It is quite curious to me how Sam Darnold has garnished so many haters over the past year and a half. He seems like genuinely one of the nicer dudes in the league, had a good year for himself in Minnesota last year up until the last two games, and has been enjoying an even better year in Seattle up until this one isolated game in LA against the Rams.
But people love to stroke the narratives of him being a pressure sensitive quarterback, an observer of ghosts on the football field, and the guy that they thought he was after a bad outing even though his analytics under pressure this year and last have actually been pretty good, for the most part. People in bars, on the job sites, and in the office don’t want to look at the nuanced data points, though. They want to watch Stephen A Smith rip him apart on ESPN, and then parrot off of him, afterwards.
After all, admit it. It is fun to say to your diehard Seahawks fan at work that the Seahawks will never win a Super Bowl with Sam Darnold. Deep down, there is a dark need for humanity to shit all over people’s hopes and dreams. This is why God created the internet. It helps him streamline the goats from the sheep with easy to read algorithms that the government tracks on its way to further authoritarianism.
So, I don’t know, just spit ballin’ here, but maybe folks don’t like Sam because he is an easy going So Cal kid who looks like his name should be Biff instead of Sam. Maybe, also, possibly some Seahawk fans don’t like him because they were huge Geno stans and don’t love that this sorta dorky white dude replaced their cool edgy guy quarterback.
Whatever the case might be, the truth of the matter is that Sam Darnold gave all of his haters and detractors reasons to light up their victory cigars this week, even though his late game quarterbacking against the Rams almost beat them in the finals seconds of the game. That last part won’t be much a talking point this week, though. His four interceptions most definitely will be.
Personally, I won’t put much stock in any of it. I will just keep the receipts for him to use at my discretion further down the line.
I fully get it that this lackluster performance of his was against the Rams, too, and that they were the team who did him dirty in the playoffs, but there is a lot of football left to be played this season, and a win or loss for either team coming out of this one isn’t going to make or break either of their seasons. If Seattle would have won yesterday, if Sam had played well, and Matthew Stafford had been the struggling quarterback, I would say the same exact thing, afterwards. Either way, I encourage pumping the breaks on declaring NFC West supremacy with seven games left to go on the season. Lots of football left to be played out there.
Aside from this poor outing of his, though, I suspect we will see much better versions of Sam in the games that remain on Seattle’s schedule, and he will guide his second team into the playoffs in two years come this January. I am also sure that should Seattle fall short in the playoffs, there will be a loud group of his detractors that will say “see, told ya, all so.”
This comes with the territory for any NFL quarterback who hasn’t won a lot of big moment games. This haunted Kirk Cousins, for years, in Minnesota, and it haunts Lamar Jackson, Dak Prescott, Justin Herbert, and Josh Allen all today, frankly.
So, I fully get it that until Sam gets his team into a deep playoff run, this will be his likely stigma. I just find it curious why so many people seem to love to shit all over this guy whenever he has a bad game. Is it just simply that he is a former Jets quarterback and getting drafted by the Jets is an instant death nail for young quarterbacks, and people just love to crap all over the Jets and their lackluster inept history?
In contrast, I have seen peak Russell Wilson loose badly on the road in Green Bay, throwing five interceptions, but because he was an instant winner in the league, most fans were reluctant to jump all over him even though his play clearly cost Seattle the ball game. It would be brushed aside as Russ just having “one of those games” and in the following week, against an inferior opponent, he would look like Good Ole DangerRuss again.
I can guarantee you that should Sam Darnold throw for 300 yards and three touchdowns against the Titans next Sunday, there will be people brushing those numbers off in a purely dismissive manner only reserved for those wait out the Sam Turning Into A Pumpkin games to return on Sundays. In fact, I can see a scenario where Seattle rattles off another impressive four game win streak, but loses at home against the Rams again, and folks will be saying “see, Sam just sees them ghosts against those Rams.”
So, yeah, I guess you can say that Sam saw those ghosts against the Rams defense on Sunday. I wasn’t all together surprised by it, to be honest. I just hoped that it would not have been the case.
The LA Rams legitimately have a top defense this year, and going into this game, it was tops in the league at creating turnovers. So, defenses that play to this level don’t generally happen by accident, and this was the same defense that wrecked Darnold in the playoffs last year. I would be foolish to think that this was going to be a cake walk game for him, and this offense.
Still, gotta take care of the ball better, Sammy.
A friend asked me what the keys were going to be for Seattle to pull out a victory and I said “run the ball, feed JSN, put pressure on Matt Stafford, and don’t turn the ball over.” I felt that these were the clearest keys, and because Seattle did three of the four things really well, they made it a battle all throughout. It was just those four fudging interceptions by Darnold that did them in. Blast it all.
And let me be clear when I say this that those interceptions from Darnold are the clear reason why Seattle lost this game, and I say this still being a big believer in his potential Seattle’s long term answer at quarterback. While I appreciate the passionate F bomb latent defense of Darnold that Ernest Jones gave in his post game press conference, at least three of those four interceptions on Darnold were really bad decisions that are solely on the quarterback, and two of those interceptions led to 14 points for the Rams. You do the math and figure out where to lay blame.
Can’t have that on the road against a really good football team, and expect to win, period, and if Seattle ends up a wildcard team in the playoffs having to travel on the road, guess what? They will be playing a really good team with probably a pretty good defense.
So, yeah. Hell, yeah Sam Darnold has to play better. The good news is that I think he will. I really do.
Here is why I am not too overly upset about this loss to the Rams yesterday. Darnold played poorly, but Seattle’s prowess on defense gave all worldly Matthew Stafford fits throughout most of the day, and it was also clear that Seattle’s defense was stressing Sean McVay out on the sidelines. The other big positive takeaway is that for two games in a row, Seattle offense has showed some really positive trends running the ball against good defenses, and this matters.
If defenses now play Seattle with more shell coverage, instead of loading the box, there will be opportunities for Seattle to get their run game going, and their quick passing game. We saw this against an elite Rams defense, and there was success with it. That is a moral victory that can be had out of this one even though I hate moral victories.
