Is it Talent or Context that Determines Success?

We are four games into the NFL season and there are only two undefeated teams left.?Ho-hum! The Chiefs are one of them with their hall of fame coach and quarterback.?What about the other team, the Minnesota Vikings, who are quarterbacked by a seemingly washed-up Sam Darnold??

After 4 games, Darnold is outperforming just about all quarterbacks on several metrics like quarterback rating and touchdowns.?While it is very difficult to discern individual performance in what is said to be a team game, Darnold’s play has raised eyebrows.?What accounts for Darnold’s success given that his first six years as an NFL quarterback were either mediocre or outright dismal??The answer should get the attention of leaders in all domains.

Sam Darnold was the overall third pick of the 2018 NFL draft, thus highly regarded by scouts for his talent.?His first year, he had almost as many turnovers as touchdowns and after 2 years, the New York Jets moved on to other shiny objects.?It would be fair to say that by last year, Darnold had become a journeyman backup quarterback.?In fact, he was brought in to back up the Viking's new highly touted first round rookie quarterback. When that quarterback had season ending surgery, enter Darnold and a lot of skepticism for the chances of the Vikings being any good. At least one preseason sportsbook set their over/under season win total at just 6 ? (out of 17).

It is very early, and Darnold is likely to regress some, but what are the pundits saying now??One of them writes about Darnold’s great footwork; after analyzing several plays, the conclusion was that Darnold had “the footwork of a confident quarterback, in command of the offense he is operating and with full trust in those around him” (Schofield). Others are noting how he has been able to grasp a complex offense and make fast progressions in reading the defense.?It seems that whatever coaching regimen (or other elixir) he received over the last year or so, someone should patent it.

The more accurate analysis, however, is not that complicated.?The co-hosts of The Athletic Football Show reveal the Darnold phenomenon.?Robert Mays admitted he discounted the Vikings because of the quarterback but underestimated the fact that people are capable of growing and improving in their job AND that people are often constrained by the conditions or context they have worked in.?Therefore, the same person can have very different results when moving from one work context to another. Derrik Klassen replied, “The context a player is in can completely change what they end up being on the field, especially when you consider what coaches they are playing for and what they are asked to do.”?Mays added, “Everyone is talented and has a certain level of proficiency in how they do their jobs.?Most of these players are not talentless or stupid.?For the most part a lot of struggles are based on a lot of things and lot of factors that we don’t consider and the same when they succeed” (Mays & Klassen).

Poor results are usually caused by many things not related to talent.?In a better context and with some time to learn, Darnold has become a competent quarterback.?Coaches and managers should pay more attention to creating a healthy context for those that must perform and do more to put them in positions to succeed rather than simply default to swapping them out for high-priced replacements.?

It is probable that Darnold, in his first couple of years, got forced into doing things before he was ready and was embedded into dysfunctional contexts that made it very difficult for him to develop and succeed (compare that to Mahomes who had a year to apprentice under a good veteran quarterback in a good system).?It is the job of the manager to cultivate positive work contexts that allow for people to learn and express their talents maximally.?Sam Darnold’s underlying talent is not different today than six years ago, but his effectiveness is different based on his capacity to learn and the more functional context he now operates in.

Schofield, M. (Sept 30, 2024). “Sam Darnold’s evolution into a top QB is fueling the Vikings’ unbeaten start.”? SB Nation, Retrieved from: https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2024/9/30/24258216/sam-darnold-vikings-bill-walsh-video-film-nfl.

The Athletic Football Show.? Retrieved from: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/podcast/211-the-athletic-football-show/.? Start at 1:24:30 in podcast.