Sam Darnold’s numbers are straight down across the board this season, but before you freak out, the tape shows our Super Bowl-winning quarterback is still the same guy. While some QBs like Justin Herbert are having a season from hell, the real issue for us is our Seahawks offense looks totally different, throwing Darnold into a way harder game than last year.
The Seahawks Put Darnold on Hard Mode This Season
Think of it like a video game: Darnold’s playing on a tougher difficulty level, and it’s not his fault. Playing QB in the NFL is never easy, but when defenses *know* you’re passing, it ratchets up the pressure big time. That’s exactly where Darnold finds himself more often, for reasons way outside his control.
Last season, when we were rolling to that Super Bowl, the Seahawks weren’t often down on the scoreboard. That meant Darnold saw a league-low rate of obvious passing situations, logging just 73 dropbacks while trailing in the second half for the *entire* year. This year? He’s already hit 22 dropbacks trailing in the second half in just three full games. Plus, he’s already had 19 third-and-long dropbacks this season, compared to just 74 in all of 2025. That’s a huge shift, and it’s putting him in impossible spots.
Super Bowl Blinders Are Off: Darnold’s Old Habits Are Back
Honestly, Darnold’s clean playoff run and lifting that Lombardi Trophy might have skewed our view of his 2025 season. It was easy to forget he actually led the NFL in turnovers that year! Even with Seattle’s offense making things easier on him, the flaws were still there. Now, with the degree of difficulty cranked up, those flaws are glaring. The tough loss to San Francisco showed us exactly what we’re talking about.
Both of his interceptions in that game came on tight-window throws, left inside his receiver, letting the defensive back jump the route. And guess what? Both happened in obvious passing situations. The first one was on third-and-10, with us backed up in our own territory. Darnold trusted Jaxon Smith-Njigba to beat his man on an out-breaking route. Usually that’s a good bet with Jaxon, but not that time. It ended up picked.
His second pick wasn’t even a bad decision, it was just a bad throw. On second-and-8, he saw tight end Elijah Arroyo with a step across the field. That’s the play design, and if Darnold could have led him towards his upfield shoulder, there was a window. Instead, he threw it flat and across the field, allowing Renardo Green to undercut Arroyo for the interception.
These aren’t new revelations for us or for the Seahawks. We know Darnold’s a talented thrower who takes chances other quarterbacks can’t, but when he’s rushed into those decisions, especially against blitzes or pass-rush situations, mistakes are going to happen. We saw plenty of examples even during his Super Bowl year.
So, What’s Next For Our Super Bowl QB?
Look, the Seahawks are getting what they paid for with Sam Darnold. He’s not suddenly a different player. The good news? If our running back room gets healthy and we can get that ground game back on track, keeping Darnold out of these obvious passing situations, his play *should* get back to that 2025 level. That was a level good enough to get us the top seed in the NFC!
But if these offensive issues around Darnold keep popping up, these mistakes will keep happening. We need to protect our guy and give him a chance to do what he does best. Here’s hoping the coaching staff figures it out fast and we see that 2025 magic again soon!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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