It also stands to reason that Sam Darnold and Rashid Shaheed are going to take some time developing their chemistry and understanding of each other. The sideline touchdown attempt from Darnold to Shaheed was a perfect example of that.
Sheed runs at a significantly faster clip than anyone else on this offense, and he and Darnold have had no offseason to get a rhythm with each other. I suspect as we get further into these games, we should see it clicking, and hone it does, that will be a lot of fun for Seattle fans, but it will take some games. When we see it take off, though, it is going to be a lot of fun.
The only real bummer about this game, for me, is the knee injury that happened to rookie sensation Grey Zabel at left guard. If he is lost for the season, it is going to be tough for Seattle to win this division this year, I fear. They could still well make the playoffs as a wildcard team, but losing the talents of Zabel on the offensive line would definitely be a massive blow. I really hope that injury isn’t very serious.
So, as it stands now, Seattle dropped to 7-3, and they share this record in the NFL with the mighty Buffalo Bills. They have a better record than the Lions, the Packers, the Bucs, Steelers, Chiefs, and Chargers, who were all playoff teams last year. There exists winnable games on their schedule, and with this badass defense of theirs, I like them to win a lot of these remaining games even with the potential loss of Zabel at left guard.
When the schedule came out months ago, I looked at it, and figured that Seattle would probably land on a 11-6 season and a playoff birth. I still see this as the floor of this team this year.
The Sam Darnold Pumpkin Watchers can light up their cigars with Stephen A Smith this week, have their fun, and enjoy their victory laps on the internet. Let the Darnold Seeing Ghosts memes and comments have their cake and ice cream, too. I get it. Enjoy it, if you must. Vikings fans can rejoice in the false sense of security that their I Told You Sos will provide them as they use it to mask their anxieties about the development of JJ McCarthy. It is all good.
Just know that for every time you rag on Sam Darnold, a little puppy dog dies somewhere, and makes a young child cry in mourning. So, have that one your conscious, if you choose to partake. God is watching. God knows all.
I still think this team can be pretty special this year, and I think Darnold can still play a big part of that going forward. In fact, I am looking forward to that.
This game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers yesterday was one that had my mind filled with emotions, and thoughts. It was the Seahawks 50th Anniversary Game with a halftime celebration of the 50th best players in franchise history, and I would have loved to have been there for that. Due to the significance of it, I really wanted to see Seattle win this one. Then there is the issue with the quarterbacks.
I was very much looking forward to seeing a QB duel between Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold. I liked both quarterbacks a lot coming out of the 2018 draft, and when Seattle was looking towards trading Russell Wilson, they were the two quarterbacks out there who I was most interested in seeing Seattle acquire. I felt either would have been well worth a shot to see if they could be the guy. So, with this particular match, I was really into seeing how these guys would play against each other, and it did not disappoint. I just didn’t love the outcome.
I would also say that Emeka Egbuka was very much a player that I was interested in Seattle drafting last Spring. Given that he was a local kid who grew up a Seahawks fan, that Seattle had some need at receiver, and he was very good at Ohio State, I loved the idea of it (even though I preferred them drafting guard Grey Zabel given the bigger need). So, I could say that his stellar play in this match has given my views on him further credence, as well. Imagine him and JSN together up here with Darnold throwing them darts.
Overall, my biggest reaction to this game is that it was a shame Sam Darnold’s last play in this game ended with a pick over the middle on a pass deflected off of a helmet. Aside from that moment, Sam was having his best game as a Seahawk, and was poised to have perhaps the best game of his career with an opportunity to lead a game winning drive with a minute left to go. Up until that point, he had been damn near perfect throwing for 4 TDS, over 300 yards and completing over 80 percent of his passes.
I imagine there will be some wee bit of dumb talk on sports radio this week and maybe some chatter online that Sam Darnold is not really a franchise quarterback because of that pick. I couldn’t disagree more. Not only do I believe that the Seahawks have their franchise quarterback in Darnold, I would say that I feel even more optimistic about good things coming around the corner for this team, if they properly build it around him.
Let us keep in perspective what Seattle was faced with in this game. They were hosting a very talented and scrappy Tampa Bay team led by one of the hottest quarterbacks in the league. Seattle entered into the game without their pro bowl free safety (Julian Love), without their best edge rusher (DeMarcus Lawrence), and without their best corner (Devon Witherspoon). In the course of the game, they also lost their other starting edge rusher (Derick Hall), and they lost their other starting corner (Riq Woolen). When Darnold and Baker were playing a shootout game, Seattle’s defense was without five of its eleven starters on the field. That’s nearly half of the starting defense.
Still, if it wasn’t for a missed 42 yard kick by the usually dependable Josh Meyers, and a very stupid option play that led to a lost fumble by Jalen Milroe with a red hot Darnold being pulled off of the field for it, Seattle might have won this game in a shootout a bit more easily. In a game that was going to be close, they made more mistakes than Tampa did, and this was the difference.
That said, Seattle appears to now have a formidable offense emerging. With the play calling of Klint Kubiak, the quarterbacking of Darnold, the receiving talents of JSN, Cooper Kupp, AJ Barner, and Tory Horton, and the running styles of Ken Walker and Zach Charbonnet, there is reason to feel very optimistic, especially with a young offensive line that is showing clear signs of improvement. Generally speaking, I feel very good about this offense. This is the silver lining coming out of this game.
The concern, however, is that Seattle’s defense showed its alarming lack of depth when numerous starters are out of the game against a talented offense. If they had played against a bad Titans team, they could have possibly gotten by, but the Bucs right now feel like a proper contender, and this is what happens against a proper contender when you are running a platoon of two players at WILL linebacker, and your safety and cornerback depth is exposed.
