"Check your facts before spouting nonsense": ESPN's Stephen A. Smith fact-checked by fans over dubious Sam Darnold claim

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold has been one of the surprise stories of the 2024 NFL season. While his form and the Vikings' position in the NFC are markedly different from their preseason expectations, not everyone is impressed.

On Thursday, Stephen A. Smith downplayed Darnold's impressive comeback campaign and went as far as to criticize his form on "First Take":

"We're talking about Sam Darnold. ... The man hasn’t thrown for 300 yards since November 24th against Chicago. ... Let’s not act like this is the second coming of Dan Marino."

However, Smith's stats were inaccurate, and fans took to X to criticize him. Many called Smith out for not knowing the facts, mentioning Darnold's 377 yards against the Green Bay Packers:

"@stephenasmith maybe check your stats before spouting nonsense. Darnold has thrown for 347 against Atlanta and 377 yards against Green Bay. Still can't admit you were wrong about him."

"Checks notes... Darnold threw for 370+ against Green Bay last week," one fan said.

"I’m not the biggest Darnold fan, but man Stephen A just likes to hear himself talk. Darnold JUST went for 370+ vs the Packers this weekend. The fact that no one calls him out on that is sad," this fan commented.

"Even if this was right info, throwing for 300 yards doesn’t just make you a good qb. Darnold has had a top tier season coming from a bears fan," another fan said.

"Sometimes I wonder he even watches games or not," one fan wrote.

Sam Darnold for NFL Comeback Player of the Year?

After being selected by the New York Jets with the third pick in the 2018 draft, Sam Darnold had a rough landing in the NFL. Turnovers were a problem and the losses mounted up.

A 4-9 rookie season featuring 2,865 yards, 17 TDs and 15 INTs was followed up by small improvements, with Darnold going 7-6 as a starter with 3,024 yards, 19 TDs and 13 INTs. However, one of the biggest talking points of the 2019 season was Darnold going viral when mic'd up, saying "I'm seeing ghosts" when down 24-0 to the New England Patriots.

A very disappointing 2020 season saw Darnold go 2-10 under center, throwing 9 TDs and 11 INTs, and he was traded to the Carolina Panthers ahead of the 2021 season. After going 8-9 in Carolina across two years, with 16 TDs and 16 INTs to show from a tenure featuring injuries and QB changes, Darnold became a free agent.

A one-year, $5.888 million deal saw Darnold become the backup QB in San Francisco. After making only one start in the regular season finale loss to the LA Rams, Sam Darnold's stock was at an all-time low when he again hit free agency.

The Vikings' decision to pick him up, combined with a season-ending injury to rookie J.J. McCarthy, was career-defining for Darnold. With a career-high 4,150 passing yards and 35 TDs to 12 INTs, Darnold is evidence that patience with young QBs can reap huge rewards.

With a 14-2 record, the Vikings are having a fantastic season and the question now is how far they can go. Sam Darnold is the favorite for the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award as per SI, who reported his odds at -135 on Friday.

The franchise is now concentrating on the crucial match against the Detroit Lions on Sunday. This game will determine not only who wins the NFC North, but also the first seed in the NFC. Winning the NFC's top seed gives them not only home-field advantage in the postseason but also a bye in the wild card.