You have to have a short memory to thrive in the NFL, and Sam Darnold evidently has one of the shortest.

Darnold’s ability to put mistakes behind him without dwelling on them has improved throughout his career, but to win Super Bowl 60, he might have to put his entire history against the New England Patriots completely out of mind.

Dating back to his time with the New York Jets, the Patriots have had Darnold’s number, from the infamous “Seeing Ghosts” game to a bruising defeat during his rookie season.

Everything about the Darnold experience has been different since he joined the Minnesota Vikings, though. From Minnesota to Seattle, Darnold looks more confident than ever, and he has one familiar hurdle to clear before he can call himself a Super Bowl champion.

Here’s a look back at Darnold’s career record against the Patriots.

MORE: Sam Darnold’s full career timeline

Sam Darnold record vs. Patriots

Darnold is 0-4 in his career against the Patriots, which each of those losses coming by at least 14 points. Here’s a look at each of those games.

Dec. 30, 2018: Patriots 38, Jets 3 

Darnold missed the Jets’ first meeting with the Patriots during his rookie season, and he might wish he had missed the second one. Darnold and the Jets suffered a crushing 38‑3 defeat in their season finale in Foxborough, allowing four Tom Brady touchdown passes while their own offense failed to reach the end zone once.

Darnold finished 16‑of‑28 for 167 yards, avoiding interceptions but losing a fumble as a four‑win season came to an end. The Jets fired coach Todd Bowles hours later.

Oct. 21, 2019: Patriots 33, Jets 0

Now known universally as the “seeing ghosts” game, Darnold and the Jets were trying to ride the momentum from an upset of the Dallas Cowboys when they suffered a 33-0 blowout loss to the Patriots at home on “Monday Night Football.”

Darnold looked as lost as he has ever looked in the NFL, finishing 11-of-32 for 86 yards and four interceptions — a passer rating of 3.6 — as Bill Belichick’s defense vexed the Jets all night long. 

Darnold was mic’d up for the game and was heard telling coaches he was “seeing ghosts” out on the field as turnover troubles piled up. After the game, Darnold explained the comment to reporters. “When I talk to the coaches, I just got to be straight up,” he said.

Before Super Bowl 60, Darnold joked that he “almost forgot about” his “seeing ghosts” line.

Sam Darnold on facing the Patriots in the Super Bowl after his “seeing ghosts” comment from 2019 when he played for the Jets:

“I almost forgot about it, so thanks.”

— Clayton Holloway (@HollowayNFLN) January 26, 2026

MORE: Ranking the 15 best Seahawks of all time

Jan. 3, 2021: Patriots 28, Jets 14

Darnold’s final game in a Jets uniform came against the Patriots, with New York suffering a 28-14 loss to a Patriots team that finished under .500 in their first season after Tom Brady’s exit. Darnold certainly had worse performances, as he finished 23-of-34 for 266 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions, but it wasn’t enough to beat out a New England offense that finally gathered some momentum with Cam Newton under center.

The loss snapped a two-game win streak for the Jets, who started the season 0-13 before wins over the Los Angeles Rams and Cleveland Browns.

Three months later, the Jets would trade Darnold to the Carolina Panthers and draft Zach Wilson as his successor with the No. 2 overall pick. 

Nov. 7, 2021: Patriots 24, Panthers 6

Darnold’s only meeting with the Patriots outside of a Jets uniform didn’t bring better results. Carolina stumbled to a 24-6 home loss, losing for the fifth time in a span of six games after opening the 2021 season 3-0. 

Darnold struggled mightily, finishing 16-of-33 for 172 yards and three interceptions as the Panthers failed to find the end zone. A pick-six from Darnold to J.C. Jackson turned a one-possession game into a commanding Patriots lead, and questions about Darnold’s viability as NFL starter only grew.

MORE: Inside Sam Darnold’s family tree

Sam Darnold stats vs. Patriots

• Starts: 4
• Record: 0-4
• Comp. rate: 66/127 (52.0%)
• Pass yards: 691
• Pass TD: 1
• INT: 9
• Passer rating: 41.2
• Rush att.: 7
• Rush yards: 39
• Rush TD: 0

Darnold’s career numbers against the Patriots are ugly, as he has accounted for only one touchdown and nine interceptions across four starts, all of which were losses.

Darnold is averaging 172.6 passing yards per game against the Patriots, with a passer rating of 41.2 across his four starts.

With that being said, Darnold hasn’t faced the Patriots since 2021. He’s spoken openly about how each stop along the way in his career has helped him grow, and he has a chance to prove it once again when he faces the Mike Vrabel-coached Patriots in Super Bowl 60.

MORE: Complete list of Super Bowl MVP winners through the years

Sam Darnold career record

Darnold now carries a career record of 49-41 (.544) across 90 starts, thanks to a combined 28 wins between the 2024 and 2025 seasons. Here’s the full breakdown:

Darnold has won more games over the last two seasons than he did in his first six NFL seasons, taking his record from 21-35 before joining the Vikings to 49-41 after seasons in Minnesota and Seattle.