Last week, I wrote a piece about the Seahawks making a trade before the deadline, and most of the players I suggested were offensive fellas. After this game, however, if I were John Schneider, I would probably be getting on the phone with teams that who have four losses or more and discuss trading for a defender, most likely a quality veteran cornerback, another middle linebacker, or edge rusher. Perhaps even a safety, even, if a special player is there, and maybe consider shifting rookie Nick Emmanwori to WILL linebacker duties in nickel packages.
The Ravens are now 1-4, so are the Browns, the Saints, the Giants, the Dolphins, the Raiders, and the Titans, and the Jets are now 0-5. Could cornerback Marlon Humphrey, who Macdonald knows well, be pried out of Baltimore? Could they bring corner Denzel Ward into this defense from Cleveland? Could Bradley Chubb be had from Miami? How about former Seattle LB Jordyn Brooks with the Fins, or Saints MLB Pete Werner? Or Fins safety Minkah Fitzpatrick? How about Kayvon Thibodeaux of the Giants?
This can be a very long list of possibilities if I wanted to waste more space on this post. The point is, I suspect there will be deals to be had, and Seattle should be very active.
If it were me, I would say that enough is enough at the split duties at WILL linebacker next to Ernest Jones, and go trade for a quality proven off ball linebacker who can play the run and pass. Then, I would say go get another edge rusher. I wouldn’t be upset at all if they traded a second round pick to Cincinnati for Trey Hendrickson at this point, to be honest, or Thibodeaux, for that matter.
Then there is this issue with the secondary that sorta has me feeling some extra dread after this loss. If I am to be honest, I would say the news of Julian Love and Devon Witherspoon missing this game against the Bucs after ten days rest coming out the TNF game against isn’t the most encouraging.
Against Baker Mayfield and these Tampa receivers, the Seahawk defense needed all hands on the backend yesterday, and who knows how severe and how long Spoon and Love will be out. We need better clarity here with them in order to project what Seattle might look to do next.
At the very least, I think Seattle should now call up Shaq Griffin from the practice squad to get some veteran stability active on game days. He certainly can’t be worse than what Nehemiah Pritchett was in relief duty, and in all probability, I think he would provide a solid fourth option on game days.
But what about safety if Love is going to miss further games? Should they look to the free agent market for a veteran such as Justin Simmons or former Raven safety Marcus Williams? Or is there an opportunity out there in a trade?
I wasn’t necessarily thinking this would be an easy game against the Bucs, and I certainly didn’t foresee a shoutout, but this shootout was encouraging enough to think that perhaps Seattle now needs to get very greedy about their defense. Mike Macdonald was not hired to coach this team to win shootouts. He was hired to coach a team that wins with a dominating defense, and while it is good to know that Darnold and company can play admirably in a shootout, it is time to make sure this defense is more fortified.
So, let’s get back to winning defense, again. Time for John Schneider to cook.
This Sunday, at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington, the Seattle Seahawks will face their dreaded foe the San Francisco 49ers. The forecast for the game is usual for early September in Seattle, a high of about 70 degrees, with some chance of rain. It is also in the forecast that 49er fans will be traveling well, and the stands will be packed with them.
Would it shock me if Seattle drops this game to San Francisco, and Seahawk fans will have to suffer all the obnoxious Bang Bang Gang crap that 49er fans will throw their way?
Absolutely, not. San Fransisco has been the class of this rivalry for a number of years now, and while their roster is older now, and isn’t projected to be as strong as it has been in recent years, they will come into Lumen with extra motivation to squash any upstart attempts by the younger Seahawks team. The 49ers need this year to be special for them perhaps more so than Seattle does given the amount of money they have paid into players who are getting older, and therefore, the clock on their window for a title is ticking more loudly. If they have another down year, it could spell the end of the Kyle Shanahan tenure.
I would also say, however, that I wouldn’t be surprised, at all, if the Seahawks end up beating them pretty handily in this one, sending the legion of 49er Faithfuls departing for their hotel rooms before the final whistle is blown. Objectively speaking, Seattle feels like one of the bigger X factor teams that is tough for prognosticators to get a handle on, and therefore, could be surprise contender. The Seahawks will have tons of motivation to beat the 49ers and send a message to their fanbase, warning them of buying tickets to travel all the way up to the PNW expecting any more easy wins.
I would also say, as a longtime fan of this team, it would be extra gratifying if they did decisively handle the 49ers in a few days, setting a tone early for everyone to see that they are going to be a tough out for any team to play this year. It would be extra, extra gratifying watching all the 49er fans who spent upwards to $300 a ticket, thinking this was going to be a cakewalk for their team, depart the stadium stunned and angry, and suddenly full of doubt. I would enjoy getting bunched in the face by any angry 49er fella just to look him in the eye and smile, knowing my guys kicked the crap out of his. Football is that stupid and ridiculous like this sometimes.
This all said, a win or loss out of this game won’t make or break the season for either team, and the season is a long one with many storylines within teams to tell. In short, injuries happen, and the difference between good teams and bad ones, outside of coaching, is most often the quality of depth at key positions.
Could things unravel for the Seahawks this year in a competitive division against the Rams, 49ers, and Cardinals? Absolutely, they can. No question about it.
They could lose a couple key starters on the offensive line, and suddenly, they are depending on late round rookies and street free agents to start, and Seattle fans will lament over the offensive line, yet again. If they lose Jaxson Smith Njigba for the year, I could see that putting the team in a bind, as well. If Sam Darnold loses significant time, well then, get ready for the Drew Lock Show on Sundays because Jalen Milroe is likely going to redshirt this year, and who knows what comes out of that.
And this is just me thinking about the offense. If the defense were to lose Devin Witherspoon to injuries, if middle linebacker Ernest Jones misses games, or Leonard Williams ends up on IR, it could cause a regression to the side of the ball thought to be the strongest for Seattle, no question. It is a bit of a grim thought.
This is the gamble for every team in the NFL, though. Losing key starters sucks for every franchise, ask 49er fans about it last year, or Dallas fans. They know.
