Sam Darnold was on the field for a mere five snaps of the 2026 NFL season, and just like that, our Super Bowl title defense took an unexpected, gut-wrenching turn. A sack ended Seattle’s opening possession, Darnold walked gingerly to the sideline, then limped to the locker room with a hip injury, and suddenly, Drew Lock was QB1. But hold up, 12s, because our Hawks didn’t quit! We rallied from a 10-point deficit and won anyway, showing the kind of grit you expect from the defending champions.
The Darnold Scare and Lock’s Immediate Test
The good news on Darnold is encouraging: tests ruled out a fracture, and the injury is believed to be muscular. That’s a huge relief, but he’s still expected to miss at least the Week 2 matchup against Arizona. So, Lock is officially the man under center for now. He finished his unexpected debut 16 of 22 for 187 yards and a touchdown, a solid showing given the circumstances. Our defense, meanwhile, stepped UP, picking off Drake Maye three times in the fourth quarter to seal that comeback victory. It was a true team effort, proving that even with a curveball thrown our way, this squad has fight.
History Says We’re Not Out Of It Yet
Whenever your starting quarterback goes down, the immediate thought is “season over,” right? Not so fast. History, going back to 2015 and up to 2025, tells a different story for good teams. Out of 41 teams that were above .500 when they had to turn to a backup, those backups indeed had a tough go, winning just 55 of 137 games, a .401 winning percentage. That’s exactly what you’d expect, honestly: losing your starter makes even a good team worse.
But here’s the kicker: nearly 60% of those 41 teams, 24 of them to be exact, *still made the playoffs*! Twelve of them even won a postseason game, and four of those teams went on to hoist the Super Bowl trophy. Talk about surprising! For established contenders, teams winning at a .600 clip or better, almost two-thirds still clawed their way into the playoffs, even with their backups going a combined 36-47. The numbers show scoring dropped from roughly 25 points per game to 19 with a backup, an eight-point swing that puts a team from plus-5 to minus-3 in differential. But the main takeaway is clear: the rest of the roster can absorb that hit and keep the season alive.
So, as Drew Lock leads our defending champs into Week 2 against Arizona, the 12s need to keep this history lesson in mind. It won’t be easy, the team *will* get worse without Darnold, but the season is absolutely not over. Our roster has proven it has the talent and the heart to survive this. Let’s go Hawks!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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