it. “Regrets, I’ve had a few.”
How about some National Football League teams this year. Do you think the Tennessee Titans regret dismissing Mike Vrabel as their head coach in favor of, well in favor of that guy and now this guy, given the struggling franchise is already two coaches beyond Vrabel. And Vrabel, well he is guiding the New England Patriots to the best record in football in his first season with Robert Kraft’s team.
You think perhaps the Seattle Seahawks might have come to regret allowing Sam Darnold to leave without offering him a contract? All the one-time first round draft choice did last year was guide the Vikings to their second most regular season win in franchise history. This year, now with the Seattle Seahawks, he has that team atop their division with equally impressive stats while the Vikings continue to hope J.J. McCarthy will develop into a topflight signal caller while entering this week with a losing won/loss record, 4 and 5.
Last year, a season ending injury sidelined the rookie quarterback out of Michigan for the season, which opened the door for his projected backup, Darnold, to raise his stock beyond the Vikings buying price. When Darnold stumbled in his last two starts, losses to the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams, the Vikings had an easier time moving on.
Don’t you know that they were hoping Darnold would land this year with a thud, look more like his early career where he struggled with New York Jets and Carolina Panthers and only served as a backup during one season in San Francisco with the 49ers. That could have been the case, Darnold putting together another All-Pro season was no slam dunk given his history … but what do the Vikings have now?
McCarthy, in his second season has not shed the pattern of injuries. He has missed more games than he has started this year due to a high ankle sprain. He has been back for two weeks, looked pretty good in his first start after four weeks on the sidelines. He led a win over the talented Detroit Lions, but his bright week was leveled last Sunday in a home loss to the Baltimore Ravens.