If Matthew Stafford’s back can’t stay healthy enough for him to be an effective quarterback on Sundays this Fall, it could spell the odd lost season for Sean McVay and the Rams as they then perhaps eye the 2026 draft for a new franchise quarterback. Perhaps it wouldn’t be the worst thing for them, if it all plays out this way, anyways.
Each NFL season tells its own story, though, and in that, it is folly to think what a team was in the previous year will carry through to the next. This is why I don’t put a lot of stock in projections and predictions for each team, the Vegas odds, and neither should you.
Here in Seattle, I think we have a football team that is tough for the national perspective to figure out. After finishing 10-7 in his first year as head coach, Mike Macdonald decided that his offense wasn’t cutting it. He fired his pass happy offensive coordinator and brought in Klint Kubiak to coach a more run centric attack to compliment his defense. Weeks later, QB1 Geno Smith, and WR DK Metcalf individually requested trades out of Seattle, they were granted, and collectively, they were replaced by Sam Darnold, and Cooper Kupp via free agency.
I will avoid getting drawn into debates as to who the better quarterback is between Sam and Geno, or who the better receiver is. There are plenty of strong opinions out there by folks who have voiced them loudly many times over the past months. I will just say that I like the upside of Sam Darnold a lot in this particular style of offense, and I think Cooper Kupp brings much needed leadership to Seattle’s young receiver room.
People are free to offer opinions on Darnold, Klint Kubiak, and Mike Macdonald. If you feel compelled to parrot skeptics over Seattle’s decision making process this last offseason, you are welcome to it. If you feel more compelled now to root for the Raiders because Geno and Pete Carroll are there, go for it. Jump back on the Seahawk bandwagon whenever it feels right for you to do it, I say. I will be here to welcome you back.
For me personally, being a long time, Gen X-y, Seattle Seahawk fan, I feel a genuine sense of excitement over this year that I have not felt in a while. It is fun to see a new regime take over, fully put into place their vision on a team, and watch it mold together. Thus far, I dig the vision of Mike Macdonald, and I don’t mind, at all, that he is a bit of a Harbaugh guy, and that cuts a bit against the gain of those who grew use to Pete Carroll.
If you are a fan of the Legion Of Boom era Seattle Seahawks, ironically however, I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t be excited about a return of the philosophy of having an offense built off of a strong run game, and playing strong defense. I would argue that, through the 50 year history of this franchise, this very philosophy has carried this team to all of its peaks, starting with the Chuck Knox era that began in 1983, picked up again by Mike Holmgren in the early 2000’s, and then established by Pete Carroll again by 2012.
If Geno Smith had no interest in being Macdonald’s game managing QB1 in a run centric scheme this year, and just wanted to get back with Carroll in Vegas going against Patrick Mahomes twice a year, then God bless him, and best of luck with that. Let’s see what Sam Darnold provides.
Here is what I like about the move to Sam Darnold and why I think it could pay off nicely for Seattle moving forward
If you really peel back the tea leaves with Darnold (which is something I do not think most of his critics have done), I believe you will see his underrated potential for Klint Kubiak’s play action scheme. He’s tall, and athletic with a good arm. He plays naturally under center, and functions well rolling out as a passer, and over the years, he has built up a quick release, has improved his footwork, and thus, has improved his accuracy.
Generally speaking, however, there is a narrative on Sam Darnold that reads, as follows.
I don’t know what version of Sam Darnold we are going to get.. will it be the Vikings Sam Darnold.. or the one with the New York Jets?
We see this statement from various NFL talking heads across the land who, in all likelihood, are not very invested in professional football played in the Pacific Northwest. It is an easy thing for them to spit out on airwaves when they are paid to comment on 32 NFL franchises, and I am willing to cut them slack for that. However, there are the nuances about Darnold that these sorts are not considering.
In 2018, Sam Darnold was taken third overall in the draft by a very bad Jets franchise, and he was placed into an offensive system designed to be run by Peyton Manning. There was only one QB on the planet fully capable of running that offense, and it was Manning, himself, and certainly not a 20 year old kid who played in a rudimentary play action style offense at USC.
Going against the world class Patriots twice a year with all of that on his plate, with not a lot of talent around him, and a guy ill suited to be a NFL head coach, Darnold was destined to fail in New York. In fact, he found himself in Carolina a few years later, coached by someone from college who was running a college spread system that he was also unfamiliar with. Again, Darnold was stuck on a bad team, playing in an ill suited system, and he was eventually replaced by Baker Mayfield who busted out of Cleveland.
The interesting thing with Darnold in Carolina, however, is that when Matt Rhule was fired in the middle of 2022, and replaced by an interim coach, Darnold regained his QB1 job over Mayfield, the Panthers shifted to a run centric, play action attack, and Darnold played decently during the second half of the season for them, guiding them towards playoff contention.
In 2023, he had offers from teams to compete for a starting job in free agency, but he purposely chose to go to San Fransisco to backup Brock Purdy for a year. He told Kyle Shanahan that he wanted to learn how to be a proper NFL quarterback in a scheme that suits him as a player. He spent a year learning from Kyle, went to the Vikings in the following year, and the rest is history. Last year was his breakout and he finished top ten in MVP voting, despite that bad loss against the Lions at the end of the season, and that ugly playoff loss against the Rams.
So, the Seahawks don’t have Justin Jefferson, and I get it. They don’t have Kevin O’Connell calling plays, and I am aware of that, as well.
But isn’t it still possible that Darnold, who just turned 28 years old in June, is starting to finally blossom as an NFL quarterback simply because of the proper coaching he has finally gotten matched with the appropriate scar tissue he has built up as a starter in this league?
I think it is, and there is a decent chance that he gets even better here over time. We shall see.
As for the whole How is Darnold under Pressure Debate.. well, again, I think there is a bit of laziness happening here with him in this regard. Skeptics will say that he is terrible under pressure, yet Pro Football Focus rated him as elite in the league last year under pressure. Is this an instance where the analysts at PFF are dumb on Darnold and naysaying talking heads know best? Or is it that the bulk of Darnold’s doubters have fallen victim of lazy narrations about him as a player over the years? I will let you decide.
If you are not convinced about the upside of Darnold in this offense, and are circling back to how much better the situation was for him in Minnesota than what he will have here, I’m onto you. Truth be told, I don’t think the situation last season in Minnie was that much better than what Macdonald and company are building up here, presently. Allow me to explain.
Jaxson Smith Njigba is destined for stardom and his crew will surprise this year
Let me start this off by saying that I understand your concerns about the Seahawk receiver room, and lack of star power it now has compared to recent years. I think you have cause for concern.
As I already mentioned above, if Seattle loses JSN for an extended time this season, it could be the thing that derails their season. I will be the first to admit that.
Cooper Kupp is still a good player, but he hasn’t stayed healthy for a season in many years now, and I don’t think he’s a guy you want to rely on making it through a full season. Rookie receiver Tory Horton has shown promise through training camp, but he is coming off of a knee injury in college, and I think it could be a bit of a fingers crossed hope that he stays healthy through 17 games, as well. Behind these fellas, we have possession receiver Jake Bobo, journeyman Cody White, and the unknown potential of Dareke Young.
If we are heading into a Week 16 matchup against the Rams, needing a win to stay in playoff contention, and our primary receiver in the offense is Jake Bobo, it’s probably going to be a nerve racking matchup for hopeful Seahawk fans. I can feel my blood pressure rise just thinking about it.
Seattle fans have been spoiled with the presence of DK Metcalf, and Tyler Lockett together. Even though JSN grew into the primary receiver role over them in 2024, not having either known commodity on this roster anymore takes away a major security blanket for most Seahawk fans. I get the anxiety, but conversely, I think ripping this security blanket away sorta has me more excited about this offense, and its desired new direction.
I love that the coaching staff and front office is banking on JSN fully being The Guy in this offense. When I look at the classic West Coast Offense, a system for which this offense is rooted in, it has never been an attack that has required a take the top of the defense off speed demon receiver. It was all about solid route runners who could get quick separation, who had reliable hands, and who had just enough of a size and quickness to get yards after catch and contact.
The GOAT WCO receiver, Jerry Rice was famously not a fast guy. He was a sudden possession receiver with strong hands, elite precision as a route runner, and interestingly enough, he was built similarly to JSN.
When Seattle first made the Super Bowl in 2005, sporting Mike Holmgren’s version of the WCO, their primary pass catcher was Darrell Jackson, a pure route runner, not a speed guy, also built similarly to JSN. When Seattle went to back to back Super Bowls over a decade ago, playing with a WCO, Doug Baldwin was their primary dude, purely a precision route runner, a bit smaller than JSN. Justin Jefferson plays in this style of offense with the Vikings, is built similarly to JSN, and also, isn’t a fast track fella.
I am telling you now, Jaxson Smith Njigba is tailor made by the hand of God, himself, to be a top shelf receiver in the league playing in this style of offense. He can play inside and outside, he can catch the quick outs, find the creases over the middle, and he can get deep. If Seattle gets a full season out of him this year, he will ascend to stardom in this league, and be thought of as one of the best. Bank on this happening.
He will be thought of in the same breath as Justin Jefferson, and Amon-Ra St. Brown. Book it.
As for the rest of this bunch of pass catchers?
When we are taking about Kupp, Bobo, White, and Young, we are talking about physical players willing to do whatever dirty work is needed as perimeter run blockers. We are also talking about tough guy over the middle inside the mouth of the lion pass catchers, and we guys with profiles who fit the mold of what the classic WCO requires.
With rookie Tory Horton, we are looking at a guy who has the talent to be the steal of the entire 2025 NFL draft, and could ascend to the second main option for Darnold by the end of this season. His potential is that promising.
But truth be known, when we look back to this season by the time January rolls around, I think we will be talking a lot about the tight ends, and it is going to be in a good way. The Kubiak offense, and the heart of the WCO pass game, features tight ends in big ways. People are going to be excited about rookie Isaiah Arroyo and the athleticism he provides, but if I am to pick a breakout player for the offense this year, I am picking second year player AJ Barner to wear that hat.
Last year, in a dysfunctional mess of a Ryan Grubb offense, I thought Barner showed a lot of promise. He was a good blocker coming out of Michigan, but he showed surprisingly reliable hands, and play making abilities as a pass catcher as a rookie. It is fun to think about what might lay ahead for him next in an offense that will now know more what it wants to be.
In an offense that will dedicate itself this year to being built on the run, the well roundedness of Barner is practically destined to flourish, and shine, I believe, and I say that with confidence. If all goes as well as I believe it can, I would not be surprised if he’s a pro bowler. I think this is out there for him.
We shall see, but I am excited to find out.
Why I expect Seattle to have one of the top running offenses in the league this year
Seattle’s revamped offensive line led by Charles Cross, Grey Zabel, and Abe Lucas, with massive and athletic Anthony Bradford, and Jalen Sundell is tailor made to become a potentially dominant zone blocking offensive line. All of these guys are athletes who combine size and power with speed and athleticism. It helps tremendously that they are being coached by guys who have PHDs in coaching up this style of blocking.
They can run inside zone, outside zone stretch, and power gap. If you don’t know all this football jargon, I’m just saying that this a young offensive line physically capable of doing a lot together as run blockers as they grow together as a unit.
Depth might be a concern at the moment, but let’s see how that shakes out as the season progresses. After week one of the season, teams can add free agents and they don’t have to guarantee contracts for the year. Typically, after week one, more transactions occur and rosters then become more set.
As it stands now, through these preseason games, heading into the week one matchup against the 49ers, I like what Klint Kubiak, and offensive line coach John Benton are cooking. Bradford feels reborn and reshaped, and Sundell feels like a potential hidden gem at center. Cross, Zabel, and the newly extended Lucas feel like potential cornerstone players for the offense.
While fantasy geeks will debate whether Seattle should start Ken Walker, or Zach Charbonnet at running back, I could honestly give two flips about it. With the potential of this young line, I think they could roll with George Holani, and be just fine.
Truth be told, I think we are going to see exciting production from all three backs, and I don’t think it will matter who starts. It is a system that produces great running back production, and this dates all the way back to the Denver Broncos in the 1990’s.
if I had to predict what Seattle will do at running back, I would lean toward Charbonnet and Walker splitting the bulk of the duties, and Holani mixing in here, and there, as needed. I suspect all three will have their moments of shining brightly in this scheme, and I am not even factoring in the potential of third string quarterback Jalen Milroe in the special packages Kubiak will have for him during the course of the season.
It will remain to be seen how much Milroe will be called on during each and every week in short yardage situations, and in and round the goal line, but I anticipate that it will be just enough to keep oppositional coaches spending extra time during the weeks to plan for his usage. Right now, I am cautiously optimistic about it. Could be the talk of the season, but it could also be just a bit of an extra wrinkle we see in games, here and there.
What I really want to talk about, however, is the glorious return of the fullback in Seattle and rookie phenom that is destined to be Robbie Ouzts. I have a sneaking suspicion that as Seattle attempts to pry the division title out of the old dead hands of the Los Angeles Rams in late December, one Robert Ouzts will have grown into a huge fan favorite both as a punishing lead blocker, and a play maker catching outlet passes and pulverizing tacklers as he charges upfield. I am here for that big time.
If this becomes truth, I will buy a Robbie Ouzts jersey and proudly wear it each Sunday moving forward with this team. I will be fully Ouzts-pilled as the cool kids like to say (I think).
I am ready for this to be a thing. I am ready to wear the Ouzts jersey on Sundays. Please, Sweet Lord, let it be a thing!
But the real reason for supreme over the top optimism for the Seahawks remains the defense
Defense wins championships. Don’t let any punky keyboard warrior tell you differently. Defense will forever always win you championships.
The whole entire point of bringing in Klint Kubiak is to connect this offense to a potentially dynamic defense brewing in Seattle. Period, end of story. No questions about that, at all.
Am I a bit disappointed that the Seattle Seahawks didn’t ship two first round picks and Leonard Williams to Dallas for Micah Parsons?
No, I am not. I wanted him here, but that would have been too much for him. Parsons to Seattle, minus the best defensive tackle on the team would have been too much.
Give me Leo Wiliams, Jarran Reed, and Byron Murphy all day, every day, mixing in with edge rushers DeMarcus Lawrence, Derick Hall, Boye Mafe, and Chenna Nwosu. That’s the defensive line rotation, I am pretty good with it, to be honest.
Could they add another nose tackle to the mix? Absolutely, and they could add another veteran edge rusher, as well.
But at the end of the day, I want to see Mafe and Hall talk the next step as rushers off the edges, and I want to see Byron Murphy take a positive step forward at DT, as well. These guys are the present and future.
As is Ernest Jones and Tyrice Knight at middle linebacker, mixing in with Nick Emmawori who will see time as a chess piece moving around between nickel linebacker and safety. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see backup linebacker Drake Thomas take on a greater role on the defense, as well. Macdonald has talked glowingly about Thomas all throughout training camp, and I, for one, am a bit intrigued.
It is the backend of this defense that could be real stars, though. Devon Witherspoon is becoming an elite cornerback in this league, and could take a further step this year. The other corner, Riq Woolen still possesses the length and athleticism that make him a league wide rarity, and he is going into a contract season. That could easily spell bad news for the rest of the teams in this division, and this is not factoring in the steady play of safeties Julian Love and Coby Bryant, who are interchangeable, sharp minded, play-making pieces for Macdonald.
Emmawori is poised to be the x-factor chess piece, though, I suspect. Expect him to line up almost everywhere at linebacker, safety, and corner.
Personally, I suspect that Macdonald kept him intentionally in a very vanilla role during the preseason games. Fans and media were left with a “meh” sorta response on his impact in games, and I think that’s probably just how Macdonald would have it heading into opening weekend against the 49ers.
It is an interesting tell that Seattle is choosing to go a bit light at middle linebacker heading into the season. It makes me suspect that the usage of Emmawori is factoring, but we will see.
At any rate, I fully expect Seattle to have a top five-ish defense this year. They might make roster additions here and there as the season unfolds, but the defenders we see on the roster now are probably mostly the fellas we see factor into it.
They will utilize practice squad veterans like corner Shaq Griffin, and nose tackle Quinton Bohanna, as needed. The 53 man roster isn’t what it used to be with the practice squad expanded to 17 players with vested veterans being able to be added. Teams league wide use their practice squads as if they have expanded 70 man rosters. So, it is little worth stressing out about how you see initial 53 man rosters get announced.
But mark my words, Seattle will have an elite defense this year, one way or another. Mike Macdonald will make sure of that, and he will pair it with a dominant run game on offense. This combination almost always spells out a playoff team. It is okay to dream about that for Seattle this year.
My concluding thoughts about the Seahawks and their potential this year.
I think the NFC West is wide open for the taking, and in many ways, so is the NFC conference. Outside of the Eagles, again, maybe Green Bay with the addition of Parsons, maybe Washington, I don’t know who the sure fire real contenders are in the conference.
The Detroit Lions lost their offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator to head coaching jobs, and their All Pro center surprisingly retire. Can Dan Campbell, who is more of a culture guy than an X’s and O’s fella, get them in top contention with those losses? I am not sure.
Then there is the 49ers and Rams, who, honestly, I don’t understand why there is so much national hype over. The Niners are older and less talented than in years past, and Matthew Stafford is a 37 year old quarterback who now has to manage through a bad back for 17 games. While I can see both teams having big years, I can also see Seattle and Arizona being the top two teams in the division this year because of these factors, as well.
As for other outside the division NFC teams, I am not sold on the Vikings switching to JJ McCarthy at quarterback, and as much as I like Baker Mayfield in Tampa, I don’t know how much better they really are after losing their talented offensive coordinator to a HC gig.
Then you have the who’s who’s of Dallas, Carolina, Chicago, Atlanta, and the Giants. I don’t know what cream can be expected to rise out of this lot, and I am barely even thinking about the Saints.
So, yeah, I’m kind of sun shiny, rosey, good vibes optimistic about Seattle. I dig the potential of the coaching here. I am high on the defense, and I think people are sleeping on the offense. That is all perfectly fine.
For what feels like months now, I have been sorta sideways projecting Sam Darnold to the Seattle Seahawks for this offseason. Now, it is officially a feather in my cab.
For me, I just made too much sense. If Geno Smith and Sam Darnold are essentially parallel with each other as NFL quarterbacks, as many believe, Sam Darnold is seven years younger, and that flips the scales for me as a Seattle Seahawk fan, and I say this being a fan of Geno Smith.
It further made sense to me after the news broke about Klint Kubiak taking over the offensive coordinator job here in Seattle. Kubiak runs a very similar system to what the Vikings do, and he was Darnold’s QB coach for a year in San Francisco. When Seattle hired Kubiak, the dots connecting to Darnold felt significantly stronger.
But I have pining for, and projecting Sam Darnold to Seattle long before Kubiak landed here.
I started calling it back in December when the Minnesota Vikings game to town and Darnold had an absolute kick ass game against an ascending Seahawk defense. He out dueled Geno Smith in a very competitive game with tons of playoff implications for both teams.
There was a young Vikings fan sitting behind me, very polite young sir, and every time Darnold made a badass throw under pressure, I turned to him, and said “I want your quarterback.”
He just smiled and nodded and politely said “sure, maybe, but I think Minnesota is going to want to hang onto him.”
Indeed, in days leading up to free agency, the Vikings were trying to make a push to get Sam back on a well compensated short term deal, but he wanted bigger commitment. He earned that.
From the Vikings perspective, it makes sense to want him back because of the uncertainty of JJ McCarthy’s health, perhaps his durability, and his stage of development. Despite the late stage two game collapse that critics of Darnold love to point at, he played very well for them in 2024. Like, really, really well.. MVP consideration well.
Personally, I don’t think his 2024 play was a fluke. As he spent a year in San Francisco soaking up the Shanahan offense from the perspective of backing up Brock Purdy, I suspect Sam Darnold got much needed perspective after rough tours of duty in dysfunctional Carolina and even more dysfunctional New York Jets Land. I think it is entirely possible that his year off from starting allowed him to figure out better how to be a quality NFL quarterback in a proper offensive scheme that suits his abilities.
Viking head coach Kevin O’Connell made a shrewd move signing Darnold last year as a bridge starter to the quarterback they were determined to draft. O’Connell coaches essentially the same system as Kyle Shanahan, and I suspect he had a pretty good idea that a year of Darnold interning for Kyle was going to make him a better quarterback for it. The Vikings were very quick to sign Darnold last year, and I am sure it was a move that many in the media and fans across the league giggled at.
“Sam Darnold (snort).. yeah, right.”
When will fans, and media ever learn that we should never judge a quarterback for whatever they did, or did not do when playing for the New York Jets. Seahawk fans, of all people, should know not to lay judgement after three years of Geno Smith.
If you want to bring up the “I’m seeing ghosts” moment that Darnold had on the sidelines back in 2019 when playing against a dominant New England Patriot defense, go for it. For me, I think Bill Belichick has had a lot of quality NFL quarterbacks seeing ghosts in games over the years, and the only thing I would criticize Darnold for is perhaps being a bit too honest with teammates in the heat of the battle. A more seasoned quarterback might have kept those thoughts to himself in that moment.
Truth be known, I have been a Sam Darnold fan for many years now, going back to a cold wet miserable night in Seattle, Washington, in the late Fall of 2016, when the underdog USC Trojans came into Husky Stadium and put an absolute ass whooping on a Husky football team that some thought could go after a national title. I watched that game in my little TV den, and what I saw was this big, tall, sophomore quarterback stare down pressure against a very fierce front seven of the Washington Husky defense, and just throw laser guided darts downfield in the cold windy rain, hitting receiver after receiver in the process. I mean, this walk on sophomore kid was Tom Brady-like badass in that game. It was disappointing as a Husky fan, but objectively as a football fan, it was an impressive display of quarterbacking against very tough conditions on the road.
When I was at Lumen Field watching the Seahawks duke it out against the Vikings, that 2024 version of Sam Darnold looked exactly like that sophomore USC version eight years prior. So, I turned to this young Viking fan, and I told him that I wanted his quarterback.
I did. Ireally wanted him, and I am happy I got him.
I am looking forward to watching Sam Darnold quarterbacking the Seahawks. This is something that I have been hoping on and off for a few years now, actually.
I remember it well back in 2021 when it was reported that Russell Wilson wanted out and we reportedly had a deal in place with Chicago to send him there for two first round picks and maybe Khalil Mack. In that trade scenario, some were reporting that Seattle was going to try to trade for Darnold who was still with the Jets. Feeling more disenchanted with Russ, my buddy Daniel and I were messaging each other back and forth almost daily about it, and how cool it would be to get Pete Carroll this talented young USC kid who was getting fucked over by the Jets.
But that trade with Chicago never happened and we never got Darnold. He got shipped to Carolina instead, and got kinda screwed over there, as well.
We got him now, though, and on a three year Baker Mayfield style contract that feels very reasonable for him, and Seattle. He has three years to prove 2024 wasn’t a fluke, and Seattle has three years to see if he is the longer termed solution, or if they should draft and develop behind him. I think this is ideal for both sides.
And look, I get if you are skeptical about this move, or if you’re annoyed that they moved on from Geno, and replaced him with a very similar quarterback. I even get it if you think Sam Darnold isn’t as good as Geno Smith. Everyone is welcome to their views, and I think in this Darnold signing, we are apt to see a wide range of them.
Long time NFL Draft analyst and Seahawk insider Rob Rang believes that Darnold is an upgrade over Geno Smith, and has said as much. He studied both players through college, has watched them both as pros, and he thinks Darnold is the more talented guy.
Richard Sherman, on the other hand, called this a lateral move by the Seahawks, and noted that Geno Smith has better moves in the pocket to extend out of pressure.
Big time Seahawks fan and ESPN personality Mina Kimes voiced her skepticism over Darnold in Seattle, echoing concerns about his ability to play in the face of pressure. She believes Darnold is great when he has protection, but struggles in the face of pressure, and that it is essential that Seattle to improve their offensive line for this bet on Darnold to pay off (duh).
I like Mina Kimes a lot, but I decided to test her assertion of Darnold in pressure situations in 2024. According to quick internet search, it appears that Darnold had one of the best under pressure passer ratings of out of any quarterback in the 2024, second only to Joe Burrow, in fact. Under pressure, he completed 80 or 151 passes for 1,157 yards, 13 touchdowns with only 5 interceptions for a QB rating of 93.1. I think I would take those numbers in Seattle.
I felt the need to test Kimes take on Darnold. I am not calling her takes lazy, but they didn’t match what I saw close in person against the Seahawks last December when he was decidedly the better quarterback, throwing an absolute spectacular, game winning, touchdown bomb down the left sideline when he rolled left out of pressure to make the throw. It was an absolute MVP worthy throw, and it was an absolute dagger in the heart of Seahawk fans because we almost had that game in the bag until he made that late fourth quarter play.
Let me throw a couple more factoids your way about what Darnold did in 2024 for the Vikes, if you are a strong skeptic of this signing.
He was the 8th best red zone performing quarterback in 2024, completing 70% of his passes for 24 touchdowns and only 4 interceptions. In contrast, Geno Smith was the 23rd best passer with a 48% competition rate, and only 10 touchdowns along with 5 interceptions.
Sam Darnold was significantly better at red zone quarterbacking over Geno Smith, and this is indisputable. I am not using this platform to trash Geno and say Sam Darnold is light years better, but I am showing you reasons why I believe this move for Darnold was a smart one for Seattle, and why I am glad they did it.
Now, you will hear a very lazy narrative out there that Sam was supported by a way better offensive line than what Geno had to deal with and had better weapons. While I do think that the Vikings receivers were collectively better, I think Seattle had a way better backfield of runner, and they just were not used nearly enough (don’t get me started on Ryan Grubb again).
But as for the offensive lines of Seattle and Minnesota, was Minnie’s really significantly better? You sure you want to die on that hill arguing that?
According to Brian Nemhauser (AKA Hawkblogger Dude), Seattle’s offensive line had the worst pass blocking efficiency rate in the league last year, but Minnosota’s efficiency was actually third worst in the league. This flies in the face of the narrative that Darnold was working with a great offensive line.
He wasn’t. Not even close. He was just working with a better play caller than Geno was, and a guy aligned with Klint Kubiak’s philosophy.
Some other nice 2024 numbers for Sam. While Minnesota functions as a quick passing Shanahan style offense reliant on short to intermediate throws over the middle, he led the league in deep passing throwing yards, led the league in deep throw completions, and he was tied for the most deep throw touchdowns.
Sam Darnold was not some check down Charlie Jimmy G quarterback in 2024. He successfully attacked defenses at all three levels of the field, big time.
So what about those last two games against Detroit and the LA Rams in the playoffs?
I won’t excuse the poor play of Darnold, but the whole Viking team played bad in both of those games on both sides of the ball, and I also think O’Connell got out coached, as well. Darnold played bad, the offensive line played bad, the defense played bad, and O’Connell arrogantly called a pass happy game against defenses selling out to get to Darnold.
There were plenty of opportunities for the young head coach to adjust and lean into the run in order to stabilize his offense, but he failed to do it. When teams send the house, that’s when you start hitting them with the draws, you adjust, and force them to play honest.
I don’t know what was in the head of O’Connell against the Lions, and the Rams, but maybe Darnold’s jaw dropping game against the Packers in Week 16 when he threw for over 377 yard and 3 touchdowns had something to do with it. Perhaps O’Connell got too caught up in the sudden Darnold MVP hype, and a desperate Lions team in week 17 caught them with their pants down by selling out with the blitz, and gave the blue print to the Rams in the wildcard round of the playoffs to do the same.
If you are nervous about Darnold in those two games, I am not going to try to convince you to not be nervous. I am just going to say that I am confident that, here in Seattle, in similar circumstances, Mike Macdonald is likely not going to allow for that sort of reckless pass happiness. He fired his last offensive coordinator for having that ailment.
So, do I think Sam Darnold is going to lead us to the promise land, and get us a Super Bowl ring in the next three years?
I don’t know, but I think he can be pretty good. I get the sense that things are finally clicking for him at age 27 much like things finally clicked for Matt Hasselbeck when he got a second shot at starting at age 27 over twenty years ago. Sometimes it takes quarterbacks a while.
It too Hasselbeck a while, backing up Brett Farve, getting an opportunity to be a starter in Seattle, struggling, getting benched, being a backup again, and then finally getting an opportunity to start again. Seattle had a nice little seven year run with Hass starting, and they did get to a Super Bowl with him.
I don’t think Matt Hasselbeck twenty years ago is determinably better than Sam Darnold is now. In fact, I think Darnold is a significanlty better athlete with a strong arm than vintage mid 2000’s Hass.
I can see the argument that this is a lateral move towards Darnold for Seattle, but I also cannot shake the fact that he is seven years younger than Geno Smith, and in that, probably does have greater upside.
I’m very curious about how this could go for him here in Seattle, reunited with Klint Kubiak who was his QB coach in San Francisco and is his play caller here now. These two know each other, and can speak the language of the offense together. I think that matters a lot.
So, yeah. I really dig this move a lot. I’m excited.
Now go build up that offensive line, and maybe bring in Cooper Kupp.
12th Life 